Cowboys: Advanced stats show Dak Prescott thrives in specific area

When it comes to the Dallas Cowboys, no player will get a reaction like quarterback Dak Prescott. Well, regardless of what fans think of Prescott, he wins a lot of games and he gives the Cowboys the best chance to succeed. It's no secret that Prescott had issues with interceptions last season although several came off […]

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Dallas Cowboys
Jan 16, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) reacts after throwing a touchdown pass against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second half during the wild card game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

When it comes to the Dallas Cowboys, no player will get a reaction like quarterback Dak Prescott. Well, regardless of what fans think of Prescott, he wins a lot of games and he gives the Cowboys the best chance to succeed.

It's no secret that Prescott had issues with interceptions last season although several came off the hands of his receivers. However, he did thrive in one area. 

Next Gen Stats compiled a formula using expected completion percentage, completion percentage above expectation, and passing score for who were the best deep ball throwers in 2022. Prescott was ranked No.4 on the list. 

  • Deep attempts: 14-of-35, 484 yards, 5:1 TD-INT, 115.2 passer rating
  • Deep comp: 40%
  • Deep xComp: 29.7%
  • Deep CPOE: +10.3%
  • PASSING SCORE (on deep attempts): 99

"Prescott's ability to overcome disadvantages on deep throws is a big part of what landed him at No. 4 here. Among the quarterbacks on this list, Prescott finished with the third-highest completion percentage over expected. His TD-to-INT ratio on such attempts boosted his EPA to +28.9 on deep attempts. The gross totals weren't gaudy; Prescott was the only quarterback in this ranking to fall short of 500 yards on deep attempts (keep in mind that he missed five games last season due to injury). But he was still highly productive despite having just one pass-catcher (CeeDee Lamb) log more than two deep catches last season."-Nick Shook, NFL.com

Prescott should see an uptick in these numbers for a few reasons. 

One is simply his health. If he's available for an entire season, Prescott will produce pretty big numbers in all aspects of passing, he's just that good. He will have more weapons, specifically Brandin Cooks, and with his speed stretching defenses vertically, Prescott will take more shots downfield. The threat of Cooks will give Lamb and Gallup more chances to make plays deep as well.

Prescott will have the best set of weapons he's ever had in 2023 so get your popcorn ready 

Feature image via Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports