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“So, what if they doubt you? They doubted me, too.” – Dak Prescott in a pre-2019 NFL draft TV spot message to the (eventual) top overall pick, Kyler Murray (over whom opinions had been – and may still be – temporarily blurry). Prescott knows all about doubt, though not his own, as he has always carried a confident, determined tone. He has gone from being the 135th overall pick in the 2015 draft to a mature-beyond-his-years starting quarterback with whom the Dallas Cowboys believe a Super Bowl winner they can craft. Since Dak’s 2016 rookie year (when a catastrophic preseason injury to “that announcer guy” forced him into action on-the-fly), the former Mississippi State product has led the Cowboys to a 32-16 regular-season record (including 67 touchdown passes with just 25 interceptions, as well as 18 rushing touchdowns). If not for 25 fumbles (by a man with 10.88-inch hands) and 113 hesitation-driven sacks (a large portion of which stalled numerous offensive attacks), his critics would surely be nonsensical clowns. Only the New England Patriots’ Tom Brady (the winningest quarterback in NFL history and the dastardly disruptor of many a contender’s plan), has won more contests in that same span. And 14 of Prescott’s 32 regular-season victories have been fourth-quarter game-winning comebacks. While this is an NFL record for a QB in his first three seasons, skepticism remains over a small-yet-slowly-changing number of reasons. Besides, a little rhetorical self-reflection on Dak’s career projection is more productive than accepting stretched narratives without question. A Stranger To Danger Prescott’s risk-averse ratio of touchdowns-to-interceptions has been nice, but so many fumbles from such large football hands is an offsetting vice . . . for which an inconsistent offense and bad defensive field position are often the price. Comebacks are exciting and great, especially if your team is on the right side of the physical debate. That announcer guy had a few of his own, but the reasons behind them can-and-do cause observers (from Cowboys’ partisans to cutting prognosticators) to groan and moan. How many comebacks did Prescott have to pursue because an aggressive opponent took fast and furious action? How many were as a result of “Marinelli’s Men” being unable to dig in and gain traction? How many were due to a lack of consistent, early-game offensive satisfaction? That announcer guy spent a great deal of his career playing rock, paper, scissors with many a deficient Dallas defense to decide which unit of the Cowboys would play more game day dense. When that announcer guy finally gained control over his (almost criminal) thread-the-needle impulsivity, it was because his do-it-yourself proclivity was finally anchored to a potent offensive line and a suddenly sturdy “Running Man,” allowing that announcer guy to more-comfortably adhere to the game-day plan. Being able and willing to share the performance load created significantly more opportunities to drive victory road. That coming-of-age experience was a late-blooming lesson to be learned. It is ironic – with the comparatively cautious Prescott – the (currently conservative) Cowboys have been sporadically burned. How many times have avoidable sacks-taken (and lost yards) led to assumptions mistaken (and opportunities made unnecessarily hard)? What remains so incredibly poisonous about throwing it away (after going through all reasonable progressions or sidestepping sudden defensive transgressions) to maintain better field position for the very next play? While Prescott can be impressively mobile, his hesitation to organically escape a failing pocket more often (rather than needlessly giving defenders a static passer to soften) has proven not so noble. Self-preservation is a key part of the quarterback equation (especially when it comes to evading a designed defensive collision) but more consistent use of Dak’s wheels creates yet another way to keep defenses on their heels. Prescott – from day one – has been determined to prove he is a legitimate, make-all-the-throws, pocket passer, but will that obsession (without consistent accuracy or natural anticipation) discourage him, when really necessary, from becoming an open field gasser? Hard to know. Onto the next reflection we go! You Dare With Unfair? “The continued harsh judgment of Dak is completely unfair!” you say. It comes with the territory of being the Dallas Cowboys starting quarterback every single day. Fair is irrelevant when you inhabit the single most important position on a professional football team and when you are historically expected to lead the charge on realizing their team’s first or latest Super Bowl dream. If quarterback was just another role among 53 – rather than a figure so key who sets the tone – Dallas would de-emphasize QB and forever feed Zeke through the single-wing, wildcat, or wishbone. “The Cowboys’ defense is one of the best ever, so Prescott does not have to be ready for every kind of competitive weather!” you say. Marinelli’s Men were surprisingly good last season, but one of the best ever? You must be teasin’. They were certainly not as good as the Cowboys’ former “Doomsday Defense,” nor the Bears’ ferocious “46,” or Pittsburgh’s “Steel Curtain,” to name just a few (each of which had a far more complete package of personnel, depth, and punishing skill to achieve almost anything they aimed to do). “Are you suggesting Dak is to the “Hot Boyz” as Trent Dilfer was to the 2000 Baltimore Ravens’ defense?!” you gasp. No, not at all, and the concept (or disregarded