Greg Cosell's Film Review: Looking ahead to what's next for Dak Prescott

Dak Prescott finished his rookie season on a high note, making some nice throws and leading a nice comeback for the Dallas Cowboys, though it didn’t result in a win.

Now the question for the Cowboys becomes: Will they change anything in the offense from Year 1 to Year 2 in Prescott’s career?

For a rookie, Prescott had a really, really good season. He was efficient, ran the offense effectively, didn’t turn it over and made throws when needed. For the most part he was very accurate – that’s a really positive sign. He didn’t miss a lot of throws due to accuracy. He showed he can be a solid passer.

Prescott also was in a situation in which he wasn’t asked to be the foundation of the offense. The Cowboys have a great offensive line and Ezekiel Elliott; the run game is their focus, and they did it well. They scored 421 points, which was fifth-best in the NFL. Prescott’s most important job was not making mistakes, and he rarely made any. He was careful, safe and cautious. He played a role in sustaining a methodical offense.

The Cowboys’ passing game this season was basic, and that’s how it should be with a rookie quarterback. Prescott had limited experience in a pro-style offense, and the Cowboys didn’t ask him to do too much. They played to his strengths with things like read-option plays, and more bootleg passes as the season went on. That’s good coaching.

Now what happens? The Cowboys could run practically the same offense next season. It was effective. But the challenge is that opponents this season didn’t know how the Cowboys would play with a rookie at quarterback. Now they have a season’s worth of film to watch. Defensive coordinators can prepare for a Prescott-led offense all offseason. Do the Cowboys expand the passing game for Prescott’s second season? There’s no reason to believe, based on what we saw, that Prescott can’t handle more. But will Dallas want to change what worked so well?

Prescott showed an ability to make big-time throws. Here were two from Sunday’s divisional round playoff game against the Green Bay Packers. The Cowboys decided to take advantage of the matchup of Dez Bryant against cornerback LaDarius Gunter. First, Prescott had a great back-shoulder throw to Bryant for 21 yards.

Then he hit Bryant for a 40-yard score. What’s notable about this pass is Prescott stood in against pressure and delivered an accurate toss as he was hit.

Prescott also made some nice reads. On third-and-14, the Packers ran red zone “quarters” zone, rushing three and dropping eight. Witten did an excellent job sitting down in the void of an underneath zone, and Prescott made a nice read to hit him for 15 yards.

Later in the fourth quarter, the Packers used a “zero blitz” (no safety back) near the end zone on third-and-2. Prescott did a good job to quickly get the ball out of his hands, finding Bryant for a 7-yard touchdown.

Prescott also showed his rookie status, as he missed an open receiver on a crucial third-and-4 in the final minute. The Cowboys had routes available for him on both sides, but Prescott focused solely on Bryant in a slant-flat combination with Elliott to the right side. Prescott threw his way and it was batted down. Prescott missed, on his left side, that Cole Beasley had a better matchup and was wide open. It would have been a first down.

It’s not the worst mistake to throw to Bryant, Prescott’s best receiver, on a route combination designed to get him open quickly. But it was a missed opportunity. The Cowboys kicked a game-tying field goal the next play, and Aaron Rodgers had enough time to get his team into position for a winning field goal as time expired.

Prescott’s next challenge is on the mental side of the game. Physically he does things well, and other things – such as locking his front leg on throws, which impacts velocity – is not going to change. That’s how he throws. Starting this offseason he’ll have to get a more complex understanding of his offense. Then he’ll move on to understanding defenses in general, then specific defenses and coordinators he’ll face. That’s the common progression for any young quarterback. There are people who believe a quarterback doesn’t reach a peak mental stage until at least four or five years in the league. Prescott has some time before he gets there.

There will also be a philosophical discussion by the Cowboys over how much they want to change the offense, and how much more they’ll want Prescott to do. He did a tremendous job in a complementary role as a rookie. There will be different challenges in Year 2, and we’ll see how Prescott and the Cowboys handle them.

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NFL analyst and NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell watches as much NFL game film as anyone. Throughout the season, Cosell will join Shutdown Corner to share his observations on the teams, schemes and personnel from around the league.