Despite playing in just 12 games, Dak Prescott threw 15 interceptions in 2022, tied for the most in the NFL with second-year quarterback Davis Mills.
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy is determined to cut down on the turnovers in 2023 and said earlier this week at the Annual League Meeting that he's already spent time with Prescott to review how the interceptions transpired.
"Definitely, we spent some time," McCarthy said Tuesday, via the team's official website. "He was in for the captains workout (earlier this month). So he came up and spent about four hours with (quarterbacks coach) Scott (Tolzien) and I. And we went back and looked at his decision-making opportunities and the interceptions and potential interceptions and just talking through it."
Prescott's picks were of all varieties. Some miscommunications, some bad routes or drops by wide receivers and others were simply bad decisions by the QB (see: Week 18 vs. Commanders).
McCarthy believes that a change in the coaching staff, with former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and QB coach Doug Nussmeier replaced by Brian Schottenheimer and Tolzien, respectively, will help Prescott take the next step forward in his career. McCarthy, planning to call plays, will also be more involved in the offensive meetings in 2023.
"It's healthy," McCarthy said of evaluating the interceptions. "I thought Doug did an excellent job with the quarterbacks. But you know, the room will be different. Any time you have a new coach in there and it'll be Scott's new opportunity, too. But Brian and I will be in there pretty much full time so they'll be getting that landscape laid too. But it's pretty fluid."
The Cowboys enjoyed a firepower offense under Moore that scored points in droves but also had backbreaking drives, and Prescott's interceptions became an issue. McCarthy's solution -- at least the part he's verbally shared this offseason -- is to run the ball more this season, which might help lower the INT number, but also could hinder the overall explosiveness of the offense. Whether that makes Dallas a better team in 2023 is the question.
Aside from Prescott cutting down on his interceptions, the other thing that would help the Cowboys' offense is if he didn't miss a chunk of games, as he has two out of the past three seasons.
"My goal is for Dak to play 20 games next year," McCarthy said. "If he plays 20 games next year, obviously, we'll be right where we want to be."
