Efficient and saucy, Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott tired of the interception narrative
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott finally cracked.
Normally, a picture of professionalism, leadership and decorum, Prescott let his guard down just a little and showed some frustration over the incessant chatter regarding his penchant for interceptions in 2022.
That’s all he’s heard about since the end of last season. All anyone on ESPN or FS1 has talked about. He’s answered questions about it in OTA’s and during minicamp.
He continued to field questions on it during training camp, promising he wouldn’t have that problem in 2023.
Following Sunday’s 30-10 victory against the New York Jets when an efficient and mistake-free Prescott completed 31 of 38 passes for 255 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, Prescott was in no mood to discuss 2022. .
A reporter pointed out that he had gone the first two games of the season without an interception. And that never happened last season.
He was 13 of 24 for 143 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions in 40-0 victory against the New York Giants in Week 1.
“What about the year before that? Or the year before that?,“ Prescott retorted. “It’s something I’ve left. The interceptions (15), I guess when you lead the league it will never go away.
“To be candid, I really don’t care about the questions about them at this point.”
Prescott is correct.
That was a stat for only last season.
In 2016 as a rookie, he opened the season with a five-game stretch with no interceptions, followed by another five-game stretch and a three-game stretch to end the season.
In 2017, he had a four-game stretch and a two-game stretch.
In 2018, he had three two-game stretches and a four-game stretch.
In 2019, he had four-game stretch to end the season.
He opened 2020 with a two-game stretch and before suffering a broken ankle in in Week 5 and missing the final 11 games.
And in 2021 when he had the best statistical season of his career with team-record 37 touchdown passes to just 10 interceptions to go along with a career-high 4,449 yards, Prescott had a two-game stretch and a four-game stretch.
So the notion that he is a turnover machine and is careless with the football is a sensationalism of last season’s struggles.
But why let the truth get in the way of a good story.
Prescott just doesn’t care to partake in those shenanigans.
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy politely answered a question about the interceptions, but he was more impressed with how Prescott and the offense fared against a strong Jets defense.
“We’ve had time to look at the past, learn from it,” McCarthy said. “This is a new year, every week is a new challenge. This was a huge challenge for us, we had a lot of moving parts on our offensive line. He’s took some hits out there, which we knew was going to be a part of this game. I thought he played with really good patience, and that’s what you got to do against a defense of that caliber.”
Prescott completed his first 13 passes without the ball hitting the ground. The Cowboys converted first downs on 7 of 10 third downs in the first half.
And he directed an offense that controlled the clock for more than 42 minutes as the Cowboys dominated the ball with 44 rushes and 38 passes one week after running just 55 plays against Giants.
Prescott, who had just seven incompletions on 38 attempts a Jets defense that recorded three interceptions and fumble against Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen in Week 1, was in total control of the Cowboys new Texas Coast offense directed by McCarthy, who took over playcalling after firing offensive coordinator Kellen Moore at the end of last season.
“Obviously, he’s getting that ball out quick,” owner Jerry Jones said. “I like what we’re asking him to do and not do. All of the things that we had hoped to kind of chip away, if you will, at a total picture offensively, of how to improve his ability to just be Dak, and go out there and do what he does well and plus lead and i think we’re seeing that.
“He looks very comfortable out there, it doesn’t look like we’re having to labor to get to certain plays, they look set up.”
Now things weren’t perfect. The Cowboys had to settle for too many field goals in the red zone, including drives that ended 17, 3, 8 and 12 yards from the end zone.
“We gotta score more, we’ve gotta get more touchdowns rather than field goals,” Prescott said. “But at the end of the day in this league, it’s about getting the job done and winning the game and being complementary of your defense and I think we did that.
“Very efficient in ways, but we left a lot out there still. That’s the standard of this offense, standard of this team. We expect to score touchdowns on every drive … but overall a very efficient team win.”
Efficient and mistake-free.
Just don’t ask Prescott about his interceptions from a year ago.
He doesn’t care to talk about it more, candidly.
This story was originally published September 18, 2023 at 7:37 AM.
