Dak Prescott must take Troy Aikman’s criticism to heart

Most of the time, it’s advisable for players like Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott to ignore media criticism. But he should absolutely listen to Troy Aikman.

This offseason, there was a real emphasis by the Dallas Cowboys to make their offense more friendly for quarterback Dak Prescott. Those moves include the release for struggling number one wide receiver Dez Bryant, the additions of wideouts like Allen Hurns and rookie Michael Gallup, and the use of a second round pick on another offensive lineman, starting left guard Connor Williams.

Yet, through the first five games of the young season, the Cowboys sit at 2-3 and their passing game is among the worst in the league. Dallas currently ranks 29th in passing, averaging just 172 yards through the air per contest.

As for Prescott, entering his third year as the starter, there is an expectation of improved play. The former fourth round selection set the bar high his first season, earning the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year while leading the Cowboys to the playoffs behind a 13-3 record and dethroning longtime starting quarterback Tony Romo in the process.

But last season was a down year for Prescott. Yet, much of his struggles were blamed on the impending and eventual six-game suspension served by the team’s starting running back, Ezekiel Elliott.

But with Zeke’s availability now a non-issue, Prescott continues to struggle. We should be seeing a young quarterback at the height of his powers in Year Three. Instead, the 25-year old continues to battle accuracy issues, having posted a career-low completion percentage (61.8) through his first five starts of 2018.

There also seems to be a real lack of recognition happening at the line of scrimmage combined with play-call inflexibility that is severally limiting the young quarterback’s effectiveness. Those are areas of Dak’s game you’d expect to see improve after three years in the same system, not regress.

Here’s what the Cowboys former three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback, Troy Aikman, told The Ticket, KTCK-AM during a recent radio interview about Prescott’s poor play.

"“The first thing I look for is accuracy, because the rest of it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter how tough you are. It doesn’t matter how smart you are or what a great leader you are. None of that stuff matters if you can’t put the ball where you have to put it. And I’ve seen too many errant throws in that regard, and then there needs to be a little more anticipation.”"

Aikman also mentioned that there’s been too much communication happening at the line of scrimmage which in turn is limiting what both Prescott and the offense can do.

Being able to quickly recognize opposing defenses and coverages, adjusting receiver routes, accurately audibling to take advantage of mismatches and getting the team out of bad plays; these are all things Prescott should be doing at the line of scrimmage much quicker and more effectively than ever. Instead, there seems to be a severe lack of flexibility, decisiveness and trust within the system in Dallas.

The bottom line is Prescott has not develop into the kind of quarterback you’d expect to see in the middle of his third season in the NFL. And although the Cowboys wide receiver corps, offensive coordinator and offensive line issues have all played a part in the team’s continued offensive struggles, Prescott’s lack of visible growth is on him, his football I.Q. and his regressing development under this coaching staff.

The current franchise quarterback of America’s Team should take the criticism from a Hall of Famer who used to be in his position to heart. With an impending decision to be made about a possible contract extension in 2019, Dak Prescott’s game must evolve quickly if he is to remain under center for the Dallas Cowboys for the foreseeable future.