‘I Can Promise’: Dak Prescott Says Dallas Cowboys Offense Has An Identity, Just Not One It’s Proud Of
FRISCO, Texas — Dak Prescott said Thursday that the Dallas Cowboys have found an offensive identity, but he is not sure it is one they are proud of, four days after a 33-30 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
Dallas ran for 93 yards on 2.4 yards per carry against Arizona, a week after rushing for 204 yards in a win at Philadelphia. The Cardinals outgained the Cowboys 467-261, and Dallas went three-and-out on its only overtime possession.
The answer on identity came quickly.
“Yeah, sure. I mean, is it one we’re proud of? I don’t know. I don’t know. We’ll be better, I can promise,” Prescott said.
Not closing games when it matters is frustrating, Prescott said, and every player in the room feels it in his own way.
“Yeah, absolutely, it’s frustrating. To your point of whether it’s us squeezing the grip too hard or whatever it may be, when you have the standards and expectations to go out there and score every play and you’re not doing that, yeah, it’s frustrating,” Prescott explained. “And each and every guy, I’d be lying to you all if I didn’t say guys feel that, and each and every guy feels it in their own way.”
“And especially crunch time, when you want to go win and you want to go win it on your terms and you don’t get that done and you put your defense in a tough situation. Yeah, it’s frustrating,” Prescott continued. “But more importantly, it’s about finding solutions to it, and frustration don’t get you anywhere.”
Dak Prescott Says Frustration Can’t Bleed Into The Details
Pressing is not quite the word Prescott used. The risk he described is a missed series turning into missed assignments.
“It’s hard to say we’re pressing. But when you’ve got the talent we’ve got, when you’ve got the expectation, the standards that we have for ourselves, and you go three-and-out or you don’t score a touchdown, like, yeah, that’s frustrating,” Prescott said. “And you’ve got to make sure that you don’t allow that to continue to bleed, because then that bleeds into guys making MAs or not doing the details the right way because they want the big play rather than just sticking to it.”
Prescott completed 19 of 29 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown Sunday and ran for a score. Dallas scored 30 points, nine of them on Brandon Aubrey field goals.
Brian Schottenheimer Says The Offense Could Have Closed It
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer made the same point to the team this week. He said Wednesday that the offense had the chance to finish Arizona late and did not.
“Offensively, I feel like we could have put that game away with the offense late, and we didn’t. So that’s been a big message,” Schottenheimer said.
Execution, the play calls, and the way the team practices and meets are where Schottenheimer said the answers are.
“It comes down to execution. It comes down to looking at the play calls. It comes down to looking at the way we’re practicing, the way we’re having our meetings, and trying to find that edge to clean it up,” Schottenheimer said.
The Cowboys visit the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Kickoff at Lucas Oil Stadium is set for noon CT on FOX.
