‘Unbelievable Belief!’ Dak Prescott & Mike McCarthy Tied Together – For Cowboys Better or Worse

After yet another disappointing playoff loss, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has been the subject of intense criticism, but head coach Mike McCarthy remains confident.

Days have passed since the Dallas Cowboys’ most recent playoff defeat to the Green Bay Packers, and the team is left wondering, “What now?”

Following the team’s 48-32 defeat to the Packers, a few supporters demanded a quarterback switch in addition to a change in Mike McCarthy’s head coaching position.

Now, CowboysSi.com has already gone through the scenarios at play this offseason with Dak Prescott and his looming contract situation. Hint, there’s a high chance that Prescott remains as the Cowboys quarterback moving forward.

Meanwhile, after yet another poor playoff showing that sees Prescott’s record drop to 2-5 in the postseason, McCarthy’s belief in his quarterback remains unchanged.

“I have unbelievable belief in Dak,” McCarthy said. “I think he clearly has (taken) another step, I think this offense has suited him well. The things that we are able to improve on, it’s a system built around making a quarterback successful. So the growth opportunity that we both see for the future is something that we are excited about.

In Dak’s first season in the “Texas Coast Offense,” one could easily make the case that despite the embarrassing playoff exit, he had the best regular season of his career.

Prescott totaled 36 passing touchdowns (one shy of his career-high), had a career-best completion percentage (69.5), threw for his second-highest

passing yards total (4,516), had his highest-ever quarterback rating (105.9), and threw the least amount of interceptions in his last three seasons.

Dak was also the spearhead of the highest-scoring offense in football, so that has to count for something, right? When we take into account that

Prescott didn’t “take off” on his MVP surge until after the Week 5 debacle against the San Francisco 49ers as several adjustments were made during

the bye week, the idea of what Dak could look like going forward is perhaps why McCarthy has belief in his quarterback.

Dak was an MVP candidate and was named a Second Team All-Pro and Pro Bowler in the first year of McCarthy’s system.

In truth, Dak has never looked as good as he has with McCarthy in his ear. Just what a second season of that will look like is unknown, but the foundation has been laid.

McCarthy will now need to convince Prescott to play better football than he did this season, going into what may be the most pressure-filled season in terms of expectations since joining Dallas.

McCarthy needs Dak as he enters his last year under contract.

Currently under the same deal, Dak is dependent on Big Mike.

Even while it sounds like a big ask, if McCarthy thinks Dak is “the guy” moving forward, then adjustments will be made to ensure that Prescott and the offence return even stronger in 2024.

Why? McCarthy’s job now hinges on it, for that reason. And Dak’s might, too, in a way.