Cowboys Facing Troubling Dak Prescott Development After 6 Games

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Cowboys Facing Troubling Dak Prescott Development After 6 Games

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Trant | Last updated Oct 22, 2026 3:52 PM ET

The Dallas Cowboys have stumbled to open the 2026 NFL season and currently sit with a disappointing 2-4 record. The Cowboys have lost back-to-back games and enter Week 7’s matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles with hopes that they can generate some momentum.

Dallas entered the season with high expectations, largely due to its elite offensive personnel. Headlined by four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Dak Prescott, the Cowboys’ offense boasts multiple elite weapons, but has been unable to generate consistency over the last several weeks. Dallas has scored fewer than 17 points in each of its last two games, including a brutal offensive showing in a 23-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) passes against the Green Bay Packers during the second half at Lambeau Field.Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Prescott has been asked to shoulder a large workload. He is second in the NFL in passing attempts with 246, completing 66.3% of his throws for 1,639 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions.

That heavy workload has become more concerning as Dallas’ offensive line has struggled to consistently keep Prescott clean, while also performing poorly as a run-blocking unit. Without the threat of a consistent running game (31st in rushing yards per game), the Cowboys are increasingly being attacked by pressure and heavy blitz packages.

According to Ed Werder of WFAA, Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said, “At the end of the day, Dak got hit way too much in these last two games, and that pisses me off and it pisses us off because shouldn’t happen, and we got to keep him clean.”

Dak Prescott is averaging a career-high 41 pass attempts per game and opponents are taking advantage with heavy blitzing that is too often succeeding.#Cowboys HC Brian Schottenheimer: “At the end of the day, Dak got hit way too much in these last two games, and that pisses me… pic.twitter.com/H80lnaiGAe
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdNFL) October 22, 2026

During the Cowboys’ last two games, Prescott faced a total of 34 pressures. Across his 96 pass attempts over the last two weeks, this amounts to a 35.4% pressure rate, which is well above the Pro Football Reference league average of 22.4%.

Thankfully for the Cowboys, the NFC East division remains wide open. With that in mind, they will need to find a balance between leaning on Prescott and establishing a legitimate ground game if they are to fight for a division title.

If the protection issues continue, Prescott’s high passing volume could become an even bigger concern as the season progresses.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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