The Dallas Cowboys have limped to a 1-2 start this season, and the one win was against a New York Giants team that looked like a college team in Weeks 1 and 3 between lighting up Matt Eberflus' defense. Despite all of that, quarterback Dak Prescott has put together some strong performances.
The shame of it all is the fact that Prescott's production is being impacted by a wide receiver room that is not playing up to their potential. Cowboys fans who will vouch for Prescott being the victim of several back-breaking drops now have even more proof that he is being ruined by his supporting cast.
Advanced stats show that Prescott is tied for third with Cleveland's Joe Flacco in terms of expected points added (EPA) lost as a result of wide receiver errors and drops. The distance between Dak and the No. 1 spot is very thin, showing how tough things have gotten.
Keep in mind that the only two quarterbacks above Prescott are New York's Tyrod Taylor, who has a much smaller sample size, and Jacksonville's Trevor Lawrence, who has seen his receivers drop the ball an astounding 13 times in three games. Prescott is still balling, even if the receivers aren't helping him.
Cowboys receivers are sabotaging Dak Prescott with untimely drops
The biggest offender in this concerning trend might be CeeDee Lamb, who had some untimely and uncharacteristic drops in Dallas' narrow season-opening loss against the Philadelphia Eagles. Outside of Lamb, George Pickens had a back-breaking drop in Week 2, and Jalen Tolbert continues to show he is not NFL quality.
While the common refrain whenever the Cowboys struggle is to blame Prescott, he has been nothing short of tremendous this season when his receivers actually catch the ball. His performance against Philadelphia was as good as it gets for a touchdown pass-less game, and his arm helped them keep the New York Giants at bay.
What makes these drops even more frustrating is how good the offense looks outside of these miscues. Javonte Williams has been born again on the ground, the offensive line has held together despite injuries, and Prescott is dropping dimes.
Without receivers who can finish plays, which will be highlighted even more now that Lamb is going to miss a few games with an ankle injury, all of these improvements are not going to make much of an impact. Prepare for yet another wave of unwarranted Prescott slander.