ARLINGTON, TEXAS – DECEMBER 29: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys warms up before the game against the Washington Redskins at AT&T Stadium on December 29, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy detailed the biggest adjustment that Dak Prescott will face in a new offense.
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy seems impressed with his new quarterback thus far, but spoke candidly about the biggest adjustment that Dak Prescott will face when learning the new offense.
McCarthy said that Prescott has “looked very good in the throwing segments of the strength and conditioning phase” of training camp, but also pointed to the language of the offense as something that both Prescott and the coaching staff will have to work on.
The former Green Bay Packers head coach remarked that “the biggest adjustment for Prescott has been the language, which has been an adjustment for all of us,” seems to imply that the Cowboys could employ a similar scheme to the one they used in 2019.
“I think Dak has done a great job with the time away, really the whole group, with the addition of Andy Dalton,” McCarthy said during this week’s Cowboys media video conference. “I really like the quarterback room and diversity we’ve got there with Dak, Andy and the two young guys. Most importantly, we’ve got three former quarterbacks coaching that group. I think the biggest adjustment for Dak has been the language, which has been an adjustment for all of us.
“But he’s looked very good in the throwing segments of the strength and conditioning phase that we’re we in now and I’m very impressed.”
For Dallas fans, that may not be a bad thing. Despite finishing 8-8 and missing the playoffs last season, the Cowboys ranked first in total offense and sixth in points scored in 2019 with many fans placing blame on former head coach Jason Garrett for the team’s mediocre finish.
Playing under the franchise tag in 2020, Prescott’s grasp of the new offense, including learning the language by the start of the season, could be crucial in his pursuit of a long-term extension.
Jerry Jones clearly wants to see gaudy offensive numbers translate to wins, and with a loaded group of receivers and backs supplementing a great offensive line, Prescott has no excuses to miss the playoffs again this season.
Jones surely hopes that McCarthy can bring the know-how and offensive expertise to bring Dallas back to the Super Bowl after 13 seasons and a Lombardi Trophy with Green Bay. If the 56-year-old head coach truly made the necessary tweaks to his offense during his year away from the NFL, Prescott should have all of the tools to bring Dallas back to Super Bowl contention.
