FO: How Cowboys are Getting the Best Version of Dak Prescott

[Rockport]

I left the Commanders out, but they are a decent team. I was talking about Cincinnati, St Louis, and the Giants.
He won four straight, but I knew you guys couldn't wait to bring up the Commanders.
We'll see how Dak fares against them next time.

And you’ll be rooting for the Cowboys to lose. You’ll deny it, but you know it’s true. You and your buddies PapSmear and mountainchild.

 

[leeblair]

And you’ll be rooting for the Cowboys to lose. You’ll deny it, but you know it’s true. You and your buddies PapSmear and mountainchild.

Absolutely not.
I like Dak. He's just repeatedly showed what happens when he has to face a tough team. I would love it if he didn't choke. It would be nice,.
But if he's not going to be the guy, I want to move on. If he can't beat what he's done in the past, it's time.

 

[Rockport]

Absolutely not.
I like Dak. He's just repeatedly showed what happens when he has to face a tough team. I would love it if he didn't choke. It would be nice.

You’re watching a different QB or are blind. He’s completing over 70% of his passes. Did you even watch last week? It wouldn’t have mattered who they were playing the way he was throwing the ball.

 

[JD_KaPow]

I left the Commanders out, but they are a decent team. I was talking about Cincinnati, St Louis, and the Giants.
He won four straight, but I knew you guys couldn't wait to bring up the Commanders.
We'll see how Dak fares against them next time.

No you didn't. You said "5-1 against good teams."

 

[leeblair]

You’re watching a different QB or are blind. He’s completing over 70% of his passes. Did you even watch last week? It wouldn’t have mattered who they were playing the way he was throwing the ball.

He plays great when the Cowboys have the momentum and are beating up on a weak team.
But just like his interception, it came at a time when he had to make a play.

 

[leeblair]

No you didn't. You said "5-1 against good teams."

I don't know where I said it, but okay; the Commanders are a good team. They aren't pushovers, and have a Super Bowl coach.

 

[dsturgeon]

He plays great when the Cowboys have the momentum and are beating up on a weak team.
But just like his interception, it came at a time when he had to make a play.

I think it depends on your definition of choke. If you think dak should always win at big moments against good teams, then he is never really playing good teams

 

[JD_KaPow]

I don't know where I said it, but okay; the Commanders are a good team. They aren't pushovers, and have a Super Bowl coach.

Washington's good, the Rams are a top team, Rush is better than Prescott. Uh-huh.

 

[fansince68]

https://www.footballoutsiders.com/film-room/2022/how-cowboys-are-getting-best-version-dak-prescott

Lots of film. A couple excerpts:

What changed between the opener against Tampa Bay and the Bears game was play calling. For a majority of the past few seasons, the entire burden of Dallas' offense has been thrust on Prescott's shoulders. The offense was static in its personnel, formations, and pre-snap movement and loved to lean on sharp, timing-based routes as the basis of the passing offense. Prescott has the capacity to operate like that, but even for quarterbacks who can do it, offense should never have to be that difficult. There are no extra points awarded for playing offense on hard mode. Mike McCarthy and Kellen Moore were forced to find simpler answers when Rush was at quarterback, and now they have been able to carry some of that over with a better point guard running the show.

The Cowboys have also gotten much better about moving CeeDee Lamb around into advantageous positions, a trend that started out of necessity with Rush behind center.

Effective as they were, an offense doesn't put up 49 points living off layups. The quarterback has to pull his weight and make top-shelf throws. That was the beauty in Dallas' game plan and execution on Sunday. They were able to toe the line between making things easy for Prescott and still getting a handful of the difficult throws that raise an offense from good to great. Prescott has always been capable of those plays but they are so, so much sweeter when he doesn't have to play at that level every single snap.

Great post...

 

[America's Cowboy]

And you’ll be rooting for the Cowboys to lose. You’ll deny it, but you know it’s true. You and your buddies PapSmear and mountainchild.

 

[ElGatoGrande]

Which would disappoint you more?

excelling against bad defenses, and struggling against good defenses

or

struggling against bad defenses, and excelling against good defenses

If there's a point in there somewhere I'm not seeing it...

 

[HungryLion]

I can show you, but you must decide who you want to be after that.
I guess you're one of the posters that got the thread deleted. But the truth was shown.
Speaks volumes about those who didn't want it seen.

Nah I didn’t have anything to do with that.

I know who you are though Freddy and your history. It speaks for itself.

 

[leeblair]

How many years would you like to continue to have Dak Prescott starting if he always beats weak teams but chokes against playoff teams?
Do you think it should keep going forever?

 

[leeblair]

Nah I didn’t have anything to do with that.

I know who you are though Freddy and your history. It speaks for itself.

Good!
Then you'll remember that I was always right.

 

[jaythecowboy]

I've been saying for years that the playcalling in Dallas hasn't been doing Dak any favors. When people compare Dak to a lot of these qbs they don't seem to see how a good OC can help a qb. I'm glad they are doing that more for Dak now.

 

[leeblair]

I've been saying for years that the playcalling in Dallas hasn't been doing Dak any favors. When people compare Dak to a lot of these qbs they don't seem to see how a good OC can help a qb. I'm glad they are doing that more for Dak now.

I'll go further than that.
The coaching hasn't done Dak any favors. He thinks there is always someone else to blame when he fails.
They never made him earn his spot, and never played him behind a second string or third string line to teach him how to make smart decisions under pressure.
Garrett coddled him because he was desperate to believe Dak was better than he was, and never made him learn things that most quarterbacks learn.
It's not all Dak's fault. But at some point, he has to learn.

 

[Rockport]

How many years would you like to continue to have Dak Prescott starting if he always beats weak teams but chokes against playoff teams?
Do you think it should keep going forever?

Damn Dak for not being able to stop the 49’ers run game.

 

[dsturgeon]

If there's a point in there somewhere I'm not seeing it...

I guess there is not, I was curious. In regard to folding, your every year analysis will hold true every year when you compare their performance against bad teams to their performance against good teams.

 

[leeblair]

Damn Dak for not being able to stop the 49’ers run game.

C,mon! You're better than that. The 49'ers led 22-7 at one point. It took Dak until the fourth quarter to move the team, and then it was garbage time.
You need to acknowledge these things. It's happened too many times.

 

[Wangchung83]

I’ve said it since week 3 when the homers were professing how good Dak would be. I will only judge him against the Vikings, Eagles, and Titans. Those are the teams to beat and if he comes up short then he is who we thought he’d be. If he can’t beat good teams, no one cares. Puff him up all y’all want, the fans want change if it happens again. No reason to open new threads, it’s like listening to 105.3 in the morning. They just love Dak and don’t ever speak about his propensity to not beat teams with wining records. Those are the facts and no one can change them. I’m a Cowboys fan so I expect and hope Dak has improved against the teams that matter.