Dak Prescott Reacts to Red-Zone Concern' for Blowout-Win Dallas Cowboys
If you're a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday's 38-3 win over the New England Patriots was a sight for sore eyes after last week's performance in Arizona.
Coordinator Dan Quinn's defense returned to form, forcing three turnovers and holding New England to 253 yards of total offense. Head coach Mike McCarthy's offense successfully moved the ball up and down the field on a consistent basis. Penalties were drastically-lessened.
The one knock, however, on the now three-win Cowboys is a familiar one: red-zone offense.
Dallas went 1-for-4 in the red zone on Sunday afternoon, even with a touchdown pass from Dak Prescott to CeeDee Lamb came just outside the 20-yard line. To put it deeper in perspective, the Cowboys offense had two touchdowns on the day. Their defense also provided two.
Oct 1, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) catches a touchdown pass over New England Patriots cornerback Myles Bryant (27) during the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Through four games this season, Dallas has gone 7-for-19 in red zone opportunities, just capitalizing on 36.8 percent of its opportunities.
It's far too early to "throw in the towel" on the Mike McCarthy "Texas Coast Offense. New offensive schemes and play-callers take time to take shape, especially within the confines of the NFL.
As Dak Prescott not-so-gently noted, citing the final score, “Still not up to our standard. … (But) It’s a lot easier to get better with a win like that and a score like that.”
And there were "circumstances'' here. If DaRon Bland doesn't score on his pick-6, would the offense have scored? If Leighton Vander Esch would've been tackled at the goal-line, would the offense have scored? And what about Dak's on-the-money end-zone toss in the early going that rookie tight end Luke Schoonmaker will tell you he should've caught?
But, even with all of that, it would be amiss to completely dismiss Dallas' early-season red zone struggles, as well.
If the Cowboys want to have another double-digit-win season and keep pace with the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East, the bottom line is that they have to find the end zone more than they settle for field goals. The defense will carry you in some games, but what if there's a repeat of the slow start against the Cardinals from last week?
It's in those times that "complementary" football becomes important, meaning not simply relying on one side of the football to get the job done on game days.
Prescott has said as much. It's been an emphasis during press conferences. It was an emphasis this week in practice. Will it eventually be seen on the field?
As a matchup against the San Francisco 49ers looms on the horizon next week, the Cowboys will need a positive Week 5 answer to that question in Santa Clara, California.
