Dak Prescott loves Scott Linehan.

The Dallas Cowboys ended the season with a 9-7 record and escaped -- just barely -- landing their fourth 8-8 season in Jason Garrett's eight-year stint as head coach. It was a year whose cup runneth over with drama both on and off-the-field, ultimately burying what was supposed to be a strong follow-up to the historic 2016 campaign. Amid the ballyhoo was the grossly bipolar Cowboys' offense, who has been usually known to impose their will upon opponents.

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That was most certainly not the case this time around as they were embarrassed in the first three games sans running back Ezekiel Elliott, mustering less than 10 points per game for the first time in franchise history. They'd finally kick back into gear against the Washington Redskins and New York Giants, but even that was to be taken with a grain of salt considering the two teams had a total of seven wins by the time they battled in Week 13 and Week 14. The credence to that demerit lies in their offensive struggle against an Oakland Raiders team in Week 15 who did all they could to implode, yet the Cowboys needed an index card and two-game saving defensive plays to escape with a field goal.

The heat under the seat of Linehan was enough to reheat turkey at that point, but the final two acts of the regular season leave no doubt it could now require a helicopter water drop to put out. The team is back to their lowly offensive ways, now averaging only eight points per game over the final two weeks of 2017. In that same span, they were eliminated from playoff contention and Prescott's numbers failed to bounce back to what they were prior to Elliott being sidelined -- even after Elliott returned to the fold.

That's neither here nor there for Prescott, who sounded off after the season finale about his belief in Linehan and the system.

"I [believe in him] 120%. [I] 200% believe in him," said the QB, via Troy Hughes of 105.3FM The Fan. "He's a lot of credit for my success in this league ...Hope he's here and he means a lot to me."

That sentiment doesn't exactly resonate throughout the locker room where although no one has called out Linehan by name, they've certainly voiced criticism of the scheme and lack of adjustments. Wide receiver Dez Bryant has recently been the most vocal, but he's not the only one. Other players have also reportedly griped about the predictability of Linehan's play calling -- including owner Jerry Jones himself, who pointed out the choice to not utilize Elliott on a first-and-goal situation against the Seahawks.

That call would turn what may have been a sure touchdown into a field goal, after a run by Prescott yielded an illegal blocking penalty against tight end Geoff Swaim, backing the Cowboys up. So while Prescott makes a point regarding Linehan's prowess, considering he's a big reason the QB landed Rookie of the Year honors in 2016, the failure to adapt to a league that has now adapted to his scheme leaves a lot to be desired.

Which is why Jones refused to label anyone on the coaching staff not named Jason Garrett as safe. Fact is, it remains very possible Linehan has coached his last game with the Cowboys -- particularly with a name like Todd Haley being thrown around.

Should the Cowboys opt to not jettison Linehan, he'll be faced with an offseason of internal change whether it be via his offensive coaching subordinates or some in-depth and blunt face-to-face talks with players and other team personnel in the hopes of adapting the play-calling or a combination of all of these things.

There's a reason Prescott should believe in Linehan, but also a reason he should put forth some questions behind closed doors as well -- of both himself and the offensive coordinator. In 2017, he threw for 522 fewer yards, two fewer touchdowns and nine more interceptions than his stellar rookie season -- on one more attempt (460 vs. 459). The team did little to save his life when the Atlanta Falcons teed off on him to the tune of eight sacks, nor did they in the realm of consistently getting away from a run game that was working whether it was Alfred Morris, Rod Smith or a returned Elliott.

The Cowboys also went from having a top five offense to running in the middle of the pack in both points per game and overall yards. A dip in both numbers is expected in the absence of the 2016 NFL rushing leader, but to fall off a cliff face-first with no parachute while screaming how everything's fine is quite another.

There's a problem with the offense, and that's Linehan's job. The question now is, will he keep it?

Time will tell.

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