Is Dak Prescott actually getting worse in Year Three?

Following a terrific rookie season, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott continues to regress. Shouldn’t he look better in Year Three, not worse?

The Dallas Cowboys had a tough Week One draw in the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. It’s a Panthers’ defense that was tailor-made to stop the Cowboys from what they do best, which is running the football. And the fact it was Joe Looney at center instead of four-time Pro Bowler Travis Frederick at center and a rookie at left guard in Connor Williams, only made things worse for Dallas’ rushing attack.

Therefore, the Cowboys turned to third-year quarterback Dak Prescott to try and win them the game. Unfortunately, Prescott was not up to the task, completing 19 of his 29 passes for only 170 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.

Prescott’s 5.86 yards per pass attempt average ranked him 24th among his NFL peers. And there wasn’t a single completion made over 20 yards against the Panthers’ suspect secondary. The former fourth-rounder was also sacked six times in the embarrassing 16-8 loss in Carolina.

The 25-year old passer struggled with accuracy issues all game, something that appears to be getting worse as his professional career progresses. In his rookie season, Prescott amazed onlookers as he completed 67.8 percent of his passes for 3,667 yards, 23 touchdowns, and only four interceptions. More importantly, Dak led the Cowboys to a 13-3 season-ending record, earning himself the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award in the process.

Last season, Prescott regressed in Year Two. His completion percentage dropped to 62.9. He threw for 3,324 yards, just 22 touchdowns and more than tripled his interception total with 13 picks. But many gave Prescott a pass as the team dealt with the pending six-game suspension of running back Ezekiel Elliott for most of the season.

In Year Three, Prescott should be at the height of his powers. His accuracy, understanding of the playbook, and comfortably in the pocket should be at an all-time high. Instead, Prescott looked scared at times in Week One, playing rushed, throwing passes into the turf, and mistiming his throws. Once again, many will give Dak a pass due to the new pieces around him.

But the truth is Prescott has yet to prove he is a true franchise quarterback on-the-field. And he is on the cusp of being eligible of receiving a massive contract extension in Dallas, making him the Cowboys’ primary passer for the foreseeable future. Yet, in his third season, Pro Football Focus has Prescott ranked as the 29th best quarterback in the NFL after Week One.

And who are some of the quarterbacks who posted an overall higher grade than Prescott? How about the Buffalo Bills’ rookie Josh Allen, New York Jets’ rookie Sam Darnold, and the Detroit Lions’ Matthew Stafford. The latter losing to the Darnold and the Jets 48-17 in Detroit after throwing four interceptions. Yet, Stafford’s performance is considered better than what Prescott did against the Panthers on Sunday.

Dak Prescott seems to be getting worse the longer he plays. Obviously, he set the bar high following a terrific rookie campaign. And we are only one week into the 2018 regular season. But shouldn’t we be seeing more from a quarterback entering his third season, not less?

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