Dallas Cowboys: Dak can carry Cowboys offense

For the second year in a row, Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Dak Prescott will open the season having to prove the critics wrong.

If I were an alien looking down from space watching ESPN and other sports networks, I’d think that Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was either a lousy quarterback or an undrafted rookie with no possibility of winning any football games.

In fact, an alien would probably think that Dak was by far the luckiest rookie quarterback in NFL history to ever achieve the success of last season.

Depending on which NFL analyst you listen to, or if you’re  just a hater of the Cowboys, the majority of these so-called experts believe Dak will take a step backwards and digress.

The analysts’ reasons varies:

From opposing defenses having a season’s worth of tape on Dak, to the suspension of Ezekiel Elliott, to Santa Claus believing the Cowboys are naughty and not nice — they believe Dak will not be as successful as last season.

According to the football experts, Dak is doomed to fail or digress so badly, the Cowboys will be drafting another franchise signal caller soon. Okay, maybe not draft another quarterback, but you get the point.

Ridiculous, right?

Well since I’m not an alien and I’ve watched a lot game tape on this promising quarterback, Dak is beyond capable of carrying the Cowboys offense.

And I’ll tell you why.

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Dak is intelligent

Last season’s success can easily be traced back to Dak’s high football IQ, or simply put, his intelligence.

Dak had a low turnover rate not because he didn’t throw it 50 times a game, but because he was smart with his decision making.

For example, if Dez Bryant was facing double coverage or ran a bad route, Dak didn’t force the ball to him. Dak checked down and threw it to his second, third, or fourth option, never risking a turnover.

If nobody was open, Dak threw it away or ran for a first down, either going out of bounds or sliding in the process.

That type of decision making avoids a costly interception and a major injury, two things Dallas can ill afford to have at the time.

Further, Dak is pretty good at reading defenses. Although Dak didn’t throw 30-45 passes a game,  he broke Tom Brady’s record for most passes without a pick to start a career.

That’s one hell of a feat.

Because of Dak’s leadership and stellar play, Jerry decided to stay with Dak and not Romo. That’s all you need to know about Dak’s ability.

The best offensive line in the NFL

Once again Dak will benefit from having the best offensive line in the league. Besides opening up huge holes for Zeke to run through, this massive offensive line pass protection is more than legit.

The pass protection was so good that Dak completed  a lot of his passes in the pocket. Dak’s ability to throw from the pocket and have great pocket awareness can be attributed to Dallas’ All Pro offensive line.

This bodes well for Dallas’ passing attack, with the likelihood of offensive coordinator Scott Linehan increasing Dak’s passing attempts.

Without Zeke in the lineup, expect Linehan to use four receiver sets, utilizing the speed, quickness, and route running of Cole Beasley and Ryan Switzer.

These jackrabbits will be another safety valve for Dak.

The supporting cast and running game

Just like last season, Dak will benefit from Dallas’ rushing attack. Talent wise, Darren McFadden and Alfred Morris are not on Zeke’s level, but the two former 1,000 yard rushers are more than capable of moving the chains.

Instead of an explosive 60-yard touchdown run, McFadden and Morris will use all three downs to pick up a first down, enough of a threat to keep the opposing defenses honest.

As long as the running game is legit, Dallas can use it’s play action pass to its advantage. That leads too…

Dez is one of the best receivers in the game when healthy. And with a dominant running game again, defenses will stack the box with eight defenders.

When that happens, Dez will be facing man coverage where he can beat any corner in the NFL.

Then there are other options Dak can use, like Jason Witten, Terrance Williams, and Brice Butler. If Butler keeps improving as a receiver, this offense is more than potent.

There are too many talented options at Dak’s disposal on any given play.

Also, Dak is good for picking up a few first downs with his running ability. This alone is a benefit that goes a long way in a close game (think New York Giants).

Dak’s leadership

Dak’s leadership is his best trait. To gain the respect of former quarterback Tony Romo, Witten, Dez, Beasley, the offensive line, Linehan, and head coach Jason Garrett speaks volumes.

Most rookie quarterbacks would’ve crumpled under the pressure of playing for Dallas while their starting QB sat on injured reserve.

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Dak pushed all of the nonsense aside, won games in a convincing fashion, led Dallas to a franchise record of 11 straight victories, set rookie records, and showed the owner and general manager Jerry Jones he was the real deal.

The doubters were left speechless.

Because of Dak’s leadership and stellar play, Jerry decided to stay with Dak and not Romo. That’s all you need to know about Dak’s ability.

Before the start of the 2016 season, Dak was seen as a preseason superstar, nothing more than a rookie getting reps while Romo got healthy.

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But 13 wins later, Dak won ROY (Rookie of the Year honors) and was America’s Team franchise quarterback.

That alone tells me Dak can once again carry the Cowboys offense to another level — like hoisting the Lombardi trophy this winter.