'On Fire!' Inside Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott & Mike McCarthy 'Texas Coast Offense' Relationship
The Dallas Cowboys are rolling offensively, and coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Dak Prescott are at the forefront of the latest optimism-inspiring push.
Dallas has scored 127 points over the past three games, all wins. Prescott's 308 passing yards per game ranks second in the NFL in that span, trailing only Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud.
The "secret" to success? Not so secretive - it's a finely-tuned relationship - with the new "Texas Coast Offense'' as the centerpiece - between McCarthy and Prescott.
“It's about us being on the same page," Prescott said. "We have those meetings once every week that we talk about the game plan and how we want to attack these guys, what plays I feel most comfortable with, outlining the starters, situational third downs, red zones."
Dallas is coming off a 45-10 victory over the Washington Commanders on Thanksgiving, a performance spearheaded by Prescott's 331 passing yards and four touchdowns.
It's McCarthy's first year calling plays for Prescott, and the returns are already evident. Last season, Prescott started 12 games; he's at 11 this year, and is completing four percent more of his passes, has eclipsed his passing yardage total, matched his touchdowns and thrown nine fewer interceptions.
Prescott's drawn the praise - and rightfully so - but McCarthy's work hasn't gone unnoticed by his signal caller.
"He's definitely on fire," Prescott said. "He's firing them off the call sheet whether it be run, play action, whatever. But it goes into the preparation throughout the week to (have) clear communication and play calling purpose and me understanding what he's expecting from not only me, but the other 10 guys on the field."
Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy smiles as quarterback Dak Prescott heads to the sideline.
© Jerome Miron, USA TODAY
Prescott added he has a strong grasp of the potential each play has when he sees the defensive formation and knows what needs to be done if the play call doesn't fit the look given by the defense.
In essence, the 30-year-old feels right at home with McCarthy calling plays - and the feeling goes both ways.
“Very comfortable," McCarthy said. "I’ve done it for a long time, he’s played quarterback for a long time. This is the first time that we’ve done it together."
McCarthy and Prescott often meet on Thursday nights; it was Tuesday ahead of the Commanders game. Just in the past three months alone, there's been substantial growth made in the quality of these meetings.
Now equipped with full control of the offense, McCarthy's naturally spending considerable time with the quarterbacks, something he said he strayed away from at times in his past.
This forced the relationship between Prescott and McCarthy to reach a new level - and it has.
"You need to be finishing each other’s sentences - I feel like we’re there," McCarthy said. "I think that’s all a part of that rhythm. My job is to tee it up for him. He has the big job, the real job, and that’s the plan. That’s just the way I’ve always approached it.”
The final line? Dallas leads the NFL in scoring at 31.5 points per game and is fifth in yards per game with 377.6. Prescott is tied for fourth in MVP odds, per some oddsmakers.
The Cowboys' "Texas Coast Offense'' is flourishing - and as the relationship between McCarthy and Prescott continues to strengthen, the ceiling only promises to increase along with them.
