Dak Prescott on Cowboys 'Texas Coast Offense': 'Tricks in the Bag' vs. Jets?
As far as aesthetically-pleasing offensive outings go, the Dallas Cowboys' performance against the New York Giants won't win any awards. In truth, the defense dictated much of what the offense did or needed to do in that 40-0 win, and that wasn't much.
Dak Prescott completed 13 of his 24 passes for 143 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions as the Dallas offense kept a lot of its offensive ideas in the kit bag.
Well now, Prescott, although thankful for what coordinator Dan Quinn's defense did against the Giants, has excitement building as the passing game in coach Mike McCarthy's "Texas Coast Offense'' hopefully gets its grand unveiling on Sunday vs. the New York Jets.
"I'm looking forward to it, but I wouldn't mind another 16-point lead — obviously that serves nice," said Prescott. "You get to keep some of your tricks in your bag and not show everything that you need to. But knowing we'll be playing indoors and knowing it's going to be better conditions, and to get the passing game going, yeah, a lot of excitement."
Part of that passing game is a revamped way of doing things, and in particular, Prescott not holding onto the ball for too long as he did at stages last year.
The routes are timed with Dak's footwork and when everything meshes together, it looks easy on the eye. Quick, crisp, and easy throws move the chains without putting the ball at risk.
With McCarthy's Texas version of the West Coast Offense against the Giants, Prescott wasted no time getting the ball out of his hand with a 2.11-second trigger from snap to pass - by far the quickest of his career.
It turns out, that wasn't a fluke, but rather all about McCarthy's design.
"Texas Coast," a smiling Prescott said. "It (neutralizes) a pass rush. Just being able to get the ball out of my hands quick says a lot about the receivers flying off of the ball and getting into their spacing, getting into their timing, getting to where they need to be, feeling comfortable in my reads, the communication we put it during the week about what I'm going to see and what I'm getting at … there's a lot that goes into that.''
With a Jets defense fresh off destroying the Buffalo Bills' night on Monday, getting the ball out quickly to slow a pass rush that sacked Josh Allen five times is crucial.
No doubt that will again be the gameplan come Sunday at AT&T Stadium, and if Dallas can slow down a unit that some consider to be the best in football, the Texas Coast Offense could be rolling the Cowboys to a 2-0 start to the year.
