PFT: Will next Cowboys coach have no choice but to keep Dak Prescott?

[boozeman]

Will next Cowboys coach have no choice but to keep Dak Prescott?
Posted by Mike Florio on November 11, 2018, 9:56 AM EST

It’s becoming more and more clear that, barring a late-season turnaround, the coaching job in Dallas will be turned over to someone else. So who will it be?

Before answering that specific question, the candidates may have to answer a different, but equally specific, question. As recently explained by Bryan Broaddus, a former Cowboys scout who continues to work for the team through its official website, owner Jerry Jones will want to know how the new coach plans to get the most out of the team’s starting quarterback.

“I think whoever, if in fact [the Cowboys] do make a coaching change, the first question Jerry Jones is going to ask is going to be about Dak Prescott,” Broaddus said during an appearance on 105.3 The Fan, via the Dallas Morning News. “I guarantee you that’s the first question they’re going to ask. If they make a coaching change, whoever gives him the best plan to work on the further development of Dak Prescott, I think that guy’s going to get this job.”

This implies that Jones won’t simply hand the keys to a new coach, allowing the new coach to go get a new quarterback. Instead, Jones will want a coach who can fix the current quarterback, designing an offensive scheme that maximizes his talents and minimizes his weaknesses.

Any such plan surely will include Prescott running the ball from time to time (or more frequently), because Jones has made it clear that he wants Prescott to run the ball, which is something the offense inexplicably has gotten away from in the two games (both losses) since Prescott generated a career-high 82 yards in a 40-7 thrashing of the Jaguars.

A great coach will indeed find a way to get the most out of Prescott, and because he’s still fairly new to the NFL, it’s likely that Prescott will buy in. Given a lingering belief that Saints coach Sean Payton continues to be the coach Jones covets, maybe Payton would be interested in working with Prescott.

“He was very envious of Scott Linehan’s first year with Dak Prescott,” Broaddus said of Payton. “Because he says, ‘I’ve got a veteran guy that I call plays for him and he changes every call I make.’ And he goes, ‘Listen Drew [Brees], we’re gonna run the ball today.’ Then next thing I know, we threw the ball 48 times and lost. He says, ‘That’s the difference right now.'”

It’s unclear when (or if) Payton ever actually said that, but if he did it had to have been in jest. Payton and Brees have had an incredible run of success together in New Orleans. With Brees getting far closer to the end of his career than the beginning, the question is whether Prescott would be enough of a lure to get Payton to jump to Dallas.

Especially when the Browns are looking for a coach, and their quarterback is Baker Mayfield.
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Hardly earth shattering.

Jerry Jones forces assistant coaches onto his head coaches, why on earth would he not force a quarterback on one?

 

[Genghis Khan]

Is there really a consensus that Garrett will be fired?

Maybe I'm a pessimist.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

Is there really a consensus that Garrett will be fired?

Maybe I'm a pessimist.

Baring a major turn around this year I think Garrett is gone. Watching Jerry at the end of that Titans game he was pissed.

 

[boozeman]

Baring a major turn around this year I think Garrett is gone. Watching Jerry at the end of that Titans game he was pissed.

He gets pissed, but he always gets over it.

 

[Genghis Khan]

Baring a major turn around this year I think Garrett is gone. Watching Jerry at the end of that Titans game he was pissed.

And I think the end result of him being pissed is Linehan gets taken to the woodshed.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

The new head coach should be allowed to pick his QB. If that is Dak,great. If it's another QB on the roster awesome. And if it's a second round draft pick, go for it.

 

[p1_]

The new head coach should be allowed to pick his QB. If that is Dak,great. If it's another QB on the roster awesome. And if it's a second round draft pick, go for it.

I think Jerry wants to see if a new guy can return Dak to the 2016 version. Too bad that guy has left the building.

 

[skidadl]

This is why we will continue to fall short of achieving anything special. The cart is always before the horse.

 

[boozeman]

This is why we will continue to fall short of achieving anything special. The cart is always before the horse.

I don't even see the cart before the horse.

I see a cart on one side, a horse on the other and a salesman in the middle telling you how awesome they are together.

 

[Rev]

I don't even see the cart before the horse.

I see a cart on one side, a horse on the other and a salesman in the middle telling you how awesome they are together.

Perfect.

 

[deadrise]

I ain't no coach and I ain't no scout but you don't have to be either to see that Dak holds the ball too long -- in some cases way too long.

They say every NFL QB needs a clock in his head but any fan who's watched enough games has the same kind of clock. The pocket only lasts so long. Dak seems to have no sense of that.

You could contrast the difference between the two QBs every time the ball changed hands. Wentz was 1-2-3 boom -- throw. Dak was 1-2-3 -- wait, look, look some more. It was maddening.

That throw he made to the sideline where the Beagle LB almost got a pick-six was awful. Dak stared the receiver down then threw it way late.

