Super Bowl LV shows why Cowboys need to pay Dak Prescott

That loud thud you heard last night was the book closing on the 2020 season with the Dallas Cowboys once again searching for new answers. Congratulations to the World Champions in Tampa as their performance was Super Bowl worthy.

Tampa roughed up the great Patrick Mahomes who was running out of the pocket more than he is accustomed to. The pass rushers in Tampa affected Mahomes to the point where the game was never really competitive.

The funny thing about watching Mahomes scramble for his life behind a patchwork offensive line made me appreciate what Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in limited action this past season. Mahomes lost his starting guard before the season started so he can fight the pandemic and also lost their starting left tackle late in the AFC Championship game.

Dak Prescott didn’t get through week five of the season yet still posted three of the top five passing yard performances of the entire season. In two of those games, Dak played behind possibly a worse combination of lineman than Mahomes had on Sunday.

There are so many combinations of what makes an offensive line work. From great athletes to savvy veterans, the anatomy of why some players don’t work well together is a mystery but when it doesn’t work, it can destroy a team. Just take a look at Kansas City who did not find the end zone in their second Super Bowl appearance.

It has been said that franchise quarterbacks are supposed to carry their teammates no matter what. It has also been said that Dak Prescott doesn’t fit the bill of being a franchise quarterback. I hate to destroy a narrative but Dak Prescott is not the problem in Dallas and he must be retained immediately.

To be honest, I really don’t care what the number is anymore as the Dallas Cowboys are in a much better salary cap situation than most other teams.

In week one against the Los Angeles Rams, Dak played behind the best offensive line combination that included undrafted rookie free agent Terrance Steele at right tackle. Tyron Smith played with an injury and Prescott almost beat what would be the number one defense in the NFL.

Dallas was a phantom pass interference call away from at least tying the game late in the fourth quarter. Dak passed for 244 yards which is pretty impressive considering the Rams did not allow a 300-yard passer this season. The 380 total yards Dallas gained on the Rams is the second-most yards the Rams gave up during the regular season.

Week two allowed Prescott to put up video game numbers when he passed for 450 yards which was good enough to tie for the fourth-most passing yards in 2020. In that game, his starting tackles were Terrance Steele at right tackle again but Tyron Smith did not play which gave Brandon Knight the start at left tackle.

Both of those gentlemen were making the second start of their careers. For those of you keeping score, that is Dallas trotting out their fourth and fifth depth chart tackle’s protecting their franchise quarterback.

Week three had the exact same line combination as week two in which Dak threw for the second-most passing yards in the entire 2020 season with 472. That was only the second time in NFL history in which a quarterback has thrown for back to back 450 plus passing yards.

The Dallas Cowboys lost against Seattle but not before Dak Prescott drove them down the field with the ability to tie the game but ended on an interception when protection issues just outside of the red zone forced him into some bad plays.

Week four against the Cleveland Browns allowed Dak Prescott to post the NFL’s only 500-yard passing game of the entire season. Prescott, behind their week one starting group lost two starters in the game.

Steele was replaced by Brandon Knight who probably should have started anyways but Joe Looney was lost early to an injury and was replaced by rookie fourth-round pick Tyler Biadasz. This was also the last game Tyron Smith played in making things worse the following week.

While it looks like Patrick Mahomes’ kryptonite is bad offensive line play, it is quite the opposite when talking about Prescott as he appears to thrive in it. I am not saying that Prescott is Mahomes but he is in franchise quarterback territory.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive line woes show that even the best players at their position are affected by a unit’s ability to keep their star players upright. Dak Prescott has shown that he can perform under less than ideal circumstances.

For those of you worried about the salary cap, Dallas can reduce the cap hit into future years to help alleviate the cap pandemic issues. It is not always apples to apples comparison so when you see a $40 million dollar number do not panic, its cap hit is what really matters. Whether it is guaranteed money or bonus money, the cap can be constructed to say almost anything.

The Cowboys can create additional space by releasing or restructuring certain contracts. I mean, who knew the Cowboys could create about $14 million extra by restructuring the contract of wideout Amari Cooper. The Dallas Cowboys just have to figure out which contract restructures make the most sense to adjust.

There are teams that currently sit over $60 million over the cap. With the salary cap floor expected to come in higher than the proposed $175 million mark, the Dallas Cowboys will have enough space to sign Dak to an extension and hire help to fill some big defensive holes.

There are only a few certainties in life. One thing that is certain is Dak Prescott deserves to be compensated well by the Dallas Cowboys.