Will Dak Prescott’s stats be better or worse without Cooper and Wilson?

As ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky mentioned, Cowboys QB Dak Prescott is under a lot of pressure heading into 2022 for many reasons. For starters, he went from being in conversations for league MVP last year to ending the season accused of being in a slump. That’s not exactly the performance Dallas Cowboys fans want out of a guy on a massive contract. Aside from last year, Prescott will now enter the 2022 season after his first fully healthy offseason in multiple years.

Having a full offseason to get work in with his receivers is great news for Prescott. The problem? His favorite target (Amari Cooper) and a receiver who became a surprisingly consistent target in 2021 (Cedrick Wilson) are now gone. The Cowboys QB will be expected to lead his team to the playoffs, and hopefully get further than last year, without two players he established serious connections with.

The 28-year-old now has to find a way to get wins and build momentum early on with one wide receiver he has prior experience with given that Michael Gallup is set to miss a few games at the start of 2022. That’s a tall task for any quarterback, but especially one who is constantly under public scrutiny and hasn’t fully established himself as the sure-fire franchise leader many expected him to be.

So, how will the balance between his improved health and his loss of key pieces of his receiver corps go? The likelihood is that without Gallup for a bit and without Cooper and Wilson altogether, Prescott may struggle. Teams will learn to double team CeeDee Lamb, leaving new Cowboys and rookies left to get open for Prescott.

Bleacher Report predicts Cowboys QB Dak Prescott’s stats will go down slightly in 2022

In a recent article where Bleacher Report predicted the stats for all 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL, writer Kristopher Knox felt that Prescott will likely see his stats suffer a bit due to the absence of not only two of his wide receivers, but also two of his long-standing offensive linemen. However, Knox felt the continuity with Kellen Moore and some decent additions would help Prescott at least lead his team to the playoffs again.

Because of those opinions, Knox felt Prescott’s stat line would only suffer very slightly in some categories. Here was his final prediction:

Knox’s Prediction for Prescott for 2022:  401 completions, 588 attempts, 35 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 52 carries, 249 rushing yards, 3 rushing touchdowns

Prescott’s Stats from 2021: 410 completions, 598 attempts, 37 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 48 carries, 146 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown

It’s interesting that Knox believes Prescott’s passing numbers will suffer but his rushing numbers will get better. Maybe that is because the quarterback will be further out from his ankle and calf injuries and will feel more comfortable on foot? Or, it’s possible that with less solidified passing options, Prescott will be forced to do more on his own.

Despite the fact that many believe that the Mississippi State product isn’t good enough for this team, it’s important to remember that these are pretty great stats. He may not be Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady (arguably two of the best quarterbacks who will ever play this game), but he is certainly a top pass-thrower in the league at the end of the day. The hope is that he can use a healthy offseason to prove that he is worthy of being this franchise’s well-paid quarterback.