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Cowboys' Jerry Jones: 'Probably Fair' to Say Dak Prescott is in a Slump
December 14, 2021
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones admitted Tuesday that quarterback Dak Prescott hasn't been at his best recently.
Appearing on 105.3 The Fan's Shan & RJ on Tuesday (h/t Jon Machota of The Athletic), Jones said the following about Prescott's recent play: "I don't want to say [it's a] slump, but that's probably fair. It's such a multifaceted evaluation. I would say that our offense is definitely away from where we were five to six weeks ago. ... Yes, he is [healthy]. He'll figure it out."
While Dallas has been up and down as a team lately with a 3-3 record over its past six games, it is coming off a key 27-20 win over the Washington Football Team on Sunday that moved the Cowboys to 9-4 on the season and gave them a three-game lead over Washington and the Philadelphia Eagles for first place in the NFC East.
After missing most of last season because of a dislocated and fractured ankle, there were some question marks regarding how Prescott would perform in 2021.
He quickly alleviated any concerns with 403 yards and three touchdowns in a narrow loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1, however.
Dallas reeled off six consecutive wins after that, and Prescott was a big reason why, as he averaged 302.2 passing yards per game with a total of 16 touchdowns and four interceptions, plus a quarterback rating of 115.0 in his first six contests.
Prescott missed the Cowboys' seventh game of the season coming out of the Week 7 bye because of a calf strain, but Dallas still managed to beat the Minnesota Vikings with Cooper Rush at quarterback.
In stark contrast to his 5-1 start, Prescott is 3-3 over his past six starts with an average of 261.3 passing yards per game, eight touchdowns and six interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 82.8.
Even with his recent struggles, Prescott may still be trending toward his third career Pro Bowl selection, as he is completing 67.9 percent of his passes for 3,381 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 picks.
Prescott had an especially tough time against the Washington defense on Sunday, though, going 22-of-39 for 211 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
One of the interceptions gave Washington life late in the game, as linebacker Cole Holcomb picked Dak off and took it 31 yards for a touchdown with 4:13 left in regulation to cut the deficit to seven.
Dallas managed to survive the scare, but there is no question the Cowboys will need better and more consistent play out of Prescott moving forward if they want to contend for a Super Bowl berth in a stacked NFC that includes the Bucs, Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams.