Cowboys’ Dak Prescott: Route-running miscommunication caused 2 INTs vs Green Bay

Dak Prescott spread the ball around at Lambeau Field, targeting eight different Cowboys receivers on 46 attempts in the team’s Week 10 overtime loss.

Trouble is, two of those throws ended up in the hands of a ninth man, Packers safety Rudy Ford. Both picks were quickly turned into Green Bay touchdowns, accounting for half of the Packers’ points scored in regulation.

Statistically speaking, it was one of Prescott’s worst games; the interceptions combined with his 58.7% completion rate and 78.6 passer rating to rank it among his 20 poorest performances as a pro. Prescott has now thrown four interceptions in four games in 2022, three in just the past two outings.

But in the case of Sunday’s Packers picks, the veteran quarterback chalked both of them up to the same problem.

“Miscommunication,” Prescott said in his postgame remarks. “First one was to [tight end Dalton] Schultz. He said he got knocked off his route, in a sense.”

Prescott said he believed Schultz was going to “cross face,” or cut in front of the safety, at the goal line. Instead of the Cowboys advancing to a 14-0 lead, Green Bay tied the score just four plays later.

“It’s a tighter window to get across,” Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy admitted, “and Dak has to throw that with anticipation.”

Prescott’s next pick came on the ensuing series. ESPN Stats & Info says it’s just the second time he’s thrown interceptions on consecutive drives in a game, dating back to his second NFL season.

Once again, Prescott said he thought the receiver- CeeDee Lamb, in this case- was going to cross face in front of the safety. Ford was there again, to nab his second pick of the day.

An issue with “route adjustment and timing” was McCarthy’s explanation.

“That was just miscommunication,” Prescott said, “similar to the one last week, honestly.”

He meant last game. The play was eerily similar to Prescott’s Week 8 interception against the Bears, when Lamb ducked just behind Bears safety Eddie Jackson on a ball thrown to a specific spot downfield.

After the Week 10 version, Prescott and Lamb were seen having a long talk on the Cowboys sideline about what had gone wrong two games in a row.

“Just always got to be on the same page,” Lamb told reporters after the game. “And when we’re not, it’s obviously dreadful. It looks bad on both parties. Just trying to make each other look good, complement each other, hope we come out with a win.”

The route-running error was a black mark on an otherwise superb effort from Lamb. His 15 targets and two scores tied career-best marks, while his 11 catches and 150 receiving yards set new personal highs.

Lamb says the two definitely got their rhythm back as Sunday’s game progressed.

“We got better throughout the game and as the game went, and you can see the confidence between us both. It was just building.”

The mini-huddle between passer and receiver largely paid off. Lamb caught six balls on nine targets for 110 yards and one of his touchdowns after that, and one of the receptions was an overtime grab where he successfully crossed face on the opposing safety, exactly as anticipated by Prescott.

But Lamb says that’s hardly a silver lining in the aftermath of a crushing loss.

“At the end of the day, we came here to win. We’re not here to ‘build a bond.’ I mean, yeah we are, but at the end of it all, we need to win.”

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Story originally appeared on Cowboys Wire