Will Dak Prescott Show Up For The Cowboys This Season?
The 2021 season was overall a successful campaign for the Dallas Cowboys.
They started the season 6-10 but ended up capturing the NFC East title, the franchise’s first since 2018, with a 12-5 record. The standout player? Quarterback Dak Prescott.
Yes, Prescott missed the final 11 games of the 2020 season with an ankle injury but he bounced back, became incredibly effective and from the way that he looks at OTAs his effectiveness is going to continue.
Prescott looks incredibly healthy with zero limitations. He’s moving well and his throwing seems to be super accurate. The only issue will be if he can stay healthy. Through the past two seasons you can see just how much injury can effect Prescott’s performance. Prior to suffering a mid-season calf strain in 2021 Prescott led the Cowboys to a 5-1 start while throwing 302 yards a game and completing 73.1% of his passes.
After returning from injury, Prescott was only able to compete 65% of his passes and was throwing about 40 yards less than before the calf strain. If Prescott is able to sta healthy this season it will go a long way in helping the entire team put up numbers and may even lead them to capture another NFC East title, becoming the only team to do so since the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004.
Even with what seems to be a higher risk of injury Prescott is still an insane player. Even after injury and missing a game last season, he was seventh in the league with 4,449 passing yards and was tied for third in passing touchdowns with 37 scoring passes.
Prescott's skills will be put to the test next season with the loss of two of the Cowboys' heavy hitters in wide receiver Amari Cooper, who was traded to the Cleveland Browns, and pass-catcher Cedrick Wilson, who signed with the Miami Dolphins. Prescott will still have wide receiver CeeDee Lamb who held the team-high 1,102 receiving yards last season and seems more than ready to embrace his new position as the team’s number one receiver.
There are a lot of unknowns still for the Cowboys and their quarterback. Tight end Dalton Schultz is planing to skip the rest of OTAs due to contract negotiations with the team along with the introduction of James Washington, Dante Fowler Jr. and Ryan Nall to the mix.
Even with the possibility of injury issues based on some of last year's struggles, adjusting to a roster that looks much different on paper than it did last year, and the pressure of continuing to put up numbers, Dak Prescott seems like he’s focusing on football only and looks ready to go as the Cowboys prepare to open the season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 11 in AT&T Stadium.