truth) of a lopsided workload should not be so hard to grasp. Dilfer could consistently lean on a defense that enjoyed an inconceivable amount of salary-cap-era depth and collective skill that could kill. Dilfer’s performances (by and large) were miserable (even WITH then-promising rookie running back Jamal Lewis delivering a quality rushing attack), but Baltimore’s defense was violently successful and diabolically durable. Prescott can-and-should do more (yes, with a playbook that has been a conservative mess) than patiently wait for corrective measures by Marinelli’s Men every now and then. The Hot Boyz absolutely carried the offense through several games in 2018 when Dak and Co. did not have the finishing touch. The Hot Boyz are not, however, that automatic Ravens-like defensive crutch when the offense fails to at least “go Dutch.” Will Dak be able to give Marinelli’s Men longer possession breaks every now and then? Hard to know. Onto the next reflection we go! He Just Wins, Baby! “B-But all Dak does is win and to suggest anything else is a blasphemous sin!” you angrily sputter. Detailing the when, how, and with whom Prescott has succeeded (or been exposed and play-call-impeded) makes that “one man alone” refrain start to stutter. While never one to purposely parse a statement towards an argument abatement, “The Tortured Cowboys Fan” has also never been a supporter of shouting “Scoreboard!” or spewing the ultimate talk-to-the-hand copout: “A win is a win!” Yeah, yeah, yeah, “It is hard to win in the NFL (when the occasional, unvarnished truth is that “we really smell”),” but it is so much harder when habits slow-to-dissolve (by the play-caller and the footballer) continue to stunt a QB’s ability to more quickly evolve. Again, and again and again. The Dallas Cowboys’ offense is (currently) constructed to (repeatedly ab)use the run to set up the pass while Marinelli’s Men (health-permitting) kick maximum ass. If anything should occur to negatively impact the Cowboys’ ability to reliably and successfully run the ball (whether due to o-line injuries, Zeke’s continued contract negotiation absence, or a particularly stout opponent enjoying in-the-box dominance), Dak must be ready-and-able to deliver a larger, more refined production haul. Marinelli’s Men hustle and have the muscle to tussle, but they are not (presently) built to heroically hold the fort “every damn time” the offense suffers a(n avoidable) consistency stall. Remember Exhibit A? The ‘Boys failure against a beatable L.A.? Dallas took an unrecoverable hit with a one-armed Antwaun Woods. Starting 2019 without a healthy DeMarcus “Tank” Lawrence and enduring a 2-game stretch without Robert “The Mighty” Quinn could prevent the Hot Boyz from delivering the early-season goods. Dak must make more of his opportunities count because crucial players (whom he expects to reliably answer his game-day prayers) will not always be available, as unpredictable injuries and inevitable contract clashes may continue to mount. Will Dak be able to take on more of the burden when others at key positions are either holdin’ out or hurtin’? Hard to know. Onto the next reflection we go! Practice Makes Perfect In Part "He’s ready to go. The great thing about [Prescott] is he attacks practices like they’re games . . . he’s been awesome . . . he’s unique. I just think there are very few people that have his mindset." - Jon Kitna, Quarterbacks Coach, Dallas Cowboys. Kitna (understandably) has an improved approach to peddle until his pupil can really test his newly-polished metal. Practice makes perfect in part, but replicating what you have practiced in the regular season and playoffs is the true art. Will Dak make Kitna look like a QB whisperer or just another passing game chauffeur? Hard to know. Onto the next reflection we go! Promising Leader Or Talent Bleeder? “One of the things that [Dak] brought was such great leadership to the team. When you have a guy who’s such an alpha dog and such a strong leader, guys look for that leadership.” – Dan Mullen (former Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach and current University of Florida head coach) prior to Prescott’s first pro football start. “See? SEE?! Even Dak’s old college coach – a fella’ beyond reproach – says that Dak’s leadership is virtually a divine art!” you maddeningly mutter. One way or another, it will take more than “do as I say, not as I do” leadership for Prescott to make quality use of his 2019 receiving crew. “Everyone knows” that being a successful quarterback in today’s pass-happy NFL continuously (and unmercifully) requires more than being a chest-thumping leader and a risk-restricting game manager. Playing on that leadership theme, perhaps 2K (Kellen and Kitna) have positioned Prescott to lead his retooled receivers on a throw-them-open adventure? Maybe Dak will toss one or more a target-leading lob to new teammate Randall Cobb? While the talented former Packer is no QB snob, he is used to having a quarterback who can more-than-do-the-job. Perhaps the new normal (that 2K has crafted) for Dak will involve more frequent use of an in-stride long ball attack, as a balance to his career surplus of short-to-medium passes with gobs of (wear-and-tear) YAC? And that leadership trait cuts both ways. If the called plays (continue to) result in an unwanted haze, Dak must have the will to (occasionally, perhaps significantly, but not impulsively) alter a play, post-snap, and on-the-fly . . . “just a bit” like that announcer guy. “Are you [bleeping] blind?! Did you not see what Dak was able to throw when put in a bind, especially the deep