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As Dak Prescott begins year the first new year of his massive four-year, $240 million deal signed in 2024, it’s almost impossible to be at least mildly concerned with his long-term health and wellness. Prescott, 31, is coming off a significant hamstring injury that ended his season just eight games in. It marks the second time in five years Prescott’s season ended on IR and the second time Prescott’s suffered a significant injury from a relatively innocuous looking play.
Prescott’s mobility has seen a significant decline since that gruesome compound fracture suffered back in 2020 and now the Cowboys signal-caller is generally resigned to a pocket-focused role with scrambles even falling outside his area of expertise. In an era when mobility has never been more en vogue, the Cowboys find themselves moving in the opposite direction of league trends.
This could be seen as a cause for concern, but more than anything it should be seen as an explanation of what’s to come. The Cowboys gave Brian Schottenheimer his first ever head-coaching gig for a reason, and it isn’t because he’s cutting edge or considered a rising star in offensive philosophy. It’s likely because he can run an offense suitable for today’s version of Prescott.
Schottenheimer’s run-heavy philosophy is partially out of expertise and its partially out of need. Like most young offensive lines, the Cowboys' front five struggle in pass protection. Since run blocking comes more naturally to developing linemen adjusting to the pro game, it makes sense Dallas is going to emphasize it in 2025. They took the proper steps in doing so too, hiring offensive line guru Klayton Adams from Arizona and Conor Riley from Kansas State.
With more teams playing coverage-heavy looks on defense, today’s game has seen a slight resurgence in running efficiency. It still pales in comparison to the efficiency and effectiveness of the passing game, which is reflected in both success rate and EPA, but it can be a steady force if designed and executed correctly. Design and execution appear to be exactly what the Cowboys are targeting as they seek to take some of the offensive burden from Prescott.
It's simple math. If Prescott is getting pressured on 30 percent of his dropbacks, the lower the number of total dropbacks, the lower number of pressures and, with any luck, the lower the number of total hits taken. The Cowboys will still need Prescott to make plays on a regular basis and will need him to take hits in high leverage situations, but limiting his exposure in everyday game plans appears to be the objective.
It's hard to envision the Cowboys running the ball more often than passing, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see something more balanced than it was under Mike McCarthy. Prescott has missed at least five games in three of the last five seasons. Dallas just lost their longtime QB2 in Cooper Rush and have done little to address the pass protection issues in free agency. All signs are pointing towards a more protective scheme for the franchise QB because they know in order to find any postseason success, they’re going to need both a healthy Prescott and an effective running game in place.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Dallas Cowboys are building plans around Prescott's biggest issue
Continue reading...
Prescott’s mobility has seen a significant decline since that gruesome compound fracture suffered back in 2020 and now the Cowboys signal-caller is generally resigned to a pocket-focused role with scrambles even falling outside his area of expertise. In an era when mobility has never been more en vogue, the Cowboys find themselves moving in the opposite direction of league trends.
This could be seen as a cause for concern, but more than anything it should be seen as an explanation of what’s to come. The Cowboys gave Brian Schottenheimer his first ever head-coaching gig for a reason, and it isn’t because he’s cutting edge or considered a rising star in offensive philosophy. It’s likely because he can run an offense suitable for today’s version of Prescott.
Schottenheimer’s run-heavy philosophy is partially out of expertise and its partially out of need. Like most young offensive lines, the Cowboys' front five struggle in pass protection. Since run blocking comes more naturally to developing linemen adjusting to the pro game, it makes sense Dallas is going to emphasize it in 2025. They took the proper steps in doing so too, hiring offensive line guru Klayton Adams from Arizona and Conor Riley from Kansas State.
With more teams playing coverage-heavy looks on defense, today’s game has seen a slight resurgence in running efficiency. It still pales in comparison to the efficiency and effectiveness of the passing game, which is reflected in both success rate and EPA, but it can be a steady force if designed and executed correctly. Design and execution appear to be exactly what the Cowboys are targeting as they seek to take some of the offensive burden from Prescott.
It's simple math. If Prescott is getting pressured on 30 percent of his dropbacks, the lower the number of total dropbacks, the lower number of pressures and, with any luck, the lower the number of total hits taken. The Cowboys will still need Prescott to make plays on a regular basis and will need him to take hits in high leverage situations, but limiting his exposure in everyday game plans appears to be the objective.
It's hard to envision the Cowboys running the ball more often than passing, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see something more balanced than it was under Mike McCarthy. Prescott has missed at least five games in three of the last five seasons. Dallas just lost their longtime QB2 in Cooper Rush and have done little to address the pass protection issues in free agency. All signs are pointing towards a more protective scheme for the franchise QB because they know in order to find any postseason success, they’re going to need both a healthy Prescott and an effective running game in place.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Dallas Cowboys are building plans around Prescott's biggest issue
Continue reading...
