Quarterback Dak Prescott's 2019 Output with the Dallas Cowboys - Odds and Predictions

He might not be the most talented quarterback in the NFL, but the Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott has plenty of ability both throwing and running with the ball, and where he truly excels and is most valuable is his ability to stay healthy, having started in all 48 games of his professional career.

Of course, now Prescott is in his fourth year and he rightfully wants to get paid, so there are still plenty of questions to be answered by owner Jerry Jones before his club takes on the New York Giants in Week 1 in September.

No doubt Prescott is dependable and decently talented, especially when you give him decent targets on the field, which Jones has done with receiver Amari Cooper, un-retired tight end Jason Whitten and (hopefully) the as yet to be paid running back Ezekiel Elliott, so here we take a look at the odds and predictions of Dak’s possible output during the upcoming season and briefly analyze his chances of exceeding expectations.

Quick Bio: who is Dak Prescott?

Rayne Dakota Prescott, aka “Dak,” is a twenty-six-year-old NFL quarterback, a  who was born in Sulphur, Louisiana to mom Peggy, who tragically died of colon cancer in 2013.

The 6-foot-2, 235-pound Prescott has been starting under center for the Dallas Cowboys for the last three seasons.

Prescott played high school football at Haughton High, whereas a senior he completed 159-of-258 passes for 2,680 yards and 39 touchdowns while rushing for an additional 951 yards and 17 touchdowns, leading his Buccaneers to become the 2010 District 1-AAAA Champions.

Prescott accepted an offer to play at Mississippi State in 2011 and redshirted his freshman year.

How did Prescott do at Mississippi State?

His first season at Mississippi State was spent as a backup to quarterback Tyler Russell, but then Prescott moved to the starting role his sophomore season after an injury to Russell, playing in 11 games and throwing for 1,940 yards and ten touchdowns with seven interceptions while running for 829 yards for 13 touchdowns and becoming the MVP of the 2013 Liberty Bowl.

Prescott continued to impress, throwing for 3,449 yards and 27 touchdowns with 11 interceptions while rushing 210 times for almost 1,000 yards and 14 touchdowns in his junior season.

As a senior, Prescott continued to stand out, throwing for 3,793 yards and 29 touchdowns with just 5 interceptions while rushing 160 times for 588 yards and 10 more touchdowns, breaking multiple Bowl records, winning various trophies and attracting NFL attention along the way.

When did Prescott get drafted into the NFL?

For someone so accomplished as an NFL quarterback, Prescott wasn’t as high on the draft board as one might think, a situation that has happened for quite a few successful quarterbacks in the past (Tom Brady and Brett Favre come to mind).

The Dallas Cowboys selected Prescott in the fourth round (135^th pick overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft after their quarterback-hungry owner Jones failed to trade up to acquire either Paxton Lynch or Connor Cook.

Prescott signed a four-year deal worth almost $5 million with a $383,393 signing bonus.

Why did Prescott start immediately for the Cowboys?

Prescott was not supposed to be the Cowboys’ starter his rookie season in 2016, he was actually supposed to sit on the sidelines and learn from veteran quarterback Tony Romo.

Preseason injuries to backup Kellen Moore moved Prescott up the depth chart, and then when Romo suffered a vertebral compression fracture in his back during Week 3 of the preseason, Prescott was named the starter for the 2016 season.

Prescott became the fourth rookie in franchise history to become the Dallas Cowboys starter in Week 1 of the regular season, a game which the team lost to the New York Giants by a score of 19-20.

How effective has Prescott been in the NFL?

Last season, Prescott was ranked 15^th amongst his NFL quarterbacking peers, and he was 16^th in 2017 and ranked 19^th during his rookie season in 2016.

Though not flashy, his numbers have been decent and consistent, in three seasons completing 975-of-1,475 for 10,876 yards and 67 touchdowns with 25 interceptions while running the ball 189 total times for 944 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Bottom line he’s been effective, given that in three years, Prescott has led the Cowboys to a 32-16 record, has brought them to the playoffs in two of his three NFL seasons and has been a 2x Pro Bowler, a member of the PFWA All-Rookie team as well as the NFL Rookie of the Year in 2016.

.@DAK going DEEP to @Michael13Gallup ?#DALvsLAR pic.twitter.com/wUF6HrgxPr

— NFL (@NFL) August 18, 2019

What NFL and franchise records has Prescott set?

Too many to mention here, but in his rookie year he broke the NFL record for most consecutive pass attempts without a pick to start a career with 176 attempts, breaking the previous record of 162, held by New England Patriots’ GOAT Tom Brady.

