Blogging The Boys
The Dallas Cowboys have perfected the art of the January heartbreak. Over time, we have watched them play extremely well during the regular season, only to watch the entire operation come apart in the playoffs. What starts out as hope and a chance to break the long-lasting Divisional Round curse inevitably turns into another letdown and another year added to this dreadful streak. It is exhausting.
There are plenty of people deserving of blame. The front office gets a lot of it, often accused of not stocking enough groceries in the cabinet to supply the team with what they need come playoff time. Others point fingers at the coaching staff, who have been out-schemed by their counterparts when things matter most. And finally, there are the players who sometimes just fail to make enough plays. It is a team game, and there is plenty of blame to go around.
While you can scrutinize these playoff performances and come up with a laundry list of offenders, one of the most notable culprits has been quarterback Dak Prescott. Fans come at him routinely, and recently, Emmanuel Acho claimed that it is Prescott, and not Jerry Jones, who has held this team back when the postseason rolls around.
The hard truth is that Acho does have a leg to stand on with this argument. This is not to suggest that everything is Prescott’s fault, but there is a mountain of evidence showing that when it is time to be great, Dak has fallen a bit short. We owe it to ourselves to be transparent about those shortcomings. So, what exactly can we say about Prescott’s performance that supports his critics?
It’s important to clarify that this isn’t suggesting that Prescott has been terrible in the postseason. He has played decently and, at times, pretty darn well. The real issue, however, is that more often than not, he just does not elevate his game to the level needed to help his team come out on top. Where exactly is he falling short?
Prescott is as good as anyone when he can see what is going on and make quick decisions. When he is sharp, in a good rhythm, and getting the ball out on time, he can be super fun to watch. Unfortunately, the kitchen gets a little hot come playoff time, and smart coaching will challenge his medulla oblongata.
When things are not as he expects post-snap, it can get a little dicey. He will hold the ball too long and miss out on key hot routes designed to get him out of trouble. The result is costly sacks or wasteful throwaways on third down that kill much-needed drives. In the playoffs, when possessions are precious, there is simply no room for stalled drives.
When elite defenses are coming right at you, it is hard to stay composed and deliver perfect throws. The mental element is just one part of the equation. There have been many...
