Dak Prescott's awful Sunday didn't just involve 20 incompletions, 4.8 yards per attempt, two interceptions, and a 68.6 passer rating. It also involved an ankle injury.
On Monday, Cowboys coach Jason Garrett revealed that Prescott injured his ankle against the Broncos. However, the coach added that Prescott is doing well.
Dak Prescott hurt his ankle Sunday. Was doing well last night after the game and this morning, according to Jason Garrett
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) September 18, 2017
Still, this isn't exactly a great development for the Cowboys, who dropped to 1-1 on Sunday after a 42-17 loss.
Part of the Cowboys' problems? Prescott hasn't been himself this year after his Offensive Rookie of the Year season. In two games, Prescott's completed 60.7 percent of his passes, averaged 5.7 yards per attempt, thrown three touchdowns and two picks, and posted a 78.2 passer rating. Last year, Prescott completed 67.8 percent of his passes, averaged 8.0 yards per attempt, threw 23 touchdowns and four picks, and posted a 104.9 passer rating.
It's too early, though, to rush to conclusions. Prescott's played poorly to this point -- so has Ezekiel Elliott -- but he's also faced two of the NFL's best defensive teams in the Giants and Broncos. There's no shame in getting stymied by those two defenses. But the Cowboys will need more from their quarterback if they're going to build off last season, which ended without a playoff win. An ankle injury certainly won't help Prescott elevate his level of play.
The good news is that the Cowboys' offense line is one of the top units in the league, so Prescott should be relatively well protected. The bad news is that Prescott often uses his mobility as a weapon, and an ankle injury could hamper that area of his game.
In Week 3, the Cowboys will head to Arizona for a game against the 1-1 Cardinals, who have also struggled to this point.
