Getty Dallas Cowboys stars Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott converse after a play.
The Dallas Cowboys‘ chase for a Super Bowl has ended, and now one of the team’s greatest coaches is releasing his thoughts about quarterback Dak Prescott.
Dallas fell to a 19-12 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round, as the offense struggled to overcome the Niners’ defense, scoring just one touchdown. After seeing his former team exit, Bill Parcells is releasing his thoughts.
In a piece published by The 33rd Team, Parcells explains that Dak isn’t an elite QB, but that they could still go the distance with the 29-year-old QB.
“They don’t have the top, top-quality quarterback in Dak Prescott, but I do think he’s good enough to win with,” Parcells explained. “I just think they have to put more pieces around him. They just have to be more reliant on the overall scheme. Their defense is pretty good, but their overall offensive scheme has to be more balanced.”
It’s a bit of criticism toward current Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. But after a discouraging display against San Francisco, Parcells’ point has to be respected.
Parcells Addresses Ezekiel Elliott
Besides speaking on the situation with Prescott, the former Cowboys coach also talked about the future of Ezekiel Elliott with the team.
Zeke is entering his eighth NFL season in 2023, spending the first seven years of his career in Dallas. While has three Pro Bowls and an All-Pro selection to his name, his importance to the team has seemingly waned over the past few seasons.
Parcells remains optimistic about winning with Prescott, but he thinks the team’s time with Elliott is coming to a close.
“They’re going to have to invest in some new running backs,” Parcells said. “Tony Pollard had a great year (career highs of 1,378 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns). I don’t know if he can hold up for too long physically, and he’s a free agent this offseason. I think Ezekiel Elliott is near the end.”
It would make sense for Dallas to add yet another new contributor to the backfield, but that would hinge on moving on from either Pollard or Elliott. It’s clear that, from Parcells’ point of view, either or both running backs could be leaving the Cowboys this offseason.
Cowboys Coaches Compared
Parcells spent four seasons with the Cowboys, but could not add a third Super Bowl ring to his hand after winning two with the New York Giants in the 1980s. McCarthy has just notched his first playoff win since taking over Dallas, so how do the two compare after three seasons?
McCarthy’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers actually set the two apart, as Parcells went to the playoffs twice with the Cowboys but never won a game in the postseason. Dallas did have three winning seasons with Parcells, but never won more than 10 games in a year.
In terms of overall record, Parcells was 25-23 after his first three seasons. Now that McCarthy has completed his third season, his regular season record is 30-20.
Parcells will always be a legendary figure in the NFL, but he failed to bring the type of success Dallas desires. McCarthy has yet to hit that level either, but he’s currently on pace for a better resume when it comes to coaching the Cowboys.