Struggling Dak Prescott needs to be a running quarterback again
In the midst of a histrionically bad offensive run, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott must revert to his past and become an every-down running threat.
During the NFL draft, being labeled a “running quarterback” is often a curse. It implies that the young passer is inaccurate and is unable to get the job done from under center and in the pocket. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott certainly suffered from that very label back in 2016. It’s one of the reasons why he fell to the end of the fourth round before being selected by Dallas.
But now in his second season, and without running back Ezekiel Elliott in the backfield, Prescott must embrace that label and once again become a running quarterback if the Cowboys are going to snap their current three-game losing streak.
Without Elliott in the lineup due to his six-game suspension for suspected domestic violence, opposing defenses have little to no respect for the Cowboys’ rushing attack. Instead, defensive coordinators are simply scheming ways to stop Prescott and the team’s anemic passing attack.
As a result, the 24-year old quarterback has posted three of the worst games in his football career. In those contests, Prescott has averaged a poultry 166 passing yards per game and thrown a combined five interceptions and zero touchdowns. As a result, the Cowboys offense has been histrionically bad, scoring a total of six points in the second half of all three games combined!
The main reason for Dallas’ offensive woes is due to Elliott’s absence. The lack of a running threat makes the Cowboys much easier to defend. And without a true playmaker at receiver, Dallas’ offensive motor is stuck in neutral.
The solution is simple. Prescott has to once again be a running quarterback, like he was at Mississippi State, where he rushed for 2,403 yards and an incredible 37 touchdowns in his last three seasons. Dak must become a legitimate rushing threat on every offensive play for the Cowboys.
One Cowboys insider agrees …
"” … Dak needs to be featured a little more as a runner,” wrote Nick Eatman on the team’s official website. “Look at the touchdown that was called back. That read-option play is working most of the time and it needs to be run with more frequency until it gets stopped. What that will do is free up the middle when (Alfred) Morris and Rod Smith actually get the ball.”"
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Like many young passers who are initially labeled as running quarterbacks, Dak Prescott undoubtedly wants to prove he can perform at a high-level from the pocket. But without the threat of Ezekiel Elliott in the backfield, Prescott must revert to his college self and become the reason opposing defenses must respect the run again in Big “D”.