For what is seemingly the 273rd consecutive summer, the Dallas Cowboys have gotten to work with a sour taste left in their mouth from the end of the previous season, with hopes that this year might be different. Now for all we know, this year could be different. Dallas certainly has the pieces in place, and if the previous three regular seasons are any indication, the Dallas Cowboys will be in the hunt for another NFC East title this year. But whether or not the Dallas Cowboys take the next step toward true Super Bowl contendership will ultimately come down to the contributions of two men: head coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Dak Prescott.
As the head coach of the Green Bay Packers, Mike McCarthy has been to the promised-land before, winning a Super Bowl in 2011. And while Dak Prescott has never advanced further than the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs, he's coming off of what was certainly the best season of his career. Apparently, that momentum has carried into the offseason, because on Thursday afternoon, McCarthy stated that Dak is also having “his best offseason program,” per Dallas Cowboys beat writer Jon Machota of The Athletic.
“He's had really good offseason programs the whole time, but this atmosphere that we practice in with the quarterback and receivers has really hit the mark. I’ve been very impressed with the quality of work.”
When told about what his coach had to say about him, Dak Prescott agreed.
“I talk about it every offseason. Any chance we talk, my focus is always getting better. Getting better overall in every way that I can, every aspect of my game, making sure I push the other people around me. Mike’s comments are the result of us doing that from the time the offseason began, from before the offseason began with the team activities, us guys getting together. Really, the growth in my play and the jump I’m making in the second year in his offense as well, being more comfortable with the footwork. The receivers around me, their second year in it, they’re more comfortable, they’re more confident.”
Dak Prescott looks to build on 2023's MVP-caliber campaign
While most football fans will only focus on the way that the postseason ended for the Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys this past January, I instead want to shift the focus to the considerable strides that Prescott made from the season prior. Remember, heading into the 2023 season, Dak Prescott was just one year removed from throwing a league-leading 15 interceptions in only 12 games in 2022. During training camp, Dak made waves by promising to throw fewer than ten interceptions all season long, but despite having many skeptics, he kept his word, throwing just nine picks last year despite playing in all 17 games.
It wasn't just the cutdown on turnovers that carried Dak Prescott to a 2nd-place finish in MVP voting. Across the board, his numbers — 4,516 yards (3rd in league), 36 touchdowns (1st in league), 105.9 passer rating (2nd in league), 72.7 QBR (2nd in league), 69.5 completion percentage (2nd in league) — were arguably the best of any quarterback in the league last year.
Dak will never get the recognition he likely deserves until Dallas has more success in the postseason, and he's running out of chances. The Cowboys have been noncommittal on inking Prescott to a new deal, and his existing contract expires at the end of the 2024 season. Prescott is already 30 years old and holds numerous Cowboys franchise records, but his days in Dallas could possibly be numbered.
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