Grade the take: Dak Prescott is all but blameless in blowout loss to Saints

The Dallas Cowboys' Week 2 home game against the New Orleans Saints has left everyone scratching their heads. Despite ever-rising expectations and a strong season-opening win in Cleveland, Dallas fell flat in the home opener at AT&T Stadium.

While no one on the team looked particularly good against the Saints, there is a debate over how much of the blame should go to quarterback Dak Prescott. Particularly, there is the argument that Prescott is almost “blameless” for the Cowboys getting the breaks beat off of ‘em at home Sunday.

Who’s really to blame?

First, it’s hard to get fans to believe that a QB who was just made the highest-paid player in the game, should receive almost zero blame for a 25-point loss. In a game where that position is the most important and he touches the ball on every offensive snap, you can’t say he’s good and gets no blame regardless of his stat line.

On a day where nothing seemed to click for Dak and the Cowboys, they were subjected to an embarrassing butt kicking, 44-19. The Saints capitalized on seemingly every mistake, both offensively and defensively, highlighting how far the Cowboys are from being a well-oiled machine.

By the end of the first quarter, the Cowboys found themselves playing catch-up as the Saints led 14-3. By halftime Prescott and the Cowboys found themselves down, 35-16. Prescott wasn’t horrible in the first half completing 74 percent of his passes for 184 yards, a touchdown and an interception, but still, the offense wasn’t exactly clicking on all cylinders.

Coaches call the plays, but players have to execute and many times adlib under pressure. Struggling to move the ball down the field and then settling for field goals, all game can’t all be on the coaching staff. As QB1 there’s a certain amount of accountability one must own in a loss of this magnitude. Dak’s overall numbers in this game were decent but for anyone who watched, it was clear this offense has some work to do.

Prescott ended the game completing 27 out of 39 passes, totaling 293 yards and one touchdown, but his two interceptions overshadowed these numbers. Again, the inefficiencies weren’t only on Prescott as the Cowboys’ running game contributed just 68 yards. That was with six different players carrying the ball, including Prescott. Every possession that started with promise seemed to end in frustration, either with a turnover, field goal or poor execution.

Turning the tables on Dak’s performance

That first INT Prescott threw in the second quarter could arguably be blamed on the receiver slipping on the route. The ball may have sailed on Dak a bit but if his intended target doesn’t fall it’s a different story. Dallas was down 28-13 at the time and a completion on that play would’ve placed the Cowboys in Saints territory. Had Dallas continued to drive down the field and score a potential TD, they’re suddenly within one score and this could have been a tighter game in the second half.

Those two Prescott INTs stood out as major blemishes. While the first INT wasn’t entirely his fault, it set the Saints up with excellent field position. The second interception came at a crucial point and was an overall bad read killing off a drive that could have sparked something for the Cowboys. You cannot give the ball away and Prescott knows this having had the same issues in the past.

Dak had his share of highs and lows in Week 2. From the outside, it doesn’t look like Prescott and the offense are completely comfortable yet for whatever reason. When you can’t run the ball, it puts a lot of pressure on the QB to make plays every time he’s on the field. During his career, Prescott hasn’t been one of those QBs you want to put the world on his shoulders week after week and still expect to come out on top.

Or blame it on the defense....

This week the Cowboys’ defense couldn't hold the Saints at bay, as Derek Carr, Alvin Kamara and crew sliced through Dallas’ defense like Swiss cheese. Missed tackles and blown assignments were the story of the defense in this one, allowing the Saints to rack up large chunks of yardage and capitalize on every opportunity.

Kamara scored four TDs with three on the ground and one receiving. Carr only attempted 16 passes yet accumulated 243 yards and two TDs on the day. This Cowboys defense is supposed to be one of the best in the league but looked overwhelmed in Week 2.

Grade the take: D+

Dallas’ fan base finds itself in a tough position, caught between loyalty and disappointment. The demand for change is understandable, although it’s hard to see things improving quickly. While blaming this game entirely on Prescott may be a stretch, in no way, shape or form should he skate by without any accountability. Coaches and play calling on offense are one thing but as the leader of the team, it's on Dak to take charge and take over games when his team needs it most.