NFL expert perfectly explains Dak Prescott dilemma and here's how Cowboys HC Brian Schottenheimer can help his quarterback

What Dak Prescott does best as a quarterback can get him into trouble. 

How can that be? Well, football is a complex sport. For his entire career, Prescott's path through the NFL and his standing among other quarterbacks has been as controversial as it gets. Some view him as an average QB. Others believe he's straight up bad. A large portion of fans describe him as good but label him a choker in the playoffs.

Yet, to many educated football minds around football, the Cowboys quarterback remains a Top 10 player at his position. In 2023—his last full season—he even finished second in MVP voting behind Lamar Jackson. 

Dak Prescott is a Top 10 quarterback for the throws that get him in trouble

Recently, NFL expert Charles McDonald from Yahoo! Sports ranked Prescott the seventh best quarterback in the league and described his reasoning in the Football 301 podcast. In the process, he explained how Prescott's biggest strength is also what costs him at times. 

"I think one thing that I love about Dak that at least I'm open to a lot of the scrutiny that he faces, that he's willing to try some of these more difficult throws on the football field," McDonald said. "I respect the willingness to try that, I think that those traits is what gives him the ability to keep the Cowboys afloat every year and to get them to the playoffs." 

Some of those tough throws over the field are what makes Prescott stand out in a league filled with quarterbacks executing simple reads. His throws over the seam are among the best in the NFL and he can throw complex passes such as middle field reads, where he needs to be on the same page as his receiver reading the safety to determine what route will be run. 

Brian Schottenheimer's offense could alleviate Prescott's burden

But those throws also lead to some costly mistakes at times, to McDonald's point. It's a complicated way to play quarterback these days as defenses continue to come up with ways to disguise coverages and change the picture post-snap. 

Going into 2025, I wonder if Brian Schottenheimer's coaching staff will find the balance that has been missing from the Cowboys for a while now. How can they capitalize on those throws from Prescott while also incorporating easy buttons to the offense to make his life easier and alleviate the burden throughout the game? 

Schottenheimer's play-calling and overall scheme are mostly a mystery. But that will go a long way in determining his success.