I think it's time we take off our rose-colored glasses and start looking at Quarterback Dak Prescott with fresh eyes. It's time to reassess him as a starting caliber QB and forget all about what he's accomplished thus far in his young career.
Unfortunately, there's something clearly wrong with the Dallas Cowboys passing game and I hate to say it, but I think it all falls at the feet of Dak Prescott. It's time we take our blinders off Cowboys Nation and stop making excuses for him. It's not doing us or him any good.
It just looks as if Prescott has lost any of that magic he had his rookie season. That year he was one of the better QBs in the NFL, but now he is arguably one of the worst, if not the worst. Making excuses for his performance isn't doing him any good. I'm guilty of it myself, but it might be time to reevaluate the Cowboys QB position.
I know you've probably heard all of the excuses as to why Dak Prescott and the Cowboys passing game is pretty much nonexistent. But if not, let me refresh your memory…
Excuse #1: Scott Linehan's Playcalling
I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a fan of Offensive Coordinator Scott Linehan's playcalling, but it's been good enough for Dak Prescott to be more productive in the passing game. Unfortunately, Prescott just isn't executing very well. We have seen I don't know how many inaccurate/off target throws already this year from him. Linehan can only do so much. It's up to Prescott to get through his progressions and make an accurate throw to the open receiver.
Excuse #2: Wide Receivers Aren't Getting Open
This receiving core was put together because they were supposed to be able to create separation on their own with better route running. This was supposed to help Dak Prescott take the next step in his development, but that obviously hasn't happened. The Cowboys WRs are getting opened by NFL standards, but we all know he isn't going to throw his pass catchers open or throw into tight windows. He has to have someone wide open in order for him to pull the trigger.
Excuse #3: Offensive Line Playing Poorly
I honestly find people saying the offensive line's poor play is affecting Dak Prescott's performance laughable. Troy Aikman actually mentioned it Sunday afternoon against the Seattle Seahawks as well, but I'm not buying it. Yes, they aren't playing up to their normal standards, but they are providing more than enough time for Prescott to find success in the passing game. Typically, the OL is supposed to give their QB at least three seconds to get rid of the ball. The Cowboys OL is providing that and more, but Prescott is still managing to hold on the ball way too long.
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If you can't tell already, I'm done making excuses for Dak Prescott. We all wanted to believe the Dallas Cowboys got lucky by finding a starting caliber quarterback with a fourth-round selection, but that belief has all but dissipated. It's probably time for them to focus in on next year's QB draft class and invest in one early. After all, almost every single starting QB around the league was a high draft pick.
I just think it's time for this experiment to end before Dallas is too heavily invested in someone who isn't showing any signs of improvement. Instead, he's probably regressed. Luckily, we can take comfort in the fact the Cowboys didn't invest a high draft pick in what looks to be a failure. We can take solace in knowing that it's just a fourth-round pick, not a first like the Denver Broncos with their selection of Paxton Lynch.
Whatever the Dallas Cowboys decide to do with Dak Prescott is completely on them, but you at least know where I stand. The wrong decision here could set the team back for years.
100% accurate. He badly misses at least three wide open guys a game and its not like the other throws are much better. As Parcells liked to say “you are what your record says you are”. Daks numbers are terrible.
Paul, I’ve been holding out hope Prescott can improve, but I think I’ve all but given up now.
This article didn’t age very well did it? Who would have thought that getting a QB a true #1 receiver (Cooper) could make such a difference in a QB’s game? Yanno… since every-freaking-other QB in the league is carrying their offense.. Right? Mahomes has made elite players out of such scrubs as Hill, Watkins, and Kelce. Right? The skewed idiocy displayed in the “sports media” may be as much of a catastrophe as the skewed idiocy displayed in the political media.
well he is what he is a 4th rd QB who fell into a good situation with a very nice rookie season.
he is not able to anticipate routes, he expects WR’s to be as open as they were in college, here the windows are so small. he cannot be afraid to make a mistake / int, he needs to trust the WR’s and put the ball in a spot / throw them open. i think he has gotten into throwing the ball with way too much velocity, certain routes i understand that has to happen but not on all throws, plus bad feet / bad base can lead to inaccurate throws, it starts from the ground up, good feet / good foundation.
i feel the routes in this system don’t help him either. there needs to be more crossing routes, short, medium and deep, we just don’t see that here with this inept offense.
i think he needs veteran leadership, he does not have that now. when mark sanchez was here he was always in dak’s ear, i think he needs that. say what you will about sanchez but i feel he got dak playing like he did in his rookie season. this veteran experience goes a long way in the QB room….
I think it was more Tony Romo’s influence on Prescott’s rookie season than it was Mark Sanchez. But, I do agree with the point you are making as well as everything else you stated.
in all the games when dak was shown on the SL’s it was mark talking to him, rarely did i see romo over there talking to him. romo lost his job to dak, he was far from wanting to help him.
go back and watch some of those games.
So were done with Prescott just like that?? But we made 12 years of excuses for Romo’s blunders in Seattle, 9-7 after 9-7, and bad play and big games. Don’t act like we didn’t make EVERY excuse in the book for romo. Dak needs to play better but its not just him, how many drops/strips came from wrs and zeke vs seattle, its not all Dak
Yes, I’m losing faith in Prescott quickly. I’m beginning to believe he is nothing more than a game manager who has to rely on his mobility to have any kind of offensive productivity. Here we are in Year 3 and he’s still failed to show any improvement in the passing game. His inaccuracy, indecision, and struggles reading defenses are severely hamstringing the Cowboys offense. I don’t know about you, but I expect much more out of my starting QB
Sorry, but to anyone that is a fan of the SEC, this is no surprise. Dak has never been accurate, I have NO idea what the boys saw in him and thought wow his accuracy will improve at the next level. As far as QB’s go, I always thought he could make a viable TE in the pro’s if someone gave him a shot. He basically came from the Tim Tebow offense under Mullins which was run first, run second and jump pass if needed. Now in the cowboys defense there was never a play for him to be on the field his first year, maybe Garrett saw a project that he could bring along but if that’s the case, why would you burn a 4th round pick on a project? Good teams can gamble, but the boys haven’t been a good team for a LONG LONG LONG time, unfortunately cuz jurrah still thinks they are contenders.
Dan MULLEN (correct spelling) ran and still runs a modified spread offense. The “Tim Tebow Offense” to which you refer does not actually exist. was also run by Urban Meyer at both FL and OSU….as MULLEN was the OC who developed that particular style of offense for Meyer. According to NFL’s NEXT GEN STATS, Prescott has been in the Top 10 for the entirety of his short 3 year career for completions of Tight Window Throws. Matter of fact in 2017, Prescott was the #1 QB in the league for tight window throw completions. GTFOH with your “eye test” nonsense. Gotta love casual fans…NOT
Dan MULLEN (correct spelling) ran and still runs a modified spread offense of his own creation. The “Tim Tebow Offense” to which you refer does not actually exist but Mullen’s concepts were run by Urban Meyer at both FL and OSU….as MULLEN was the OC who developed that particular style of offense for Meyer. According to NFL’s NEXT GEN STATS, Prescott has been in the Top 10 for the entirety of his short 3 season career for completions of Tight Window Throws. (It’s called STATS. Try actually researching them sometimes.) Matter of fact in 2017, Prescott was the #1 QB in the league for tight window throw completions. GTFOH with your “eye test” nonsense. Gotta love casual fans…NOT
Good points and totally agree. He needs to go