Advanced Stat Highlights One Fatal Flaw Dak Prescott Must Fix

Dak Prescott has been phenomenal for the Cowboys, but there was one major concern this past season.

Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott scrambles with the ball defended by Washington Commanders DT Jer'Zhan Newton. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Dak Prescott put up some incredible numbers for the Dallas Cowboys this past season, throwing for 4,552 yards with 30 touchdown passes and just 10 interceptions.

As good as those numbers were, there was one area where Prescott struggled mightily, and it’s not a small issue. According to Warren Sharp, Prescott was one of the worst quarterbacks in the league inside the red zone during the 2025 season.

Only six quarterbacks had a worse EPA in the red zone than Prescott in 2025, with the Dallas signal-caller sitting at -0.11. Sharp did admit the list was surprising, which is true.

For those who don’t know, the EPA, (Expected Points Added) which measures how much a play adds to the team’s chances of scoring. Historical data is used to determine how likely a team is to score on any given down, distance, and place on the field. A negative score is given if a play decreases the team’s chances of scoring.

Prescott was joined by some of the biggest names in the game, including Lamar Jackson, who was the worst with -0.53. He was also sitting between Patrick Mahomes (-0.13) and Caleb Williams (-0.10).

Why are elite QBs sitting atop this list?

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott looks to pass during the first quarter against the New York Giants. | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

While it’s concerning to see Prescott’s name in this list, context has to be added. Some of the top quarterbacks are highlighted for a couple of reasons.

One is the fact that they get into the red zone more often than subpar quarterbacks. Another is that once they’re in the red zone, they’re given more opportunities to score, rather than simply handing the ball off.

That said, Prescott did have some issues once the Cowboys approached the red zone last year. Inside the 20, he saw his completion percentage fall to 55.56 percent. He had 21 of his touchdowns from there, naturally, but three of his 10 interceptions were from inside the 20. That was the second highest number of picks inside the red zone, with Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence tied for the most with four. Prescott was also tied for the second highest number of interceptions inside the 10, with two.

That said, Prescott remains one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, but if he’s going to get his team back into the postseason, this is an area where he must improve.

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