Getty Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott walks onto field before an NFL game.
The Dallas Cowboys may be headed to the playoffs, but one former running back believes they are still limited by quarterback Dak Prescott.
Dallas has won back-to-back games to stay alive in the NFC East race with the Philadelphia Eagles, but elite teams aren’t typically hoping for some help to win their division. For former Tennessee Titans and Cowboys running back Eddie George, Prescott is the likely reason Dallas isn’t in the driver seat.
Speaking for The 33rd, George said Dallas isn’t “elite” due to Prescott’s play at quarterback.
“In terms of being the elite team, I don’t see it quite there,” George explained. “They have an elite run game, an elite defense, opportunistic special teams play. But as far as the quarterback play, the consistency, your Dak Prescott… That’s the problem. The Achilles heel. He throws too many interceptions for my liking.”
George doesn’t shy away from a bold review of the QB, who has had ups and downs this year alongside a five-week recovery after a Week 1 injury. But whether Dak deserves defending or not, the former Dallas RB made it clear how he feels about their chances heading into the end of the season.
Prescott Makes Plays (and Mistakes)
In breaking down the good and bad of Prescott in 2022, it’s easy to start with his most eye-catching stat: interceptions. The Cowboys QB currently is tied with Las Vegas Raiders QB Derek Carr for the most picks by a QB this year with 14 per PFR.
The thing really amplifies that number is that Dak missed five games. 14 interceptions in 11 games is a concerning return, but it’s hard to say that the Dallas quarterback hasn’t faced some bad luck.
KFDA’s Preston Moore highlighted this when he posted a video of some of Prescott’s interceptions. Dropped passes have been a major factor this year, and several of his INTs, including the game-losing pick-six to the Jacksonville Jaguars, were hardly his fault.
You can’t tell me any of these interceptions are Dak Prescott’s fault. These make up HALF of his picks on the year. It is a truly bizarre season to have this many INTs that aren’t the quarterback’s fault.
Video via @es3_09
That being said, the reality is somewhere in the middle. Prescott deserves criticism for his mistakes, but he also deserves his due for a season where he’s 8-3 as the starter and scoring enough to deal with the miscues.
George Highlights Cowboys QB Issues
Besides putting forth his opinion on the Cowboys’ issues with Prescott, George also made a point to break down why he thinks the issues are on the QB’s shoulders.
Turnovers are a factor, of course, but George says it’s the way Prescott reads the game that’s concerning.
“What I see out of Dak Prescott is a lot of forced throws,” George explained. “Misreads in coverage, there was an interception [against the Titans] that he should’ve hit a check down to the running back in the flat with Ezekiel Elliott but he elected to throw into double coverage getting picked. That’s the stuff you don’t want to see out of your starting quarterback.”
The throw that George is referencing was Prescott’s second interception against Tennessee, seen below.
Dak Prescott ANOTHER INTERCEPTION At The End Of The 1st Half 🤯
But as seen below, Prescott’s had bad luck too. His first pick of the night hit tight end Peyton Hendershot square in the hands.
A Dak Prescott “interception” that bounced out of Cowboys TE’s hands and into Titans CB Kevin Byard’s grasp.