"Dak is a middle-of-the-pack quarterback" - Shannon Sharpe believes Cowboys quarterback benefits from weak division rivals
Dak Prescott has recently been the topic of conversation on Undisputed. Shannon Sharpe believes the Dallas Cowboys quarterback has been mediocre in his overall performance.
Here's what Sharpe had to say about Prescott's 2021 NFL season.
"My eyes tell me that Dak is a middle-of-the-pack quarterback. I think you will agree with me on a lot of this stuff. Dak did not look like a top-tier quarterback for the last part of the season. He has some good games. You look at what he did against Tampa. You look at that great game that he had in overtime against the New England Patriots."
Sharpe continued by pointing out the differences in Prescott's performance during divisional and non-divisional games.
"Dak benefitted from playing a bad, bad division. He went 6-0 in the NFC East. Seventeen touchdowns and three interceptions. Against everyone else. He was 5-6, 21 touchdowns, eight interceptions. And we saw what happened in the postseason. We've seen this far too many times."
Despite the drop-off in overall numbers when Dak Prescott played non-divisional opponents, his 2021 NFL season was still excellent. He ranked third in the entire NFL in passer rating behind only Aaron Rodgers and Joe Burrow. Prescott was also just one of seven quarterbacks to throw more than 35 touchdowns, and he had the second-least interceptions among those quarterbacks, trailing only Rodgers.
Dak Prescott in 2021 is who many people thought he was in 2016: A top 5 QB. https://t.co/QWcAo49IUr
Sharpe also pointed out that the NFC East division is weak. While they weren't the best division in the NFL last season, they weren't the worst either. Of the eight total divisions, the NFC East ranked sixth in total wins. They were also one of only two NFC divisions to send multiple teams to the 2021 NFL Playoffs.
It may be a bit of a stretch for Shannon Sharpe to refer to Dak Prescott as a "middle-of-the-pack" quarterback, as his overall performances have indicated otherwise. Where Sharpe is much more accurate is in reference to Prescott's postseason struggles with the Cowboys.
Dak Prescott's disappointing career in the NFL Playoffs with the Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott has helped the Dallas Cowboys reach the NFL Playoffs three times in his career so far. He has accumulated a disappointing 1-3 overall postseason record and has generally played below his standard.
After failing to cover -3, Dak Prescott is now 0-4 ATS in the NFL playoffs https://t.co/qt9inGjmwx
Prescott's career completion percentage drops to 61 in the postseason compared to 66.6 in the regular season. He also has just a career 87.9 passer rating in the playoffs, compared to a solid 98.7 passer rating in the regular season. Rather than elevate his production in the NFL Playoffs, Prescott's game has dropped off.