Cowboys’ Dak Prescott impacts game on ground, through air in Week 6 win

The Dallas quarterback used his legs for the first time in what felt like forever, threatening the defense and buying time in the win. | From @TimLettiero

Dallas was backed up against the wall, cornered by narratives, coming into their Week 6, Monday Night Football matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers. They had a lot to prove after the prior week’s embarrassment, specifically in the execution department. While the defense held strong throughout and stepped up when it mattered most, Dallas’ offense was the focal point of the contest.

Already under a microscope as they took on their former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, fans and analysts opined about the regression shown by the Cowboys’ offense. So while the defense showed the shortcomings of Moore’s offense against a top-tier defense, the team would be judged by how the offense performed. Quarterback Dak Prescott carried Dallas to a victory. From the jump he was dealing through the air but also on the ground.

While there is still much to question about the play calling under HC Mike McCarthy, what is definitive is how much he got out of his QB on Monday.

The Chargers took the lead on their opening possession, but it didn’t take long for the Cowboys to respond. On 4th-and-1 in the red zone, Prescott kept the read option, taking it to the house for an 18-yard score.

It was his first rushing touchdown in the regular season since Week 8 last season, and was the first of several plays where Prescott showed mobility in the pocket. He was assaulted by the Chargers’ pass rush all game, and had numerous escapes to either minimize a loss, gain yardage or buy time to find open receivers.

With the game tied and the offense deep in their own territory in the fourth quarter, Prescott spun out of pressure, scrambled right, and found RB Tony Pollard for a first down that turned into a big gain after a broken tackle.

Later, this clutch third-down conversion set Dallas up in the red zone with a chance to take the lead. Prescott dropped back and floated a perfect ball into the end zone that WR Brandin Cooks came down with for his first score on the year.

Presott finished the game with a 109.3 passer rating, completing 21 of 30 passes for 272 yards. He was a perfect 11-for-11 when throwing to CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks, overcoming his lack of connection with Michael Gallup (10 targets, only three catches).