Prescott set another NFL record his rookie season by finishing with 11 games with an over 100 NFL passer rating, breaking the previous record of 9 games held by Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.

As far as franchise records go, again, too many to list, but Prescott has broken the Cowboys’ records for most completions in a game (42), most pass attempts in a rookie season (459) and most passing yards per game average in a career (224.9).

How much is Prescott asking to get paid?

It’s been reported that owner and general (and micro) manager Jerry Jones offered quarterback Dak Prescott a contract extension worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 million a year, a deal that would have made Prescott one of the top five highest-paid quarterbacks in the league, but Dak said no thanks.

Why? Mostly because of the market, given that Russell Wilson just pulled in a historic $140 million four-year contract with the Seattle Seahawks and that Carson Wentz just got a $128 million four-year contract extension from the Philadelphia Eagles.

Prescott may not be quite as talented as those two, but one thing he does do better is staying healthy and show up, so chances are he will get paid before Week 1 in September and Jones will make his franchise quarterback financially satisfied.

How did Prescott do in 2018?

It was an impressive season for Prescott, who passed for a career-high 3,885 yards, although with only 22 passing touchdowns and 8 interceptions.

Prescott also ran the ball 75 times in 2018 for 305 yards and 6 more touchdowns.

Again, Prescott’s numbers weren’t top ten last season (or ever in the NFL), but they are usually top fifteen, and the better news is that he stays healthy and has shown up to play in every game so far, something that can’t be said for a lot of current franchise quarterbacks (see Carson Wentz, Jimmy Garoppolo, Andrew Luck, etc).

Prescott led his Cowboys to the postseason in 2018, he just couldn’t get them past the Los Angeles Rams during the Divisional Playoffs and they lost that game 22-30 despite Prescott completing 20-of-32 for 266 yards a touchdown and zero interceptions that game.

How are the Dallas Cowboys predicted to do in 2019?

Oddsmakers are predicting the 2019-20 Dallas Cowboys will take second place in the NFC East (currently, first place in that division goes to the Philadelphia Eagles), but regardless, Dallas is expected to earn a spot in the postseason as an NFC Wild Card contender.

Sure, the team lost Cole Beasley, but with the addition of Randall Cobb that doesn’t hurt them as much, and now the team has future Hall of Fame tight end Jason Witten back on the field, adding a veteran presence in the locker room and sharp routes and soft hands on the gridiron.

However, that all depends on whether Jones can keep his biggest playmakers monetarily satisfied, a financial balancing act that not only takes a whole lot of money but also a willingness to make the effort to get everyone rightly paid.

For more details on the Dallas Cowboys offseason moves, please check out our prior coverage: The Dallas Cowboys’ Biggest Offseason Moves 2019 – Odds and Predictions

For more details on the odds and predictions of the Dallas Cowboys next postseason, please check out our prior coverage: Dallas Cowboys 2019-20 NFL Postseason, Odds and Predictions

What are the current odds and predictions on Prescott’s possible 2019 production?

NFL quarterbacks are judged on multiple criteria, but football gamblers love to bet on their total passing yards and total passing touchdowns the most.

Again, Prescott’s numbers never stand out among his high-level peers, but the man is consistent and avoids injury which makes him a solid player to bet on.

Here are Prescott’s current odds and predictions for 2019:

Caveat: Prescott must play in game one for action to commence.

If you are in New Jersey you can bet on Dak Prescott’s odds on 888Sport and BetStars NJ. Find the latest odds below. Good luck!

Dak Prescott’s 2019 Regular Season Passing Yards

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Analysis: It’s interesting to note that in his three NFL seasons, Prescott has only beaten the over of this particular bet once, and that was barely, with 3,885 total passing yards last season.

He’s come close once in 2016 with 3,667 total yards, but of course, close never cuts it in gambling, so it is an important factor to consider if you are betting the over here.

The under is a solid bet here unless you think that the addition of Whitten and Cobb to Prescott’s target list is enough to push him past his typical output.

Dak Prescott’s 2019 Regular Season Passing Touchdowns

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Analysis: Again, looking at Prescott’s prior production, in three NFL seasons, he has never (not once) beaten the over of this bet, his closest being in his rookie season in 2016 when he posted 23 passing touchdowns.

Of course, that all depends on what kind of a season Prescott has and whether the addition of a new offensive coordinator, Kellen Moore, helps or hurts him during their first season together.

Having Whitten back on the roster definitely helps, the tight end catching 5 touchdown passes during his last active season in 2017, as does Prescott’s ever gelling throwing relationship with Amari Cooper, so the over of this bet could be doable given all that.