Dallas Cowboys: Joe Buck goes to bat for Dak Prescott

After another poor offensive performance, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is getting a lot of criticism. But Joe Buck is defending the young passer.

Through the first three games of the regular season, the Dallas Cowboys have fielded one of the worst passing attacks in the NFL. Averaging a mere 145 yards per game through the air, the Cowboys’ passing offense currently ranks 31st in the league.

Much of the blame for the poor performance has been placed on the shoulders of third-year quarterback Dak Prescott. Through this three-game stretch, the former fourth-rounder has posted a total of 498 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions with a career-low 61.4 completion percentage.

Yet, Prescott does not have the same talented crew around him as he did his rookie season back in 2016. During that first-year, Dak enjoyed the fruits of a 13-3 dream season, with players like wide receiver Dez Bryant, tight end Jason Witten, and the league’s top offensive line all supporting him.

The Cowboys released Bryant in April, Witten retired a month later and All-Pro center Travis Frederick has been sidelined indefinitely due to an autoimmune disease. Although running back Ezekiel Elliott remains in the backfield, Prescott has found little comfort in the pocket behind a suspect offensive line and a wide-receiver-by-committee approach.

FOX play-by-play commentator Joe Buck recently defended Prescott to Colin Cowherd on his nationally syndicated radio/television show, The Herd.

"” … as a fourth round pick, [Dak Prescott] was phenomenal. Now they don’t have an outside threat. They don’t have a tight end … Dak Prescott, everytime he drops back he’s got hands in his face, people all over him. They can’t really run the ball … I think Dak is everything you’d want in a quarterback. He’s tough. He’s smart. People on his team love him.”"

Clearly, the Cowboys front office and coaching staff did a poor job of placing a suitable supporting cast around their young quarterback this season. And Dallas is 1-2 as a result. But Prescott certainly has done his part in contributing to the losing, as passing accuracy is still something the third-year passer struggles with.

Still, one of the biggest criticisms surrounding Dak Prescott is the fact he needs so much talent around him in order to find success. If that’s true, and this latest run is certainly cementing that idea, then Prescott is more of a game-manager than a game-changer. And if that’s the case, the Dallas Cowboys need to either quickly improve Dak’s supporting cast or find themselves a new franchise quarterback.