Dak Prescott finally responds to Amari Cooper's 'frustration' over not getting enough targets

Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys have been up and down over the last month or so. After racing out to a 6-1 start following the Week 1 loss to Tampa, the Cowboys put up points for fun; but they have stuttered of late.

Wide receiver Amari Cooper made headlines a couple of days ago when he stated that he wanted more opportunities, saying, "I think I can do more in the red zone if I get some targets. I can do more on third down if I get the targets." That made waves, with many hinting at potential trouble in the Cowboys locker room.

Dak Prescott responded to Cooper's comments at his weekly press conference and stated that he wanted to get Cooper more involved, but said it was tough with such a talented group of receivers.

“I mean, you want to get the ball to him," Prescott said. “You’d much rather have a guy saying that and a guy hungry for the ball than him shying away from it in critical situations or just when you need to. It’s a balance.

“We’ve got a lot of playmakers on this team and on this offense, particularly when you’re talking about the receivers, not just those three, but the guys — Cedrick (Wilson) and Malik (Turner) behind them — and then you’ve got two great backs.

"It’s only one ball. He understands that, and he does whatever he can to help the team when he’s not getting the ball. But yeah, I would love to get him the ball more, as much as some of the other guys."

Cooper is not Prescott's most targeted receiver

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Cooper has vented his frustration at his targets this season. Despite his 683 receiving yards and six touchdowns, Cooper has not been the most targeted receiver.

Only twice has Cooper had eight targets or more in his 12 games for the Cowboys. Given he is their number one receiver, that is rather odd. The two times he had eight or more targets, his performances were incredible.

In the Week 1 loss to Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, Cooper had 17 targets for 13 catches, 139 yards and two touchdowns. Then, against the Vikings, he had 13 targets for eight receptions, 122 yards and a touchdown.

Nine times Cooper has had five or fewer receptions for the Cowboys. In his last five games, Cooper has not totalled 51 yards or more. Against the Giants, Cooper had just two receptions for eight yards.

Getting Cooper involved in the offense will help the Cowboys and Prescott rediscover their early-season form. They will certainly need their number one receiver if they are to make a deep playoff run this year.