Dallas Cowboys: Anonymous Player Gives Stunning Admission About Dak Prescott’s Struggles

The Dallas Cowboys are still searching for answers following their stunning early exit from the playoffs, falling at home for the first time this season after entering the NFC Wildcard matchup as two-score underdogs.

While it was stunning to see the No. 5 defense led by Dan Quinn — who is a leading candidate for head coaching searches for assembling a dominate unit — the struggles offensively with Dak Prescott who played at MVP-caliber season all year became a major storyline.

“I sucked tonight,” Prescott told reporters after the game. “And that’s it. … It’s about winning, and winning in the playoffs.”

Dak Prescott added that he was “shocked” by Sunday’s loss, saying, “Obviously I didn’t play well.” When asked how the Cowboys can get past this disappointment and eventually achieve playoff success, he responded, “I wish I had that answer for you.”

Dallas Cowboys, Dak Prescott
Photo Credit: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
Prescott threw for 403 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions on 41-of-60 passing in Sunday’s game. While those numbers appear solid on the surface, most of his production came when the game was already out of reach. Dallas faced deficits of 27-0 and 48-16 during the game.

The Dallas Cowboys entered the game riding a streak of 16 straight home victories dating back to the 2022 season. Unfortunately, Prescott and the team’s offense came out flat in front of their home fans at AT&T Stadium, and things got out of hand quickly.

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Prescott failed to keep up with Packers quarterback Jordan Love, who threw for 272 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions as he led the NFL’s youngest team to a Divisional Round matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.

Dallas Cowboys Player Gives Stunning Admission About Dak Prescott’s Struggles, While Taking Shot At Defensive Coaching Staff
Dak Prescott Dallas Cowboys

On Monday, as the Cowboys cleared out the team facility for the offseason, players spoke to reporters on and off the record, with one anonymous Cowboy made an interesting comment about Prescott to NFL Network’s Jane Slater.

“Another player was frustrated with a stubbornness to stick to schemes on both sides of the ball. Motion offenses killing defenses and concern that Dak panics when 1st read not there,” Slater tweeted.

Those are bold claims coming from a Dallas Cowboys player who is inside the building, attends practices on a daily basis and gets a behind-the-scenes glimpse into what’s really happening in Dallas according to NFL Network’s Jane Slater.

The anonymous player’s theory of Prescott struggling when the first read isn’t there may explain the disconnect between the Dallas starting QB and his star WR CeeDee Lamb early in the game. It’s likely Mike McCarthy schemed up several plays with the goal to get Lamb the ball early, but the Cowboys QB admitted the Packers did a good job of disguising coverages that threw him off in the first half.

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“I mean, credit them for some of the early looks, disguising how they were going to play (Lamb),” Dak Prescott told reporters after the game. “Then late after the snap, moving, and obviously not giving me the same picture pre-snap as they did post-snap. Credit to them. Then I missed him on the sideline on a little roll-out, but once we got it going, once again it was too late.”

Dallas Cowboys, Dak Prescott
Dec 17, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) looks on in the second half against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
The USA Today Sports staff gave further insight into Prescott’s early struggles.

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“Joe Barry alternated and disguised zone and man coverages during the first half, often forcing Prescott into a misread. When combined with modest pressure that hurried Prescott’s timing, the Packers intercepted Prescott twice and forced him into attempting 60 passes.

Much of Dallas’ production came in the second half, when the blowout was already underway. But in the first half, Barry’s coverages on Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb were superb; Lamb recorded just two catches on seven targets for just 18 yards. One of the passes intended for Lamb, late in the second quarter, was intercepted by Darnell Savage Jr. and returned 64 yards for a touchdown.”

While it’s unlikely the Dallas Cowboys move on from Dak Prescott, it’s not out of the realm of possibility. There’s a very real possibility McCarthy is replaced, although he was the architect behind one of the NFL’s most prolific offenses this season.

When the final whistle blew, blame should fail equally on both sides of the ball, yet due to Prescott’s playoff history and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn likely headed out of town to become their new head coach, the Dallas QB and future of McCarthy became the focal point after the stunning unexpected loss.

Jerry Jones wants another Super Bowl and nothing can be counted out in his quest to reach that goal.