I don't know if a coach can fix that, but if it can't be fixed Dak has no long-term future in the NFL.

 

[Smitty]

He holds the ball too long, and on top of that, takes forever to read the defense -- or misreads it -- way too much.

Prescott's saving grace is he doesn't take too many chances that result in turnovers. But it's also a flaw, because he's so conservative, he can't generate the big results either.

The difference between him and Wentz is painful even on a night that Prescott won.

 

[deadrise]

He holds the ball too long, and on top of that, takes forever to read the defense -- or misreads it -- way too much.

Prescott's saving grace is he doesn't take too many chances that result in turnovers. But it's also a flaw, because he's so conservative, he can't generate the big results either.

The difference between him and Wentz is painful even on a night that Prescott won.

He was lucky on the short sideline throw. That should have been six. The deeper out route he threw to Gallup a few minutes later was also way too late. Any legitimate NFL QB is throwing that ball before the break. Prescott was on the winning side, yes, but credit goes to Elliott and the defense.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

He was lucky on the short sideline throw. That should have been six. The deeper out route he threw to Gallup a few minutes later was also way too late. Any legitimate NFL QB is throwing that ball before the break. Prescott was on the winning side, yes, but credit goes to Elliott and the defense.

Oh come on. You can't give any credit to a guy who was 26 of 36 for 270 with 2 TDs and no turnovers and a 100+ QB rating? Seems a bit ridiculous to me.

And FYI, every legitimate NFL QB throws some balls late. Shit Carson Wentz was way late on that throw that Chido knocked away on that deep ball at the last second. Doesn't mean he isn't a legitimate NFL QB.

 

[shane]

As shaky as Dak looks, it seems like the mistakes he makes could be coached out of him. That's why last night's loss was so catastrophic. This team needs to bottom out. Instead Garrett is gonna get another year with a new offensive coordinator after a "gritty" 9-7.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

As shaky as Dak looks, it seems like the mistakes he makes could be coached out of him. That's why last night's loss was so catastrophic. This team needs to bottom out. Instead Garrett is gonna get another year with a new offensive coordinator after a "gritty" 9-7.

I doubt we make it to 9-7. One win won't make that much difference. But I agree with you. I think a real coach could find a lot of ways to make Dak dangerous. We just don't.

 

[GShock]

I doubt we make it to 9-7. One win won't make that much difference. But I agree with you. I think a real coach could find a lot of ways to make Dak dangerous. We just don't.

I think he could be a top middle tier QB with legitimate coaching and scheme. With the personnel we have, there’s no reason that a Dak-led team could not be a perennial division winner/challenger with regular playoff appearances, wins, and maybe a conference championship game appearance or 2.

That’s light years better than we’ve been, but assumes he takes to good coaching (if it’s ever provided).

 

[deadrise]

Oh come on. You can't give any credit to a guy who was 26 of 36 for 270 with 2 TDs and no turnovers and a 100+ QB rating? Seems a bit ridiculous to me.

And FYI, every legitimate NFL QB throws some balls late. Shit Carson Wentz was way late on that throw that Chido knocked away on that deep ball at the last second. Doesn't mean he isn't a legitimate NFL QB.

I didn't mean to imply he deserved none of the credit. Of course he does. But after Zeke started running wild it slowed down the pass rush. And on the some of the pass plays the o-line did an amazing job and Dak had four seconds to throw the ball. Cooper gets some of the credit for the yardage with RAC yards.

I'm a fan of the way Dak carries himself. Seems like a really squared away young man. I like his leadership and competitiveness. I wish him well.

I don't know if it's the scheme or the coaching or Dak, but I know he holds the ball too long and in the long run that's a serious flaw.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

I didn't mean to imply he deserved none of the credit. Of course he does. But after Zeke started running wild it slowed down the pass rush. And on the some of the pass plays the o-line did an amazing job and Dak had four seconds to throw the ball. Cooper gets some of the credit for the yardage with RAC yards.

I'm a fan of the way Dak carries himself. Seems like a really squared away young man. I like his leadership and competitiveness. I wish him well.

I don't know if it's the scheme or the coaching or Dak, but I know he holds the ball too long and in the long run that's a serious flaw.

Dak didn't used to hold the ball too long though. I mean in the previous two years Daks sack totals were very reasonable. They haven't been this year. 3 of the sacks yesterday were on Dak in my opinion. I'll give him a pass on the naked boot that the DE was killing him on before he could do anything but yeah it's something that needs to be fixed.

 

[deadrise]

Dak didn't used to hold the ball too long though. I mean in the previous two years Daks sack totals were very reasonable. They haven't been this year. 3 of the sacks yesterday were on Dak in my opinion. I'll give him a pass on the naked boot that the DE was killing him on before he could do anything but yeah it's something that needs to be fixed.

Absolutely correct. One of the amazing things about his rookie year was how decisive and calm he looked. Something's messed up his head between then and now. Hmmm....