Dak Prescott is the starter. Dak Prescott is the starter. Dak Prescott is the starter.
You know, as much as I repeat that sentence it still seems a little surreal that the Dallas Cowboys will be starting a rookie quarterback Week 1 at AT&T Stadium against the New York Giants.
Prescott has performed extremely well on the field thus far in preseason games, but we all know that these games mean next to nothing. Prescott’s first true test in the NFL will be an entirely different experience than what he has encountered so far.
I think we can all pretty much agree that the Dallas Cowboys offense will look a little different with Prescott now in the driver seat while Tony Romo recovers from his back injury.
I mean it’s pretty much a given that Prescott doesn’t know offensive coordinator Scott Linehan’s offensive scheme nearly as well as Romo.
That doesn’t mean that Prescott isn’t the right man for the job, it just means that Linehan would be wise to play to his strengths.
Fortunately, I think the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff will do exactly that.
The coaching staff for the Cowboys will do everything in their power to make things as easy as possible for Dak Prescott until he gets a little bit more comfortable with the NFL game.
Prescott has some of the best offensive weapons in the NFL at his disposal, so that should help him out immensely.
Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams, Brice Butler, Cole Beasley, Lucky Whitehead, and of course Jason Witten are his options to throw the ball to, and not bad options at that. Then, you add Ezekiel Elliott to the equation, running behind that offensive line that everybody seems to be so impressed with (myself included). WHAT!!!
If I’m Dak Prescott I’m licking my chops and counting down the days until kickoff. Right!?
But all of this talk about the offensive weapons at his disposal made me wonder who might just benefit the most with Prescott now at quarterback?
To me, I think it comes down to one person, #11 Cole Beasley.
Cole Beasley has not only carved out a nice little offensive role for himself during his time with the Cowboys, but he is a quarterback’s best friend with the way he runs routes and creates mismatches. Beasley can make Prescott’s job a lot easier.
I predict that opposing defenses will try to put as much pressure as possible on Prescott using exotic blitzes and disguising their coverages. This means he will likely have to get rid of the ball quickly, which by the way is where Beasley comes in.
Cole Beasley seems like a more well-rounded player than what we have seen in the past. Maybe that has to do with the fact that he spent part of his off-season training with Randy Moss. I don’t know if that is true or not, but I like what I’ve seen so far and hope it carries over into the season.
The majority of Beasley’s routes are of the short to intermediate nature and those are the types of quick throws that Prescott will want to make if he’s got pressure bearing down on him.
Plus, let’s not forget that Prescott is still a rookie. Although he might be confident in his skill set now, that confidence level can reach new heights if the Cowboys coaching staff can find ways to get him a few completions early in the game.
Which makes more sense to you? Throwing a quick short pass to Cole Beasley in the slot or throwing a pass to the outside to Dez Bryant?
To me, the short quick passes are the confidence builders that Prescott could use to get going early in games and hopefully carry that confidence throughout the ballgame.
I may be in the minority here, but I think Cole Beasley will not only benefit the most with Dak Prescott at quarterback, but he will also go a long way in helping the young rookie find success at the NFL level.
Do you agree or disagree?
Please feel free to take advantage of the comment section below to share your thoughts and opinions on this topic.
Agree to disagree, yes I agree that he has a lot of options at receiver and Cole will see the ball early and maybe often. But…Elliot and the run game might edge him out as the beneficiary.
Brian, Ezekiel Elliott and the run game will definitely benefit with Prescott at quarterback, but I think teams are going to try to stack the box and force Prescott to make plays with his arm. That’s why I decided to go with Cole Beasley as the player that might benefit the most. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.