kind?!” you exasperatedly shout, almost to the point of passing out. The following images retell the 2018 tale of how Prescott intermittently (somewhat inaccurately and often uncomfortably) caught the vertical game by the tail, with his top three receivers reliably finding their way back to the ball without fail. While "Dak The Leader" has a nice ring to it, the resultant admiration (from GM Jerry on down to the practice squad's Moe, Shemp, and Larry) slowly but surely goes on vacation if – in more and varied a passing situation – you cannot increasingly follow through with it. Nonetheless, Dak – to his increasing credit – has, indeed, grown into his leadership position, and being an old soul has helped him withstand “distractive” attrition. That particular intangible, though quite valuable, is not the one the Cowboys urgently need Dak to make most flammable. While Linehan’s play-calling had become impossibly stale, continuing to (in part) set his quarterback up to flail (rather than helping him set sail), Dak’s willingness to learn from 2K and improve for his teammates has been far from frail. Will Dak be able to display dynamic leadership in cutting his receivers some slack by helping them go the distance with less YAC? Hard to know. Onto the next reflection we go! No Going Back “Soooo, you want Dallas to start over at quarterback or risk a rotten return to the days of an ID (Injured Danny), RT (Retired Troy), or an IT (Injured Tony) . . . when Cowboys fans had to painfully endure a collective QB phony?!” you exhaustedly plead (while defending your quarterback creed). Not at all, cuz. No team can survive such a list of problematic passers (from before-his-time to all-hype-prototype to has-been to never-was). Reggie “You See Me, RGIII?” Collier. Steve “Rhymes With Manure” Pelluer. Kevin “Arm So Large But Body So Teeny” Sweeney. Anthony “If I’m Wrong, I Never Wanna’ Be” Wright. Ryan “Money Thief” Leaf. Clint “No Head Turner” Stoerner. Chad “Neither Pitch Nor Pass” Hutchinson. Drew “Right Muppet” Henson. Brad “Check Down Charlie” Johnson. Matt “Not Worth The Hassle” Cassel. Brandon “Brain Bleedin” Weeden. Kellen “The Mind Will But The Body Won’t” Moore. Quincy “Powder Room” Carter, Vinny “Journeyman” Testaverde, Drew “Not Gonna’ Listen” Bledsoe, and Jon “Preacher Teacher” Kitna were the only exceptions able to infrequently elevate themselves from the killing floor. While GM Jerry and Co. have every intention of remaining a minimum safe distance from such inconsistent (and even rotten) play, fate dictates whether or not the Cowboys are just one injury away (from the historically uneven mush of one Cooper Rush). This reflection is not about who else Dallas could, should, or would otherwise have at quarterback. The (needy but not greedy) mission is about encouraging Dak (away from Linehan’s remaining shrink-wrap and an abundance of limiting crap) to do even more to expand the Cowboys’ offensive attack. “If only Dak had not done so well in elevating himself from forgotten featherweight 4th-rounder to promising heavyweight pound-for-pounder, right?” you say in a strangely demoralized way. Then, neither fan nor prognosticator would care enough to so incessantly and repeatedly point to areas in which he can improve in order to help Dallas “Finish This Fight.” From 4th-round project to shiny object, Prescott has undeniably outperformed all pre-draft prognostications and fan expectations, save for maybe his own. He certainly deserves that standout bone, but the Cowboys from (which Dak has required some one-sided collaboration) now need more from him towards elusive fulfillment of the decades-old dream that eludes “America’s Team.” Whataboutism “What about the Iggles’ Carson Wentz or the Rams’ Jared Goff?!” you incredulously gag and cough. It is pretty clear you want to scream and blow off some steam, but those pretty boys do not play for America’s Team. While mainstream media continues to view each of them as a more complete quarterback than Dak – no matter how much comparative data shows otherwise – the only thing that matters to The Tortured Cowboys Fan is whether or not Prescott will be even more up to the task of beating those guys. Will 2K successfully help Prescott expand his own power through play-calls designed not to go instantly sour? Dak handled his 2018 regular season business twice against Wentz but – in the playoffs against the “Son of Bum” – he suffered some mental dents. You wish Prescott could command the collective sports talk appeal? You want Dak to be the preferred in-studio meal? You want prognosticators to pump the brakes on how those two frail and finesse fellas’ represent a better, more “complete quarterback” deal? “Game recognizes game,” but commentators are not obligated to ignore the reflections which fill out that frame. “To be the man, you got to beat the man . . . and – in order to be viewed as an all-world dude – demonstrate how you have broadened your attack plan!” The Tortured Cowboys Fan is a diehard but neither a Dak hater nor a myopic tater. If the Dallas Cowboys are going to achieve their ultimate goal much sooner than later, Dak may have no choice but to become considerably greater. “Zeke who?” said GM Jerry. An unintended invitation for Dak and 2K to double down on ensuring Prescott’s passing and scrambling toolset becomes positively scary. Will Prescott take (more of) the bait – against all comers – and start to crowd the plate, or will he deliver more above average (but nothing sensationally savage) to fuel more “show me” debate? We shall see. We always do.

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