3 Ways Cowboys Can Get Dak Prescott, Passing Game Back on Track
The return of Dak Prescott in Week 7 resulted in a win over the Detroit Lions, but it didn't necessarily revive the passing game.
The 5-2 Cowboys are still a playoff team. They're on track to finish with a good record and could challenge the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles for the NFC East by the end of the season.
But the potential of the team is going to be capped if the passing game continues to be limited. The Cowboys are 25th in yards per pass, 28th in completion percentage and 27th in team passer rating.
Some of that has been because the Cowboys had to turn to Cooper Rush in the absence of Prescott.
But now Prescott is back, and Dallas needs to find a way to get the passing game going in the right direction. Here are three things they can do.
Continue to Utilize Play-Action
The Cowboys run game is one of its greatest assets. The two-headed running back attack of Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott is one of the best in the game, and defenses have to respect Dallas' ability to run the ball.
The smartest thing the Cowboys can do is lean on that as it pertains to the passing game.
The talent at receiver is definitely downgraded from last season. CeeDee Lamb is the No. 1 receiver, but Michael Gallup has yet to return to form from his ACL tear and the talent behind him is just alright.
Fortunately, offensive coordinator Kellen Moore seems to understand the benefit of utilizing play-action to get his quarterback and receivers right.
According to John Owning of PFF, Prescott was 11-of-13 for 121 yards and a touchdown on play-action passes against the Detroit Lions. He also noted the Cowboys used play-action on around half of his attempts on Sunday.
For his career, they've typically used it on 25 percent of his pass attempts. However, with less talent at receiver and a heavier reliance on the run game, it's an adjustment that is going to pay dividends if they stick with it.
Trade for WR Chase Claypool
When the Cowboys had the trio of Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup, they boasted one of the best passing attacks in the league.
With Cooper gone and Gallup still trying to recover from his injury, the Cowboys have much less firepower than they had even in 2021 when Gallup was out with injury. Prescott is a good quarterback, but building an elite air attack requires a certain amount of weapons to threaten the defense.
Jalen Tolbert has not emerged as a threat as a rookie. James Washington has yet to make his debut with the team because of injury, and he's not guaranteed to be any better than he was in Pittsburgh.
Getting back some of the explosiveness in the passing game might require making a move at the trade deadline.
Several receivers would make sense as targets, but Chase Claypool might be the best option. The young receiver would only be due $673,000 for a team trading for him at the deadline, and he has just one year left on his rookie contract.
The 6'4", 238-pound receiver would be a great complement to Lamb and Gallup. He would add a big, physical receiver to a duo that already has impressive athleticism.
The Cowboys would once again have a trio of receivers capable of taking over a game.
More Early-Down Passes
In Prescott's return to the lineup, the Cowboys had a nearly even split on early-down runs and passes.
According to Reid D Hanson of Sport DFW, the Cowboys had 26 pass plays on first and second down with 25 run plays in the same situation. First down is a crucial opportunity for offenses, as it is hard for the defense to send in personnel based on tendencies, so mixing it up is important.
However, the Cowboys boasted a 65 percent success rate on their early-down passing plays as opposed to the 48 percent success rate in the run game.
Meanwhile, they had a 40 percent success rate for both runs and passes on third and fourth down.
The takeaway is the Cowboys need to shift their early-down passing attempts with Prescott back in the lineup. It made sense for the Cowboys to be a more heavy run team on first down with Cooper Rush behind center.
Now that Prescott is back, the Cowboys have to give him opportunities to generate momentum and take care of a defense that has to have run-stopping personnel on the field.