He doesn’t have the speed of his college days, but how much does speed really matter for a QB like Prescott?
He doesn’t have the speed of his college days, but how much does speed really matter for a QB like Prescott?Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott throws a pass over the middle during the first half of an NFL game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Thursday, Sept.
4, 2025, in Philadelphia.FRISCO — Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott will be the first to admit he’s not as fast as he used to be. It’s been a decade, after all, since he ran for over 2,500 career yards in four seasons at Mississippi State.against the Philadelphia Eagles, however, Prescott’s performance prompted a question: When it comes to his mobility, is there really a need for speed? Prescott was a bright spot in the team’s season-opening loss to the Eagles. The statistics were meager — he finished with 188 yards passing and no touchdowns — but his performance went beyond that. He threw, including one to tight end Jake Ferguson in the end zone and at least three to star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.Prescott also ran, according to the box score, one time for three yards. That, too, doesn’t tell the whole story. Prescott was near the middle of the league in terms of time to throw, according to Pro Football Focus, but he led the league in average depth of target. That contradiction means Prescott was buying more time to push the ball downfield than naturally was available.Prescott was also pressured 13 times, according to PFF, but he was never sacked. That included a play when Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis had Prescott in his grasp, only for Prescott to escape. “That was pretty impressive to me, because that’s a big dude,” Cowboys left guard Tyler Smith said about Davis, who weighs over 330 pounds. “That’s a big dude to have on your back and not go down.”“I’d call him a Clydesdale back there, because he’s picking his knees up and running,” Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson said, “and that’s something you want from your quarterback.”and a pass rush that features three first-round picks, including third overall pick Abdul Carter, and three-time Pro Bowl nose tackle Dexter Lawrence.For Prescott, the mobility shown in Week 1 is a testament to the work he put in over the offseason. Running was an emphasis for him. He was often seen in training camp sprinting after the first-team offense was done with a specific drill. Sometimes, he’d sprint all the way to the end zone to celebrate with a teammate after they scored a touchdown. Prescott said multiple times that he wanted to be ready to run before it was needed. Or, in the case of last season, before it was asked of him. Former Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy appeared on ESPN prior to the season opener. He was asked about Prescott, a player he called a “full-operational quarterback.” He said that Prescott and the Cowboys would have the chance to achieve all the goals they set out for themselves as long as Prescott stayed healthy.“Once he received a bigger contract we tried to be more selective with that,” McCarthy said about Prescott’s running ability. “I’m not sure what direction they’re going in the future here, but he’s full operational.” The numbers backed it up. Prescott ran for a total of 24 yards in his first seven games last season. He was also sacked 18 times during that stretch. In Week 8 last year, against the Atlanta Falcons, Prescott started running more. He had three attempts for 30 yards before he exited the game with what proved to be a season-ending hamstring tear.“I felt slow on that one where I broke the tackle in the pocket, but other than that I felt healthy,” Prescott said. “That was the main part of it, being able to run, whether it’s to get out of pressure, using my legs when I need to, and just be healthy throughout the game. So it’s something I’m not going to stop and just keep building on. A lot of work went into this and we’ll continue to grow.”The Cowboys’ offensive line has a mantra. They’ll tell you that they want all five of them to move as one. The truth, however, is that sometimes there will be mismatches based on a defense’s scheme or an individual matchup. “He does a pretty good job during the week of understanding both of those things,” Adams said of Prescott. “I think, especially as you get more comfortable with certain action protections, you know where the weaknesses are, and he certainly does.” Overall, the Cowboys’ offensive line held up well against the Eagles. That included the positive performances of their last two first-round picks: left tackle Tyler Guyton and right guard Tyler Booker.“When I’m talking about confidence, I’m particularly talking about that group and just the way that they went out there and blocked. That helps the pocket movement,” Prescott said. “And that’s nothing that is new, going back to the spring, going against our guys in training camp. Just building off one another. I tell them, ‘Hey, every now and then, you’re going to make that miss, I can help you out.’”Joseph covers the Dallas Cowboys for The Dallas Morning News. After graduating from the University of Oregon in 2016, Joseph interned at The News before working for The Ames Tribune and KOIN-TV in Portland. He returned to The News in Nov. 2018 and spent five years here before he left to cover the Cowboys for Lone Star Live and DLLS Sports.Dallas officials say ousted Fair Park operator falsely said event contracts were over
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