‘Anomalies To Me’: Dak Prescott Says Dallas Cowboys Have Cleaned Up Blitz Pickup Since Tampa Bay

FRISCO, Texas — Dak Prescott said Thursday that the Dallas Cowboys’ recent struggles against the blitz were anomalies, and that the offense did what it wanted against pressure in Sunday’s 33-30 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals outside of one play.

Prescott has handled the blitz well throughout his career. Teams have had more success sending pressure over the last three games, and the first of those, he said, was on him.

“To maybe go into that first of those three games or whatever, right after the game, I said it. I wasn’t as good as I normally am. I didn’t communicate. We weren’t 100% on offense and just communicating,” Prescott said. “Really this past game, other than one play, we did what we wanted to do against the blitz and what our game plan was against the blitz. So, yeah, those were anomalies to me, to an extent.”

Dak Prescott Says Protection Keys Are Fixed

After a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Prescott said Dallas had protection keys to clean up. He said Thursday that those changes are in place.

“Definitely. Got those things that I was talking about done, established. I think we only had one lapse of that last game. And so whether it be change protections, getting to new protections, being on top of all of our points, I feel like we’ve done better than that game, and particularly the Packers game as well,” Prescott explained.

Arizona sacked Prescott on second down of the drive after the onside kick, and again to end Dallas’ overtime possession.

Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said Wednesday that pass protection belongs to the whole offense, coaches included.

“Everyone’s involved in pass protection. It’s not just the offensive line that gets talked about,” Schottenheimer said. “It’s the receivers jumping out of their shoes. It’s the tight ends being on their hots. It’s the backs picking up blitzes, things like that. It’s the coaches and myself with play calls and protection answers or solutions.”

CeeDee Lamb Includes Himself In The Fix

Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb named blitz pickups among the things Dallas has to do to stop beating itself, and he counted himself in.

“Convert on third downs that you’re supposed to, being able to, for myself included, backside adjust, blitz pickups, things of that nature. We’ve just got to be all of one. We’ve just got to be one on offense and contribute,” Lamb said.

Offensive lineman Tyler Smith said picking up movement has to start in practice, with looks the scout team has not shown.

“We talk about all the time expecting movement, but actually practicing it, actually knowing when it’s coming, seeing the keys, seeing the safeties rotating or seeing that there’s not a backer in this gap or there’s not a D-lineman in that gap,” Smith said. “Just knowing that picture doesn’t look right. Something’s about to happen. So that anticipation is a very important aspect of it.”

The Cowboys visit the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at noon CT on FOX.