Dak Prescott performed better than anyone could have ever predicted as a rookie last year, and expectations couldn’t be higher heading into 2017.
Prescott himself has already made it clear he realizes his game must evolve, and quickly. No doubt, he’s feeling a bit of pressure about all this, especially in light of comments made by Dallas Cowboys Executive Vice President, Stephen Jones.
“He knows he’s got to take his game to another level,” Jones said, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “The great ones get better each year. I think he expects that from himself, I know he puts in the work, I know he’s a leader, the team responds to him, the team wants to play hard for him. That’s rare. I think he’s going to answer the bell and I think he’s going to be better than he was last year.”
Jones also praised Prescott’s work ethic and singular focus when it comes to improving his craft.
“I’m just amazed with how he handles himself,” Jones said. “Football is first. he’s got an insatiable appetite to want to get better.”
Now, it’s important to note that Prescott’s play last year was just about the most impressive we’ve seen from a rookie quarterback in decades. He finished the season having led the Cowboys to a 13-3 record while completing 67.8 percent of his passes for 3,667 yards with 23 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He also added six touchdowns on the ground and rarely made mistakes that hurt his team.
And if not for a miraculous finish by Aaron Rodgers in the divisional round of the playoffs, Prescott would have won his first playoff game, too.
It wouldn’t be surprising whatsoever if Prescott suffered a bit of a sophomore slump in 2017. Teams have had an entire offseason to parse his game into a million pieces to expose his weaknesses. And they’ll attack those weaknesses relentlessly this season, especially now that Dallas has a huge target on its back after claiming the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
So the truth of the matter is that Prescott really does need to be better if the Cowboys are going to advance beyond what they accomplished last season. Especially in light of the players the team lost defensively in free agency, and in light of the question marks up front on that side of the ball.
No pressure, kid.
It’s going to be fascinating to see if Prescott — a fourth-round pick last year out of Mississippi State — has the chops to rise up to the challenge.