"Just go scramble, get that first down" - NFL analyst challenges Dak Prescott to step up in 2022 season

Dak Prescott finished the 2021 NFL season with only 146 rushing yards, the lowest he's managed in the five seasons where he's played in at least 16 games.

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy wants to rectify that, as evidenced by his claim that he plans on calling more running plays in the upcoming season.

NFL analysts Mina Kimes and Nate Tice discussed Dak Prescott's unwillingness to scramble for yards last season in the latest episode of "The Mina Kimes Show." Tice claimed Prescott should embrace the challenge, primarily because he can. He said:

"My main frustration with my man Dak is that it seemed like he wanted to be the supreme pocket passer. And sometimes it might just,'Be an athlete. Just go scramble, get that first down.'"

Tice continued:

"The injury, like you said, the injuries might've mattered, probably did matter. But this is a few fewest amount of times he's scrambled since 2018. It's the least amount of EPA per scramble he's had since 2018. It's the lowest EPA per designed run since 2018. All the numbers have dropped. They dropped off a cliff. Yes. It wasn't like he was average. It was bad."

He added that Dak Prescott could be a great runner with the ball and he should exploit it to be one of the most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks in the league:

"But that's what I love, Dak, because he's such a good all around, he's so accurate. He'll attack all areas of the field. He's good at every type of throw. But what made him even what I thought, what made him even better was his ability to run."

Tice concluded:

"So, yes, they do need he needs to sometimes not have to make everything perfect in attack from the pocket and just tuck it and run for those seven yards, get the first down and make your life easier. So kind of almost what we've talked about with Derek Carr or frustrations we had with him. Dak needs to get back to what he used to be."

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A big season lies ahead for Dak Prescott, Mike McCarthy, and the Cowboys

The Cowboys' contentious defeat in the Wildcard round of the NFL playoffs last season meant that the team's Super Bowl drought extended to 27 years.

Team owner Jerry Jones will settle for nothing less than a deep run in the playoffs in 2022. If the Cowboys fail to venture deep into the postseason, the team could look to make changes.

Mike McCarthy is probably the coach under the most pressure this season. If he fails to lead the Cowboys to a deep playoff run, he'll likely be fired at the end of the season. To avoid that, McCarthy will need to get a ring out of Dak Prescott and co.