Takeaway Tuesday: Dak Prescott The Least of Cowboys Problems

No one expected the Dallas Cowboys to lose to the New York Jets, but that’s precisely what happened when they left the field at MetLife Stadium last Sunday. So far, it’s been the most painful loss of the season given it was supposed to be a great opportunity for a “get-right” game. But what happened in New York?

Let’s get to this week’s edition of Takeaway Tuesday. I promise you there’s a couple of positive ones.

Dak Prescott’s The Least of Cowboys Problems

When an NFL team isn’t playing well, there are two specific persons fans will go after. The head coach and the quarterback. In the Cowboys’ case, Dak Prescott is far from the problem. On his contract year, Dak is playing at a high level. The box score might not tell you that, but the tape will. He’s far from an elite QB, but he’s a guy you can win big with.

Perhaps his biggest issue is the inaccurate throws he can make from time to time. But just as that happens once in a while, Prescott has the ability to throw some pretty good balls in tight situations. He can throw on the run, move around in the pocket and remain calm under intense situations. He showed that versus the New York Jets – playing without his two starting tackles and #1 wide receiver – when he was constantly under pressure and still managed to throw the football around.

Cowboys 4th drive of the game Dak....

3rd & 2 - Ridiculous throw to Cedric Wilson for big gain.
3rd & 8 - Getting hit by Q Williams completes to Austin for a big gain.
Then they go 4 straight run plays and turn it over.

Let your QB score your points please.
— Jeff Cavanaugh (@timeforjeffrey) October 15, 2019

In a game where he lacked key players around him, he managed to get Cedrick Wilson and Tavon Austin a combined 10 catches for 110 yards, as Staff Writer Jess Haynie pointed out.

Right now, Dak’s a good quarterback with the potential to grow into an even better one. A great one. The Cowboys have plenty of things to clean up, but Dak Prescott is not one of them.

Injuries Will Be Tough On This Team

Many fans are turning against the Dallas Cowboys’ coaching staff after a three-game losing streak. One of the main reasons why is how this football team is being overwhelmed with injuries and failing to execute without key players. This time, the Cowboys played without their two starting offensive tackles and their star wide receiver, Amari Cooper. It’s not easy to win a game on the road that way.

Yet, the New Orleans Saints beat the Cowboys without their staring QB Drew Brees. The Green Bay Packers didn’t have WR Davante Adams when they traveled to Dallas. And the then 0-4 New York Jets didn’t have LB C.J. Mosley and TE Chris Herndon when they hosted the Cowboys last Sunday.

Can this team overcome injuries going forward? They didn’t prove it against a bad New York Jets team. This Cowboys team is too talented to lose when healthy, but issues will likely continue if injuries do.

Play-Calling Impossible To Figure Out

One thing is to lose three straight games. Another thing is to completely change what was working for you offensively when you scored over 30 points in each of the first three games. The Cowboys seemed to have a new-look pass-first offense playing RPOs, play-action, throwing deep in early downs and looking like a modern NFL offense. The Scott Linehan days were over… until they came right back.

The Cowboys ran play-action on 39.4% of passes (2nd-highest) in the first 3 weeks.

It's down to 17.2% (Tied for 3rd-fewest) in the last 3. Game script obviously a key factor there but wow.

(All per PFF, Min. 20% of team dropbacks, btw) https://t.co/PhsFaefxGv
— Tom Downey (@WhatGoingDowney) October 14, 2019

Versus the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets specifically, the Cowboys went back to running on a huge amount of first downs. Last Sunday, Dallas run the ball 17 times on first down, only to average 2.9 yards per carry. Many have speculated that Jason Garrett has been an influence on Kellen Moore’s play-calling but there’s no evidence to back that up.

Kellen Moore’s play-calling has worked under one approach and failed under another. How long will it take the Cowboys to stick to the successful one? Going into week 6, they were the #1 offense by DVOA. They clearly can make it work. Are they afraid of being on the road or what is the reason they’re not sticking to what’s working?

Cedrick Wilson Had a Nice Game

The Boise State product didn’t have a lot of opportunities to prove himself, but he had a fairly decent game. With Amari Cooper sidelined, Wilson had five catches for 46 yards. One of them was a highlight reel catch on third down.

Cedrick Wilson pulls down the 3rd down catch from Dak Prescott.

Really nice placement by Dak and a nice job to make the catch by Wilson. #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/CVTDQ9mUlv
— Tom Downey (@WhatGoingDowney) October 13, 2019

Wilson’s five catches were the first of his career. He was pretty solid versus the Jets and if the Cowboys are without Cooper next weekend, he’ll have plenty of opportunities to build on a strong performance. Wilson was a complete receiver in Boise and has the potential to fill a ton of roles for the Cowboys if called upon.

It was promising to watch him play well after missing his entire rookie season in 2018.