Despite being a respectable 3-2 heading into week six, it is no shock to say that the Dallas Cowboys have been somewhat disappointing this NFL season. Though they have feasted on lower tier teams such as the New York Giants and New England Patriots, their offense has been borderline embarrassing when it comes to the red zone and impact plays. Their struggles became obvious after getting blown out by the rival San Francisco 49ers 10-42 in a Sunday Night Football game.
With no shortage of offensive weapons, the blame for the Cowboys scoring struggles should be placed on none other than quarterback Dak Prescott. His poor decision making and lack of upper-body strength have done nothing but hinder the Cowboys this 2023 season. While fans of the quarterback continue to have faith in his abilities, it is nearly impossible to see the Cowboys winning a Super Bowl with Prescott at the helm.
Though he has been surrounded by explosive offensive players, Prescott’s play in these five games has been subpar at best. Averaging a little over 210 yards per game and just one touchdown, the Dallas quarterback has played nowhere near his preseason projection. While his individual statistics have taken a decline this year, it has mostly been covered up by Dallas’ stellar defensive play. With interceptions, fumble recoveries and touchdowns scored by the defense in multiple games this season, it has been hard to criticize the Cowboy offense when they have not been pressured to score.
It was not until Dallas faced the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers that the offense truly got exposed. In the two games where the Cowboy’s defense was not able to provide a lockdown performance, the offense only managed to put up 16 points against the 1-4 Cardinals and 10 points against the rival 49ers. Many analysts pointed the finger of blame directly at Prescott, who threw for just two touchdowns and four interceptions in the two losses.
What makes matters worse for the Cowboys’ offense is Prescott’s inability to convert in the red zone. With a current red zone score rate of 36.84%, the Cowboy offense finds themselves stagnate and dull when it comes to scoring at the goal line. Stacked with scoring talent such as Ceedee Lamb, Tony Pollard, Brandin Cooks and Michael Gallup, the offense should have no trouble being top five in the NFL in goal line scores. The main problem lies within the player who is throwing the ball.
Through just five games, Prescott’s red zone drives have almost become unwatchable. The collection of red zone interceptions, poor reads and incomplete passes have hindered the Cowboys in a way that will be a tough challenge to fix throughout the season. While there is still a solid chance Dallas will make the playoffs and embark on a deep playoff run, it is near impossible to see them winning the Lombardi Trophy with Prescott as its quarterback. His carelessness with the football and poor decision-making make him simply untrustworthy in big-time situations where he is needed to step up and win the game.
