Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made his weekly appearance on 105.3 The Fan and discussed the improvement of the offense this season.
The Journey to Improvement for the Dallas Cowboys’ Offense
The offense had a lot of changes in the offseason. From a new offensive coordinator to Mike McCarthy calling the plays, how it was all going to play out this season had a lot of unknowns.
But getting to this point didn’t come without struggles along the way.
The 2022 season was plagued with miscommunications that trickled down into nearly every aspect of their game on the offense. Receivers weren’t running their routes and couldn’t create separation. Beaten-down narratives about Dak Prescott throwing career-high interceptions carried over into the 2023 season.
The Cowboys’ offense struggled in the red zone early in the 2023 season, one of its most significant drop-offs, considering they led the league with a red-zone scoring percentage of 71.43%.
But now, Prescott is playing lights out and has earned his way to the top of the MVP conversation. He has the most passes in the red zone this season among all NFL quarterbacks. He also has a passer rating of 113.4 out of the shotgun, which is the best in the NFL.
Mike McCarthy’s “Texas Coast” Offense
But what was the difference-maker allowing Prescott to lead the Cowboys’ offense to shine brighter than it has in years?
The arrow points back to the system McCarthy has set up for Prescott and the offense under his “Texas Coast” offensive play calling.
MORE: Observations From the Dallas Cowboys’ Statement 33-13 Win Against the Philadelphia Eagles
After the Cowboys made a statement with their win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Jones said it was the most satisfying win under the McCarthy era yet.
Jones continued to give credit to the head coach on The Fan, saying that McCarthy is respected for all of the right reasons.
“At this time, he’s the busiest man there is in Dallas, Texas, I believe,” Jones said. “He’s not only the head coach, but he’s also the [playcaller], and the term is, ‘If you’re gonna call them, you gotta install them.’ … That’s part of a long, cumbersome week that you have preparing.”
The owner said McCarthy not only created a winning game plan to defeat the Eagles but also did it while having to go into emergency surgery for acute appendicitis earlier in the week and still calling the plays from the sidelines.
“He was able to do all of that. It meant a lot to him to do it. It meant a lot to the team for him to do it. It really showed how much the game means to everybody involved,” Jones said.
With Prescott playing what Jones says is his best football in coordination with McCarthy’s playcalling, the owner believes that could be what sets this season apart from years past.
“I think Dak [Prescott’s] adaptation to what Mike [McCarthy] wanted and the direction he wanted us to go in is big,” Jones said.
The Latest From Jerry Jones on a Contract Extension for Dak Prescott
With the team finding success under Prescott’s direction, questions about Prescott’s contract are looming as the price tag goes up after how he has played this season.
Jones addressed this by saying that the discussions from the outside about Prescott’s contract are meaningless.
“The only thing that is factual here is what I decide and what we decide as a team and what Dak [Prescott] decides,” Jones said. “We know exactly where we are on the contract, years left on the contract, and we should be, and are, about as close on that type of communication. … The timing on it remains to be seen.”
In 2024, Prescott’s contract will have a $59.455 million salary-cap hit, so an extension will open up doors for other players to get signed and give Prescott the money he has earned by playing at the high level he has this season.
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