Another loss was added to Dak Prescott's resume as the Dallas Cowboys fell to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night. But if you watched the game, you know that Prescott was let down by his teammates and coaches.
Prescott is being asked to carry the franchise on his shoulders, so Cowboys fans held their breath right before halftime after Prescott took an awkward fall that ended with his ankle getting caught underneath Cardinals defensive lineman Calais Campbell.
Prescott jogged into the tunnel with a noticeable limp, but didn't show any limitations in the second half. Brian Schottenheimer said Prescott was OK coming out of halftime, and he affirmed as much after the game. While that's great news, Schottenheimer acknowledged that Prescott took way too many hits, and that is a huge concern moving forward.
Cowboys need to do a better job of protecting Dak Prescott
Prescott hasn't been sacked a lot this season, but that's not because the Cowboys' offensive line has been great in pass protection. The 32-year-old has been a wizard navigating pressure and checking out of plays before the snap. He's used his legs a lot more than in recent years, and he added 34 more rushing yards against the Cardinals.
With that said, Prescott is taking a lot of hits, and that culminated on Monday night. Pro Football Focus won't release its pressure numbers until Tuesday, but the Cardinals racked up five sacks and nine quarterback hits in the game. The three-time Pro Bowler never looked fully comfortable in the pocket, and he was flushed out on numerous occasions to avoid further wear and tear.
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It was another rough outing for right tackle Terence Steele, who was replaced in the second half by 2024 seventh-round pick Nate Thomas. Left tackle Tyler Guyton didn't cover himself in glory, either, and star guard Tyler Smith got beat for a sack with Dallas trailing in the second half.
Prescott reiterated after the game that his body feels "great," but for someone who's being asked to keep the team competitive by playing at an All-Pro level every week, it is not sustainable for him to keep taking hits.
To say nothing of how the players and coaches performed around him. Between committing four fumbles, two turnovers, four drops, poor red zone play-calling, that defense, and the wonky pass protection, the team failed Prescott rather than the other way around.
You just have to cross your fingers that he can stay healthy. The bye comes at a perfect time in that regard at least.