DENVER -- Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott doesn't care who's guarding CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.

"No disrespect to the guys out there," Prescott said after the team's 44-24 road loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday. "Even [Pat] Surtain [II]."

Prescott's comment is rooted in his confidence in his own players. Still, when the reigning Defensive Player of the Year leaves the game and is replaced -- especially after Surtain broke up a pass in the end zone -- it's noticeable. So was the direction the Cowboys went on that first play.

The Cowboys had third and goal from the six-yard line on their opening drive of the game. Second-year Broncos corner Kris Abrams-Draine replaced Surtain, who left with an ankle injury suffered on a pass breakup the previous play. On the CBS broadcast, former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo noted that Abrams-Draine had lined up with man coverage on George Pickens on the outside.

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Romo wondered if Prescott would go in that direction. Instead, Prescott threw a slant to Lamb in tight coverage. It was broken up by Denver's other starting corner, Riley Moss. It forced the Cowboys to settle for a field goal. Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, Pickens got open quickly on a fade route against Abrams-Draine.

Prescott, head coach Brian Schottenheimer and even Pickens all said the decision was based on one of the best attributes of this Cowboys team: that they have two No. 1 wide receivers. The decision also, seemingly, was made at the line of scrimmage. The Broncos' pass rush is too quick to have a full progression for Prescott, forcing him to choose a side and a receiver to target right away.

"It's tough," Prescott said, "when you have two guys like that. No disrespect to Moss over there, but that's CeeDee Lamb. I'm going to attack. It's hard to second-guess myself. I'm not going to second-guess myself. I'm sure you can look back at it and say, yeah, GP did win, right? And GP's always going to win. That's who he is. But CeeDee is as well. It's that whole which one do you want to take? I can't second-guess myself."

Prescott said he won't second-guess himself about the decision in film review, either.

"It's part of it," he said.

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Why Dak Prescott targeted CeeDee Lamb over George Pickens on key third down vs. Broncos