The Landry Hat
Fansided

3 defensive schemes that Dak Prescott should worry about heading into 2022

By Terence Watson

Jan 16, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) in action during the NFC Wild Card playoff football game against the San Francisco 49ers at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 16, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) in action during the NFC Wild Card playoff football game against the San Francisco 49ers at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
PHILADELPHIA, PA – JANUARY 08: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys hands the ball off to Ezekiel Elliott #21 against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on January 8, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – JANUARY 08: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys hands the ball off to Ezekiel Elliott #21 against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on January 8, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

2. Cover Two Zone Defensive Schemes

The most effective defense against the Cowboys in 2022 was the cover two zone, which was deployed once teams decided that they were going to stop Prescott and dare the Cowboys’ running backs to beat them on the ground.

The running game wasn’t able to step up down the stretch when this defense was used against them and it forced Prescott to take less chances and settle for shorter passes. That greatly stalled and shortened offensive drives down the stretch. If Dallas wants to beat this defensive scheme, they will need running backs to step up. They will also need Prescott to better manipulate defenders in order to get his receivers open down the field.

For Prescott to have success against a defense we know they will see early on in 2022, he will need to make quicker reads and trust that his receivers are going to get open, which means taking more risks. We all know that Prescott is one of the more conservative quarterbacks in the league. He will need to come out slinging the football. It also wouldn’t hurt the running game to get back on track and force defenses out of that two high safety look.

Home/Cowboys News