Cowboys: Dak Prescott weighs in on secret weapon offense must use more
During Monday night's win, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott put on display one of the team's biggest secret weapons (and quite frankly, wasted) of the offense. His legs. On fourth-and-one, Prescott took off for an 18-yard touchdown in the first quarter when he read rookie edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu on the option play. He kept […]
During Monday night's win, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott put on display one of the team's biggest secret weapons (and quite frankly, wasted) of the offense.
His legs.
On fourth-and-one, Prescott took off for an 18-yard touchdown in the first quarter when he read rookie edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu on the option play. He kept the football while CeeDee Lamb's motion pulled the attention of the secondary and Prescott went into the end zone untouched.
How well did the play work? Per Next Gen Stats, Prescott had a whopping 86% chance of converting after the fake handoff.
It was easily one of the highlights of the night and a reminder that the Cowboys have barely exploited Prescott's skills running the option. In his first three years in the NFL, he scored six rushing touchdowns per season. Since 2019, he's totaled just nine.
Prescott also used his legs scrambling some on Monday night, as he racked up another 22 yards with his legs, including scrambles for 11 and 9 yards. He did fail on the tush push attempt.
"I'd say it's how the game unfolded," Prescott told reporters when asked if his running was part of the gameplan. "A little bit of maybe conscious effort by myself just coming off of last week, realizing that's something I could use, we could use in this sense."
Prescott credited his offensive line for giving him multiple lanes to get out on, which was particularly evident in his scrambles.
Now the question becomes, could the Cowboys have Prescott run the football a little bit more moving forward? The team has clearly moved on from it since his ankle injury in 2020, whether right or wrong. At times, it's felt like it's an organizational decision to risk the quarterback as little as possible.
While understandable, good things happen when Dak carries the rock. The offense could absolutely be upgraded if they incorporate Prescott as a serious threat in the running game.
"Kind of how it played out but I think it's something that can benefit us," Dak added.
At least in the red zone, designed QB runs (or read option plays) could absolutely do that. The Cowboys have several weapons that can worry defenses, adding the threat of Prescott as a ball-carrier could be special.
On Monday night, Prescott did damage with more than just his legs. He completed 70% of his attempts while gaining 9.1 yards per attempt. He finished the night with a 109.3 rating and a highlight reel that included a big-time 60-yard play with Tony Pollard that sparked the team's win.
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Tough, tough break.
