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Cowboys Film Study at The Star: Dak Prescott & Mike McCarthy Meet to Analyze Interceptions

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott will have new voices in his ear this year, with Mike McCarthy easing back into the role of offensive play-caller.

PHOENIX - Things will look different for the Dallas Cowboys offense and quarterback Dak Prescott this upcoming season. A bunch of new voices will welcome Dak each week as the Cowboys look to go further than last season and end that NFC championship drought. ...

And it all starts in a darkened room inside The Star.

After having Kellen Moore as offensive coordinator since 2019 and Doug Nussmeier as quarterbacks coach since 2020, Prescott will have a new-look team going forward as Scott Tolzien has been promoted to quarterback's coach and Brian Schottenheimer as the new offensive coordinator.

Head coach Mike McCarthy will be the offensive play-caller and detailed some of the coaching changes and how it's currently working.

“I thought Doug did an excellent job with the quarterbacks, but the room will be different," McCarthy said. "Any time you have a new coach in there, it’ll be Scott’s new opportunity, too, but Brian and I will be there full-time, so getting that landscape too, it’s pretty fluid.”

Under Moore, Dallas was one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL and is coming off back-to-back 12-win seasons.

But the one big blemish from last season was Prescott's league-leading interception total of 15 (he added two more in the postseason). The number was unusually high, and even though not all were Dak's fault, they still go down as a quarterback stat.

So how does the offense go about reducing Prescott's interceptions? By going back and looking at how and why they happened.

“Yeah, definitely, we have spent some time (on Prescott’s interceptions),” McCarthy said. He was in (The Star) for the Captains Workouts (players-led sessions), so he spent about four hours with Scott and I. We looked back at the decision-making opportunities of interceptions and potential interceptions, just talking through it. It’s healthy.”

One difference for Prescott going forward will be what's expected of him. With McCarthy's West Coast Offense centered around short, easy passes that then require receivers to gain yards after the catch, Dak will be managing the offense rather than trying to do too much himself.

Getting the likes of CeeDee Lamb and the newly acquired Brandin Cooks out in space will hopefully result in positive plays. Additionally, getting the ball out of Prescott's hand quickly is key to limiting his interception total, as CowboysSI.com has already alluded to.

So, there will be a host of changes offensively for the Cowboys and a lot of moving parts, but for McCarthy and his quarterback, it's about getting on the same page and limiting those costly mistakes that plagued the offense last year.


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