3 important (and encouraging) Cowboys trends entering Week 3 of NFL season
By Reid Hanson
2. Dak Prescott’s efficiency
What a difference a few years makes. Once upon a time the Cowboys defense was so historically bad, the team basically required Prescott to score 40 points to have any hope of winning (The 2019 Cowboys averaged 37 points in their wins and the 2020 team averaged 36 points).
All that’s been asked of Prescott this season is to keep turnovers down to a minimum.
With a cumulative score of 70-10 this season, Prescott and company haven't had to do much on offense. The result is an ultra-efficient game from the Dallas signal-caller. Prescott currently ranks as the NFL’s top QB in raw Total QBR this season.
He hasn’t been flawless. He had one turnover worthy throw and at least one missed opportunity for a pass touchdown as marks against his performance, but all in all, he’s been safe with the ball and willing to take calculated shots when situations arise.
Prescott has been willing to scramble but has been reserved in his attempts. Closer matched games could call for him to do more (he’s only averaging 3.5 attempts per game) but since the need hasn’t been there, it’s wise he’s resisted.
QB off-target rate (overthrows/underthrows, not including spikes/throwaways) rankings through 2 games:
— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) September 19, 2023
1. Dak (8.1%)
28. Richardson (21.7%)
29. B. Young (21.9%)
30. Pickett (22.2%)
31. Love (23.1%)
32. Watson (27.6%)
Windy and rainy conditions played a role in his poor passing performance in Week 1 but he’s still ranked second in the NFL in his EPA/play + CPOE (completion percentage over expected) composite score.