The shackles have been released. No longer is Quarterback Dak Prescott chained by former Offensive Coordinator Scott Linehan's predictable playcalling. He now has an innovative OC, Kellen Moore, in his corner and looked/played like an entirely different QB in the 2019 season opener against the New York Giants.
Entering Year 4, Dak Prescott looks like a new and improved version of his former self. He was noticeably leaner in appearance, but it was the confidence in which he was playing that really stood out last Sunday against the Giants. His on-field command had the entire offense firing on all cylinders and if he can remain consistent, this could be one of the more lethal offensive units in the NFL.
“Consistency” is the key word here though. We've seen No. 4 play like a man possessed before only to crash back down to earth. His entire rookie season in 2016 is evidence enough of that. But, there just seemed to be something truly different about Prescott last Sunday. Whether it's confidence, the new OC, or something else… Dak looks like he has finally arrived and it couldn't have come at a better time.
The Dallas Cowboys have the talent on the offensive side of the ball to rival any other team in the NFL. Because of that, opposing defensive coordinator's jobs have gotten a lot more difficult. They now know if they try to neutralize Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup will end up hurting them, and vice versa. That's not even mentioning Randall Cobb or factoring in Ezekiel Elliott in the running game. This is a pick your poison offense, especially with a new and improved Dak Prescott.
It's just one game of course, but it looks to me as if Dak Prescott might have just shed his “bus driver” label that has been attached to him since arriving in Dallas. Many people have described him as being incapable of carrying this team, or the offense, with his arm. That certainly wasn't the case to start the 2019 season though.
Prescott completed an impressive 25 of 32 passes for 405 yards and four touchdowns last week against the Giants. Even more impressive though was his perfect passer rating (158.3) and his ability to spread the ball around in the passing game. His execution was nearly perfect as was his accuracy, something he has struggled with in the past.
I know OC Kellen Moore deserves a lot of the credit for the game plan and his ability to exploit the Giants defense with different personnel and innovative playcalling, but it was Dak out there on the field executing the offense. He was awfully impressive, especially considering the lack of running game.
The only thing left for Dak Prescott to do is to play like he did in the season opener on a consistent basis. That starts this week against yet another division foe, the Washington Redskins.
