Cowboys’ Dak Prescott vows double-digit interceptions won’t happen in 2023

Dak Prescott isn’t letting one down year shake his confidence.

After leading the NFL in interceptions with 15 in only 12 games played, the Dallas Cowboys’ franchise quarterback believes he is better than what he showed in 2022 and that the turnovers sometimes were simply not his fault.

“I know who I am, and you can go back and take away half of those off drops,” Prescott said at his youth camp earlier in July according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I’m not saying it’s on the receiver, but if you cut that in half then we start talking about those, nobody is talking about it.”

Sure, four of his interceptions during the season came from deflections off a receiver, according to NFL.com, but even if those are taken away, 11 interceptions to 23 touchdowns isn’t exactly ideal for a quarterback who signed a four-year, $160 million contract in 2021.

Prescott was tied for 13th in the league with 18 turnover-worthy plays, tied with some of the top quarterbacks in the league such Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, according to NFL.com.

The difference between Mahomes and Prescott: Mahomes had 41 touchdown passes to only 12 interceptions, a touchdown-to-interception ratio better than 3-to-1.

The 29-year-old believes that with head coach Mike McCarthy also calling plays as the de-facto offensive coordinator, he’ll lower his turnover numbers for the upcoming season.

“Mike does an amazing job with those guys,” said Prescott, who has thrown double-digit INTs four times in his career. “They know where to be, why to be, when they’re getting looked at. That’s going to be a big jump.

“I won’t have 10 interceptions this year.”

With an offense that includes recently acquired receivers Brandin Cooks along with Michael Gallup and a number one threat in CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys have more than enough firepower to go toe-to-toe against anybody in the NFL — not to mention a defense that is also stellar in its own right.

Dallas’ ceiling, however, will be inextricably tied to Prescott’s performance throughout the season as the Cowboys try to reach their first Super Bowl since the 1995-96 season.