Roster Review: Starting Quarterback – Part 1 of 17
For the most part, Dak Prescott had a solid season in 2023, especially when compared to the disaster film that was his 2022 season.
Coming into the year, Prescott needed to take better care of the football. In 2022 – despite missing five games – he led the NFL in interceptions with 15.
Worse still, he also had the most interceptions returned for a touchdown in 2022.
When the season kicked off last September, the heat was definitely on Prescott.
Prescott Stepped Up
With Kellen Moore‘s departure to Los Angeles – and Mike McCarthy taking over the play calling in the new “Texas Coast” scheme – Prescott got off to a good start.
He attempted 101 passes before his first interception – coming on the Cowboys’ final offensive play in a Week 3 loss to Arizona.
For the entire season he would only throw nine interceptions. He would also lose just two fumbles for 11 total turnovers in 17 games.
In 2022 – in 12 games – he had 15 interceptions and lost one fumble.
For the 2023 campaign – which ended with a 12-5 record and an NFC East title – he tied his career season-high of 410 completions. His 4,516 yards and 36 touchdowns were his second best for a season.
In short, in a year in which Prescott needed to improve every aspect of his game, he did exactly that.
In the regular season.
Prescott’s Achilles Heel
After leading the Cowboys to their third straight 12-5 record and a second divisional crown in three years, Prescott had one last hurdle to clear.
His dismal playoff record. In his previous seven seasons, Prescott had led Dallas to the playoffs four times.
All he had to show for it was two wins and two losses in the Wild Card round and two losses in the Divisional round. Not much of a resume enhancer in Dallas.
In those previous six postseason games, Prescott was a combined 137-for-216 with 1,559 yards passing.
He’d thrown 11 touchdown passes but he’d also tossed five interceptions. In the 2022 Divisional round loss to the 49ers he threw two interceptions.
Not only had the turnovers resulted in six points for San Francisco, one had killed a promising drive that likely would have netted a minimum of three points for Dallas
The Cowboys lost that game by seven points.
As the 2023 playoffs began with a Wild Card game against the Packers, Prescott needed to shine. He did anything but while the game was still in question.
Postseason Woes Plague Prescott
For the second-straight playoff game, Prescott threw two first-half interceptions.
This time, instead of field goals, they ended in touchdowns. One was a Pick Six that all but sealed the Cowboys’ fate.
Three-quarters of Prescott’s yards and all three of his touchdowns game after Green Bay held a 27-0 lead and the Cowboys were basically a beaten team.
The 48-32 loss was the largest margin of defeat for Prescott in the playoffs. It dropped his record to 2-5 in the postseason overall.
Prescott’s defenders, when his postseason record is brought up, will deflect the blame to the Cowboys’ defense.
Usually right before, or sometimes after, pointing out Prescott’s 73-41 regular season record as proof of his being an “elite” quarterback.
I’m sorry, but you can’t have it both ways. If he’s the reason for the stellar regular season record then that poor playoff record gets hung around his neck too.
And it is his playoff record – and a monstrously bad contract – that has put the Cowboys in a bad position going into 2024.