Cowboys offense needs Dak Prescott to prove he's not lying about key aspect of his play now
Once upon a time, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was considered somewhat of a dual-threat quarterback. At Mississippi State, he was a forced to be reckoned with and while in the NFL he never reached the ballcarrier status of the likes of Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and others, he was always good for a scramble […]
Once upon a time, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was considered somewhat of a dual-threat quarterback.
At Mississippi State, he was a forced to be reckoned with and while in the NFL he never reached the ballcarrier status of the likes of Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and others, he was always good for a scramble when needed. Maybe a read option here and there when short yardage was needed.
However, the threat of Prescott's legs has been diminishing ever since a season-ending ankle fracture in 2020. In his first four years in the league, he averaged 19 rushing yards per game as he picked up a total 94 first downs and 21 touchdowns via the ground in that span.
It wasn't much, but the threat was always there. That has declined in recent years until this season, where Prescott's usage of his legs is at an all-time low. In 2024, he averages 1.4 rush attempts per game, and those are usually his last resort. He's got 24 rushing yards for the season, less than Aaron Rodgers, Andy Dalton, and Joe Flacco.
It's tough to explain why. Sure, he hasn't been nearly as fast as he was prior to the ankle injury. But is the decision to not run a thing coming from the front office or coaching staff? Or is it built into the offense and Prescott refuses to take off?
Countless times, you see Prescott faking a run after handing it off but it certainly doesn't seem like the Cowboys are running a lot of option plays. There are also times when it appears Prescott has room to sneak in an efficient scramble yet he doesn't.
"For sure, thousand percent," Prescott told reporters when asked if he was physically able to pull it off.
The Cowboys offense doesn't have a lot going for it eight weeks into the season as it ranks bottom 12 in both rushing and dropback success rate. It needs something, anything, to spice things up. We're at a point in which the offense needs Dak to prove he's not lying about his ability to run still being there.
Back in September following the Saints loss, he told reporters he was considering "going back to using my feet more." He's got seven rush attempts in five games since then.
"I definitely think I've got something to add in it," Prescott said on Thursday. "I know I haven't been running—whether it's been the scrambles or not. A couple of play calls that could potentially go that way, just haven't had the read. Hell, I did it one time, and it wasn't the read, so it just happens from within the pocket during the game. I think my point is about the risk versus reward, pulling some of these things down, being better in the pocket, and then getting out and making something happen."
Ultimately, the Cowboys offense needs better answers and considering there's not a lot that can change from a starting lineup perspective, all eyes are on Dak to make something happen. This could be the key to unlock many things, something he's been talking about since September but has yet to translate onto the field.
"Excited about this game plan," added Prescott about the upcoming game against the Atlanta Falcons. "I think we've got a great one in the making, now it's about us just locking in, being focused, going out there, and not only implementing it but executing it the way that we want to."
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It needs to happen.
