Cowboys exec says what many won’t say about Dak Prescott
For the 27th consecutive season, the Dallas Cowboys failed to reach the Super Bowl glory they achieved in the 1990s. The Cowboys are coming off of back-to-back 12-win campaigns but only have one playoff victory to show for it. Although that win ended the career of the greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady, it's […]
For the 27th consecutive season, the Dallas Cowboys failed to reach the Super Bowl glory they achieved in the 1990s.
The Cowboys are coming off of back-to-back 12-win campaigns but only have one playoff victory to show for it. Although that win ended the career of the greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady, it's simply not enough for a franchise like the Cowboys that has such a rich tradition of winning championships.
Speaking of quarterbacks, many feel the reason the Cowboys won't get to the mountaintop anytime soon is because of Dak Prescott and his ability, or lack thereof. However, Cowboys executive vice president, Stephen Jones, feels differently.
"I've got all the faith in the world we can win this thing with Dak," Jones said while at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, via ESPN's Todd Archer.
Prescott had a rocky 2022 season. It started in the season opener when Prescott not only played poorly completing under 50% of his passes (14 for 29) with an interception, but he suffered a broken thumb to his throwing hand which cost him five games.
The Cowboys survived without Prescott going 4-1 over that stretch. When he returned, Prescott put together some good performances.
Against the Detroit Lions in Week 7, Prescott completed 19 of his 25 passes in a 24-6 win for the Cowboys. A week later, he went 21 out of 27 and tossed two touchdowns in a 20-point win over the Chicago Bears.
In arguably his best performance of the regular season, Prescott completed 88% of his throws against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 11 (22 of 25) in a 40-3 rout. However, things got shaking afterward.
Although the Cowboys went 5-2 in their final seven games, Prescott threw an interception in each, including four games with two multiple interceptions which ballooned his total to 11 over that span and a league-leading 15 for the year.
Up next was the Cowboys' battle against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the playoffs, and Prescott was masterful.
Prescott completed 25 of his 33 passes for 305 yards and four touchdowns and posted an incredible 96.5 QBR. But it was his 143.3 passer rating that jumped off the charts seeing as it set a Cowboys' playoff record in that category.
A week later against the San Francisco 49ers, the rollercoaster that was Prescott's season continued. He threw an interception in the first quarter that lead to a field goal. Just before halftime, with the Cowboys driving deep into 49ers territory with the game tied, Prescott threw another interception that costs the Cowboys three more points.
The Cowboys would lose the game by seven, but if those interceptions don't happen, they could've had a lead late in the game and not be in a position to need a late touchdown to force overtime.
So, it's understandable why many feel the way they do about Prescott with so many inconsistencies through last season. However, Jones went into more detail on why he has faith in Prescott.
"Because we know him," Jones said. "We know what he's about. His leadership skills are undeniable. Impeccable work ethic. Other than he hadn't won some key playoff games, he's everything you want in a quarterback. From the day he walked in the door, he's won a lot of games. We just got to get over the hump."
One of the ways to do that is to add more around Prescott. Yes, CeeDee Lamb was amazing with his 107 receptions for 1,359 yards and nine scores. But outside of him, the Cowboys' wide receiver group was putrid, to say the least, as Lamb outperformed them all by himself.
Jones acknowledged that the Cowboys do indeed need more weaponry around Prescott going forward.
"Offensively, we've just got to have, maybe add a playmaker to it," Jones said. "Add a little juice. Add a playmaker to it and see if we can do that."
The Cowboys certainly need to so that they can give themselves the best chance to win with Prescott, and if that happens, maybe the narrative when it comes to him will change.
Feature image via Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
