How does Dak Prescott compare to other great QB’s of this era?

[Doomsday101]

Being the starting quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys is perhaps the most prestigious position in all of pro sports. It is no wonder that so much pressure and scrutiny accompany the role. With such a high standard of excellence displayed for many decades at the position, expectations are high and criticism comes quickly and mercilessly. Cowboy fans are constantly at odds when it comes to their opinions about their starting QB’s. No matter how well a player performs there will always be a group of fans that will continue to be unimpressed. Dak Prescott is a particularly great example of this. After having perhaps the greatest rookie season of any QB in NFL history there were many fans still clamoring for the return of Tony Romo. When Prescott struggled last season without All Pro Tackle Tyron Smith, All Pro Running Back Ezekiel Elliott, and a poorly performing receiving corps the Dak haters showed up in full force. Now Prescott is entering his 3rd season and there is a ton of pressure on the young QB. At this point there seem to be as many doubters as believers among the Cowboy faithful. For all of you who may have some lingering doubts I would like to remind you of a simple truth. Dak Prescott is only 24 years old! People tend to forget that when they compare him to the games elite passers and they also tend to forget how those players performed in their first 2 seasons.

Take a look at Dak’s numbers compared to some of the best Quarterbacks in recent history at a similar age. Of the QB’s shown below, all of them became starters in either their 1st or 2nd season in the league and this is how they stack up over the course of their first 2 seasons as starters.

https://cowboyscoffeetalk.com/how-does-dak-prescott-compare-to-other-great-qbs-of-this-era/

 

[landroverking]

No

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

Can't be. I was told Dak was a scrub and couldn't play.

 

[pansophy]

I don't know why there is so much resistance to the fact that Dak just isn't a top 5 passer. Didn't take a 7 step drop without play action until week 14 of season 1 because his footwork wasn't ready for it; can hit Witten and Beasley in the middle of the field until the defense just clogged the middle of the field and forced balls to the outside; unable to get Dez the ball unless he ran some kind of "in" route or slant. Sure people blame Dez for that but Romo didn't have that problem getting the ball to Dez.

I wouldn't want to pay franchise money for a guy who can't throw to an outside WR 10-20 yards downfield. I can't tell yet if Dak is working to improve that part of his game or if the plan is to scheme around it now by using more 10 personnel. Either way we need a solution to defenses clogging the middle of the field.

 

[Doomsday101]

I don't know why there is so much resistance to the fact that Dak just isn't a top 5 passer. Didn't take a 7 step drop without play action until week 14 of season 1 because his footwork wasn't ready for it; can hit Witten and Beasley in the middle of the field until the defense just clogged the middle of the field and forced balls to the outside; unable to get Dez the ball unless he ran some kind of "in" route or slant. Sure people blame Dez for that but Romo didn't have that problem getting the ball to Dez.

I wouldn't want to pay franchise money for a guy who can't throw to an outside WR 10-20 yards downfield. I can't tell yet if Dak is working to improve that part of his game or if the plan is to scheme around it now by using more 10 personnel. Either way we need a solution to defenses clogging the middle of the field.

I don't claim him to be a top 5 at this point only a QB who deserve more respect than he gets. Not many young QB come out and play as he has over the 1st 2 seasons. Hell we watched vet Cassell and Weeden look like complete disasters and yet Dak can come in and perform to a much higher level day 1. I do think this is a critical year for Dak just think he gets a lot of unfair criticism, much of it due to something that was out of his control which was taking the job from Romo. All Dak did was go out and do his job and because of that others made the choice to stay with Dak and he has caught hell for it

 

[dfense]

"Other " great QBs implies Dak is great already. A bit misleading.

 

[CPanther95]

Being the starting quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys is perhaps the most prestigious position in all of pro sports.

I would no longer consider it the most prestigious, but it's still probably the most glamorous.

 

[erod]

Geez. LOL, how does this level of stupidity get published?

How many quarterbacks in NFL history inherited this perfect of an offensive situation as a rookie?

Nobody. Dak walked into a championship caliber offense.

Most rookie quarterbacks who play right away were drafted by awful football teams.

 

[pansophy]

I don't claim him to be a top 5 at this point only a QB who deserve more respect than he gets. Not many young QB come out and play as he has over the 1st 2 seasons. Hell we watched vet Cassell and Weeden look like complete disasters and yet Dak can come in and perform to a much higher level day 1. I do think this is a critical year for Dak just think he gets a lot of unfair criticism, much of it due to something that was out of his control which was taking the job from Romo. All Dak did was go out and do his job and because of that others made the choice to stay with Dak and he has caught hell for it

I'm a huge Romo fan, but my concerns about Dak have nothing to do with that. We had a chance to go from one franchise guy to the next without gap years and we took it. I didn't like it at the time but I understood the choice.

If anything is happening with Dak's narrative it's that he put up career numbers as a rookie and some have latched onto those as saying Dak has arrived. Speaking for myself at least, I don't start threads questioning Dak or saying we need to look for another QB because Dak sucks. No, I am always responding to threads that make a claim in some way that Dak is as good as Brady, Rodgers, and Brees.

The reality is that Dak was boosted by an incredible rushing attack year 1 and defenses not being sure how to take away what Dak does well. Last year teams clogged the middle and suddenly the conversation was that Witten, Beasley, and Dez had all regressed and couldn't run routes.

Watch offenses other than ours the last 2 years and you'll see a couple of throws a game when the WR has to drag their feet to catch the ball in bounds. You just don't see Dak make that throw and yet last year it had to be open because teams were clogging the middle.

