https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...their-chances-of-reaching-super-bowl-liv/amp/
The first subtitle is where the info is.
Yes this is some of the stuff we already know but it’s May and interesting to get some numbers and data behind it. Gives us an idea of how Linehan has held Dak back.
“Far too many of the Cowboys' passing-down snaps last year involved them spreading the field with three receivers and a tight end, all of whom ran identical comeback routes to the sticks. It was predictable and incredibly easy for defenses to cover. Linehan's lack of creativity most often manifested itself in Prescott having to throw into tight coverage far too often. Last year, 17.7 percent of his passes were thrown into tight coverage, per NFL.com's NextGen Stats, a figure that ranked 29th out of 38 qualified quarterbacks. Prescott also threw short of the sticks by an average of 1.5 yards per pass, which ranked 28th out of the same group of 38 players.
The Cowboys also had Prescott throw just 11 passes on RPO (run-pass option) plays last season, per Sports Info Solutions, a figure that is frankly embarrassing given Prescott's obvious strength with RPO schemes. He averaged 9.5 yards per pass on those throws, which allow him to combine his skill at play-fakes, quickly reading defenses, and using his legs and athleticism to make plays on the perimeter if necessary. The Cowboys don't need to do this on every snap, but a considerable increase is certainly called for.
Prescott should also just be throwing after a play-action fake more often in general. Given the strength of the Cowboys' run game and opposing defenses' obvious inclination to stop
Ezekiel Elliott, it should not be surprising that Prescott has been a far more efficient passer on play-action plays (where he is one of the best in the league) than on straight drop backs (where he is merely average) throughout his three-year career. Consider the following figures, per Pro Football Focus.
Prescott PA No PA
Comp 238 737
Att 349 1,178
Comp % 68.2% 62.6%
Yds 3,090 7,786
YPA 8.85 6.61
TD 19 48
INT 2 23
Rtg 111.6 87.2
% Passes 22.9% 77.1%
Again, the Cowboys don't need to be calling a play-action pass on every drop back, but 23 percent is far too low. They should be among the league leaders in play-action rate, up near teams like the Rams, who like the Cowboys base their entire offense around the versatile contributions of a star running back.”
More nuggets past this point like using more pre-snap motion (only used 36% of the time, tied for 24th in the league), but I’m not going to copy and past the whole article haha