Kurt: The Cowboys have never started out with the intention of taking it easy early on or just playing lackadaisically. But there can be a learning curve, so to speak, in regard to getting into the flow of the game. In turn, I think seeing the urgency then ramp up later when time and the scoreboard are not on your side is only natural.
In looking at the offensive stats through the first four games on Pro Football Reference, the Cowboys have run exactly 125 plays in both the first and second halves. In addition, the number of runs and pass plays are the same as well with 47 and 78 in each half, respectively, although quarterback scrambles are counted as running plays on the website. Still, what are the odds of the numbers being so evenly split?
Not surprisingly, with the way Dak Prescott has been playing, the passing game has thrived in the second half. His completion percentage from one half to the other jumps from 65.8% to 74%, his yards per attempt goes from 5.3 to 8.8 and his quarterback rating surges from 87.0 to 122.1, which ranks first among quarterbacks with at least 60 fourth-quarter passing attempts.
For the season overall, Prescott has posted a 70% completion percentage while averaging 7.1 yards per attempt with a 105.0 rating. When trailing in the final two minutes, his percentage drops to 64.3%, but his yards per attempt improves to 7.4 with his rating going up to 110.4.
So the answer might be as simple as that: As the game moves along, Prescott is learning the defense, he’s finding his rhythm and, to throw out a cliché, when the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Sure, there are other factors – taking more risks in the play-calling, the defense giving the offense more chances, etc. – but that extra gear or urgency the Cowboys need when playing from behind begins and ends with Prescott.