Is Dak Prescott or Mike McCarthy driving Cowboys’ offensive success? The answer might determine their playoff fate

Dak Prescott glanced at the scoreboard as the play call hit his headset.

The Dallas Cowboys quarterback faced fourth-and-2 at the Miami Dolphins’ 43-yard line, trailing by six with 8:25 to play. Turn the ball over on downs here, and the Dolphins’ field goal-happy day would nearly guarantee a multi-score lead that Dallas would struggle to catch.

Score a touchdown here, and the Cowboys could take their first lead of the second half.

Prescott addressed the huddle before lining up then began to survey defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s unit. Prescott shifted running back Tony Pollard from his left to his right. The quarterback pointed left. Tight end Jake Ferguson, perhaps in response, motioned to the right.

Now, Prescott was ready.

He fielded the snap, faked a handoff to Pollard and scrambled to his right.

For the second straight time, a completion to star receiver CeeDee Lamb moved the chains.

Eleven plays later, with pressure in his face and Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey blanketing his receiver, Prescott would deliver the back-shoulder, go-ahead touchdown with 3:33 to play.

The Cowboys ultimately fell 22-20 on a field goal as time expired, triggering their first losing streak of the season. And yet, watching the go-ahead drive a week after the Bills kept the Cowboys out of the end zone for more than 57 minutes, Cowboys players, coaches and management emerged with offensive optimism.

“I think Dak’s the best he’s been in his career,” team owner Jerry Jones said this week on Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan. “If you can go into this part of the season in the NFL and your quarterback’s playing at this level, you’ve got an outstanding chance to come home happy.”

Prescott’s throws on the go-ahead drive were well-placed. But as important to the plays’ success was the pre-snap operation that set up each throw, players and coaches told Yahoo Sports during a recent visit to the Star. Prescott has embraced his responsibilities this season to shift…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2023-12-29 00:39:02

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