Former Oregon State Beavers star calls criticism of Dallas Cowboys QB ‘blasphemy’

Brandin Cooks is tired of hearing the criticism directed at Dak Prescott.

The Dallas Cowboys receiver knows that the quarterback, typically the highest-paid player on the team, will get much of the credit when the team wins. That same quarterback will get much of the vitriol when the team loses games. The criticism becomes more intense if the quarterback plays for the NFL’s most scrutinized and high-profile team. Still, Cooks says the criticism of Prescott is unfair and borderline ridiculous.

“It’s blasphemy. It’s unbelievable,” Cooks told reporters Wednesday. “This guy is here every year, year in and year out. He’s putting up stats, he’s leading his team.”

Prescott, 31, has posted good numbers over the past few seasons.

He had the best statistical season of his nine-year career, throwing for 4,516 yards, a league-high 36 touchdowns, and just nine interceptions in 2023. He also completed 69.5 percent of his passes and finished with a 105.9 rating, both career highs.

Prescott has three seasons with over 4,000 passing yards and three seasons with at least 30 touchdown passes. The Cowboys’ No. 1 quarterback also has a 73-41 record as a regular season starter. However, these days, Prescott’s judgment is based solely on the playoffs. Prescott is 2-5 as a starter in the playoffs, with two wins coming in wild-card games.

Cooks said that while Prescott has played well, it’s not just up to him to lead the Cowboys to victory. Cooks has played with some of the NFL’s best quarterbacks — Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Jared Goff — past and present during his career, and said they can’t do it alone. Cooks said everyone on the team — including himself — has to help Prescott for the team to win games as it prepares to face the Cleveland Browns on Sunday in their regular-season opener.

“He can’t do it all by himself. A lot of these great quarterbacks that I’ve worked with, Tom and Drew, don’t get me wrong, they’ve won a lot of games, a lot of Super Bowls, but they’ve also had a lot of help around them, right?” Cooks told reporters. “We, the players around (Dak), have been able to improve as well.”

The Cowboys haven’t won a Super Bowl in nearly three decades and haven’t advanced past the divisional round of the playoffs since 1995. As the face of the franchise, Prescott is the subject of withering criticism when the Cowboys are eliminated from the playoffs.

Cooks said it was time to end the “disrespect” toward Prescott.

“So when we hear that disrespect, I take it personally and as his teammates, we should take it personally, because at the end of the day, somebody has to be able to help him get over that step for us to win one,” Cooks said.