Three Expectations That Cowboys Fans Should Have for Dak Prescott This Season
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, a former Mississippi State star, is entering his seventh season in the NFL.
Prescott has faced many ups and downs along the road, from being named the 2016 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year to ending his 2020 season early with a gruesome ankle injury that was difficult to recover from. At this point in his career, he has faced off against countless opponents and should continue improving as the games go by.
These are a few expectations that Cowboys fans should have for Prescott ahead of the 2022 season given his experience and the impressive numbers he has already put up.
1. Prescott should record at least 4,000 passing yards by the end of the season.
There's no reason why Prescott should fall short of passing for 4,000 total yards if he plays a complete season. The signal-caller has put up at least 3,300 yards nearly every year, except for in his 2020 season that got cut short. Prescott threw for 4,902 yards in 2019 and 4,449 yards in 2021 and has put in plenty of hours this offseason in hopes of continuing to improve those numbers. Given the style of his offense and the way that he has maintained a solid completion percentage since joining the league, it's safe to say that he will finish 2022 with similar -- if not better -- numbers.
2. Prescott will be utilized more as a rushing quarterback.
Prescott was known throughout college as a dual-threat quarterback who could run the ball extremely well, and that stayed true in his early NFL days. The signal caller's rushing statistics were somewhat lower in 2021 than they had been in previous seasons: he recorded just three touchdowns and 146 yards on the ground. It's no surprise that he had less of an opportunity to run last season as he finished recovering from his ankle injury, but he should be completely healthy now. Head coach Mike McCarthy needs to once again take advantage of Prescott's variety of skills to lead his team to victory.
3. Prescott will maintain a completion percentage of at least 65 percent.
A completion percentage near 65 percent on the season seems to be the standard for most NFL quarterbacks. Prescott has gone above and beyond that five times in his six seasons as a professional athlete. The highest completion percentage of his career came last year when he ended his sixth season by accurately throwing 68.8 percent of his passes. That number was skewed by performances that were all over the place, so it could even be higher with a bit more consistency this season. Staying above average is crucial for Prescott and his team's success in 2022.
