Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott struggled more than ever in the Week 5 loss to the 49ers. Is head coach Mike McCarthy’s “Texas Coast” offense working for Prescott, or was he better off under Kellen Moore?
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Dak Prescott Seeing Increased Struggles
The Cowboys face the Chargers and their former offensive coordinator, Moore, on Monday Night Football. The matchup will serve not only as a chance for the Cowboys to bounce back after a devastating 42-10 loss to the 49ers last week but also prove that their offense is better off without Moore.
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Returning to Moore’s offense after missing time with a Week 1 ankle injury is Austin Ekeler. The return of the star running back will likely open up the run game for the Chargers, who have been more reliant on the passing game in his absence.
Prescott struggled heavily in the loss to the Niners as he completed 58.3% of his passes for 153 yards and a touchdown. He threw three interceptions on three consecutive drives.
A night to forget for Dak Prescott.
Now three picks to go along with three sacks #Cowboys QB. pic.twitter.com/nhMyvJ7CwS
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) October 9, 2023
Prescott’s play looked promising through the first two weeks as the Cowboys outscored their opponents 70-10.
Dallas then took a loss to the Cardinals that had fans scratching their heads after they had dominated their first two opponents. The team took home a promising victory over the Patriots but fell apart once again against the Niners. Will they be able to turn things around this week?
The Cowboys parted ways with Moore at the conclusion of last season after he served as their offensive coordinator from 2019-2022. McCarthy has taken over the play-calling duties in Dallas, and the team just can’t seem to get over some persisting struggles.
Red-zone offense has been a major concern for the Cowboys as they rank 28th in the league with a 36.8% touchdown conversion rate within the 20.
Through five games, Prescott is averaging fewer passing yards and touchdowns per game under McCarthy than he did under Moore. In four seasons with Moore, Prescott averaged 287.1 yards and two touchdowns per game in the first five contests of each season.
So far this season, he has averaged 212.2 yards and one touchdown. His interception rate has remained consistent at 0.8% per game.
On a positive note, his completion rate so far this season is at 69.4% as compared to a 66.9% average through the first five games with Moore.
During his weekly radio interview with 105.3 The Fan, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he is not planning on changing up the team’s play-calling duties despite the loss last week. When asked if McCarthy would be demoted play-caller caller, he gave a solid “no.”
“We should recognize that we had a very bad outing, and San Francisco had a very good outing,” Jones continued. “We should recognize that and call it what it is and not mislead ourselves. But as far as sitting here and saying we should completely change out the towels here, that’s not even in the cards. And it’s really ridiculous.”
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Jones also said he has “dreaded” facing Moore and the Chargers on Monday night.
“I have dreaded seeing Kellen on this occasion,” Jones said. “Kellen is one of my favorites as far as individuals. He’s a talented coach; make no mistake about it. … He’s become an outstanding coach.”
McCarthy said there are no personal elements in regard to facing Moore, per The Athletic’s Jon Machota.
“There’s no bells and whistles for this one,” McCarthy said. “This is Game 6. My focus has always been, and it’s the way I view schedules. I think a lot of NFL scheduling is it’s not as much who you play; it’s when you play them. (Chargers are coming off their bye week) … He has an excellent opportunity that he’s doing a very nice job with.”
In order for the Cowboys to avoid another embarrassing win, Prescott will have to be on his A game. It was proven in the matchup against the 49ers that the new McCarthy offense can’t withstand a powerful defense as they failed to get much of anything going offensively.
While the Texas Coast offense was supposed to put less pressure on Prescott by limiting deep passing and prioritizing getting the ball quickly and delivering quick strikes in the passing game, some of the same problems we saw last season are beginning to resurface.