What Allen Hurns didn’t like about the play call on Dak Prescott’s interception

Dallas Cowboys receiver Allen Hurns, who was expected fill in for the departure Dez Bryant, has eight catches and 84 yards in five games.

But the free-agent signee from the Jacksonville Jaguars Hurns has nevertheless become a lightning rod for attention for his honesty about the woes of the Cowboys offense rather than his play heading into Sunday’s game against his former team at AT&T Stadium.

One day after clarifying comments he made after the 19-16 overtime loss against the Houston Texans that seemingly blamed quarterback Dak Prescott for not hitting open receivers, Hurns found himself defending comments he made to ESPN’s Josina Anderson that came across as criticism of the play calling of coordinator Scott Linehan.

Hurns told Anderson that Prescott’s second interception against the Texans was one of the worst play calls you could make against the defense they were facing. The Texans were playing a two-man coverage where the cornerbacks are underneath and the Cowboys called deep comeback routes right into the coverage. Prescott’s pass to a tightly-covered Deonte Thompson was picked tipped and picked off.

What’s also true is that Prescott’s throw was too far inside and Thompson could have come back stronger to the ball to make a contested catch.

Hurns didn’t back down when asked about his comments after practice on Wednesday.

“I didn’t question the play calling,” Hurns said. “Everyone knows that’s not a good call against two man. Unfortunately for us, that was their only snap in two-man. It was just an unfortunate situation. But I ain’t questioning the play calling.”

Hurns said didn’t feel a need to explain himself to the Cowboys coaches and he hasn’t been asked about it.

He said the controversy is coming from the outside rather than inside the Cowboys locker room.

While he is frustrated with the Cowboys’ 29th ranked pass offense like everyone else on the team, he said has no agenda.

With eight catches, he said he can’t make his situation any worse. He was just answering a question as honestly.

“People ask a question I tell him how it is,” Hurns said. “I’m not throwing anyone under the bus but as far as me I’m just going tell it how it is. For real. For real.”

As far as play calling in general, Hurns said “of course from a receiver standpoint you want more opportunities. But you can’t control that. As far as for us, you control what you can. As far as some plays, we got to do a better job executing and sometimes we are not put in the best position. That’s part of football.”

As far as the play in question, Hurns was asked if Prescott should have audibled out of it at the line of scrimmage since everyone knows it wouldn’t work against that defense.

“I’m not sure. I don’t think Dak had a chance or I am not sure he has the authority to check out of that,” Hurns said. “Like I said, that was their one snap in two-man. Everyone knows versus two-man you can’t run deep sixes (comebacks). It was an unfortunate situation.”

As far as the circumstances surrounding his supposed criticism of Prescott, Hurns said he was simply taking up for his receivers, who have been taking most off the heat for the team’s passing woes.

“This past Sunday, there were a lot of plays we left out there as far as a receivers standpoint, whether the ball was a little low or high there were a lot of times where Dak created something where he was supposed to be sacked and he gave us an opportunity,” said Hurns, before emphasizing that he wasn’t blaming his quarterback. “When we come out and say we’re creating separation it’s not a shot at Dak. We’re just saying we’re controlling what we can. There are times we’re getting open and he’s getting sacked. There are times when he throws it at us and I wasn’t open. It goes across the board. When we say it’s not us, we’re saying it’s not just us.”

Hurns, however, is looking forward to Sunday’s game against the Jaguars and a match up that won’t be easy for the Cowboys. Jacksonville has the league’s top-ranked passing offense, yielding just 191 yards per game and arguably the league’s best cornerback in All-Pro Jalen Ramsey.

“This is one of the games that I circled on the calendar with me coming from over there,” Hurns said. “It’s like playing against your brother. It’s one of those games you don’t want to lose.”