Dak Prescott threw a league-leading 15 interceptions in 12 regular-season games and another two in two postseason games. That’s too many for the Cowboys to get to where they want to go.
So, to that end, Prescott and Mike McCarthy poured over each pick from last season.
“Definitely we spent some time,” McCarthy said, via Nick Eatman of the team website. “He was in for the captains workout [earlier this month]. So, he came up and spent about four hours with [quarterbacks coach] Scott [Tolzien] and I. And we went back and looked at his decision-making opportunities and the interceptions and potential interceptions and just talking through it.”
The Cowboys have turned over their offensive staff this offseason, giving Prescott some new voices. McCarthy will call the plays with Kellen Moore now with the Chargers. Tolzien replaces Doug Nussmeier, and Brian Schottenheimer has inherited the title of offensive coordinator.
McCarthy called the exercise to evaluate the interceptions “healthy.”
“I thought Doug did an excellent job with the quarterbacks, but you know, the room will be different,” McCarthy said. “Any time you have a new coach in there, and it’ll be Scott’s new opportunity, too. But Brian and I will be in there pretty much full time so they’ll be getting that landscape laid, too. But it’s pretty fluid.”
The Cowboys plan to protect Prescott better than they did last season, and they have improved his weapons with the addition of Brandin Cooks.
If all goes to plan, the Cowboys will break a 27-year streak.
“My goal is for Dak to play 20 games next year,” McCarthy said. “If he plays 20 games next year, obviously we’ll be right where we want to be.”
That would mean at least a berth in the NFC Championship Game, a place the Cowboys haven’t been since 1995, but McCarthy’s goal is home-field advantage throughout that playoffs, which comes with a first-round bye.
Prescott has not played a full season since 2019, and he missed five games last season.