So for me I don't even need Dak to be a top 5 passer to be happy with him. He does however need to be able to throw to the sidelines 10-20 yards downfield for me to feel like he is worth franchise money, unless they have schemes that can work with defenses clogging the middle and Dak not having to make those throws.

That's all I want and I'll be a huge fan when he gets there. But for some to call people haters because they don't think Dak has arrived as a passer is ridiculous.

 

[G2]

Geez. LOL, how does this level of stupidity get published?

How many quarterbacks in NFL history inherited this perfect of an offensive situation as a rookie?

Nobody. Dak walked into a championship caliber offense.

Most rookie quarterbacks who play right away were drafted by awful football teams.

There have been a few, but what you're leaving out is a good defense. Prescott played plenty good enough in the playoffs to win offensively. That's not what lost us the game. So your Dak hatred point is really silly if you factor everything realistically.
Not just spouting off incorrect "facts" like he can't throw a back shoulder fade.......

 

[cowboy_ron]

No

Can't you post without being so wordy?

 

[G2]

No

TL;DR

 

[Doomsday101]

I get it we have those who will try to put players into the HOF before they have earned it. I'm not one of them, I think Dak is a young QB who has experienced some ups and downs. Heading into year 3 I do think it is critical for him to take that next step and show he can improve on areas he has struggled with. Personally I think he physically can make all the throws he needs to make, I think at times he has been hesitant to deliver the ball and of course when you hesitate in this league it allows the DB time to recover thus Dak will either pull it down and look else where or will throw it late leading to a poor pass. When he has dropped back and got the ball off on time he has made some very good throws including out routes and deep balls. People love to say he can't throw the deep ball which is false, to say he does not throw it often enough is a valid argument.

 

[Kevinicus]

No

TLDR

 

[G2]

I get it we have those who will try to put players into the HOF before they have earned it. I'm not one of them, I think Dak is a young QB who has experienced some ups and downs. Heading into year 3 I do think it is critical for him to take that next step and show he can improve on areas he has struggled with. Personally I think he physically can make all the throws he needs to make, I think at times he has been hesitant to deliver the ball and of course when you hesitate in this league it allows the DB time to recover thus Dak will either pull it down and look else where or will throw it late leading to a poor pass. When he has dropped back and got the ball off on time he has made some very good throws including out routes and deep balls. People love to say he can't throw the deep ball which is false, to say he does not throw it often enough is a valid argument.

Yep, Prescott has a lot of work to do. But I like the potential. Should be fun to watch.

 

[cowboyblue22]

the passing game has to be better much better hope he improves the offense Is coming along slowly in camp guess we will start to see how it all plays out beginning in september

 

[DFWJC]

Sweet
Yet another Dak thread

 

[erod]

There have been a few, but what you're leaving out is a good defense. Prescott played plenty good enough in the playoffs to win offensively. That's not what lost us the game. So your Dak hatred point is really silly if you factor everything realistically.
Not just spouting off incorrect "facts" like he can't throw a back shoulder fade.......

If you think Dak can effectively throw the back shoulder fade, then you've got more to learn about this game than I even imagined.

Dak was effective in 2016, not great, because he was an unknown commodity and he is incredibly poised for a young quarterback. Off the charts in that category. The run game was the best in football, and he supported it well by limiting his mistakes.

However, the book got out. Hold him in the pocket and make him work from there. He began to crater as the season went on. He played well against Green Bay, but they had an AWFUL defense that was missing 3 starters in the secondary and 2 linebackers. Green Bay was down, 31-0, the following week early in the second quarter. Just a dreadful defense, far worse than the Cowboys.

Against good defenses, Dak looks lost, dazed, and confused.

That has to change this year. Has to.

 

[G2]

If you think Dak can effectively throw the back shoulder fade, then you've got more to learn about this game than I even imagined.

Dak was effective in 2016, not great, because he was an unknown commodity and he is incredibly poised for a young quarterback. Off the charts in that category. The run game was the best in football, and he supported it well by limiting his mistakes.

However, the book got out. Hold him in the pocket and make him work from there. He began to crater as the season went on. He played well against Green Bay, but they had an AWFUL defense that was missing 3 starters in the secondary and 2 linebackers. Green Bay was down, 31-0, the following week early in the second quarter. Just a dreadful defense, far worse than the Cowboys.

Against good defenses, Dak looks lost, dazed, and confused.

That has to change this year. Has to.

You've posted a couple times that he can't throw it. Specifically, he can't throw it. If you would like to change your statement then that's cool.

And the team was different from 2016 to 2017. Everyone on offense struggled. Dak included. To ignore or refuse to admit that is ignorant.

You exaggerate a lot when it comes to Prescott.

 

[pansophy]

You've posted a couple times that he can't throw it. Specifically, he can't throw it. If you would like to change your statement then that's cool.

And the team was different from 2016 to 2017. Everyone on offense struggled. Dak included. To ignore or refuse to admit that is ignorant.

You exaggerate a lot when it comes to Prescott.

Everyone ‘struggled’ because we had to run the offense through the middle of the field while defenses clogged the middle because Dak can’t throw to the sidelines 10-20 yards downfield.

That’s the big difference between year 1 and 2. Defenses started clogging the middle and begging us to attack the outside. Not only couldn’t we do it, we really didn’t try to do it because we knew Dak isn’t ready to make those throws.

So if you can’t attack the outside no reason to keep Dez and if we need to go to 10 personnel to compensate for the lack of an outside passing game no reason for Witten to stick around.

Will be interesting to see if Dak has improved throwing outside downfield or we try to scheme our way around his past limitations.