Scott Linehan says Dak Prescott has the ‘it’ factor in the clutch, calls him a closer
When it comes to elite quarterback play there are a lot of things a still-developing Dak Prescott isn’t, as of yet.
He is not always the most accurate or efficient passer.
He holds the ball too long at times, doesn’t throw to open receivers with anticipation.
And he takes too many sacks.
But one thing that rings true, that is becoming the calling card of the third-year quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, is he plays his best late in games when his best is needed.
Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan credits Prescott’s mental toughness for his abilities as a closer and having the “it” factor in the defining moments of games.
“I think it’s the only way to describe it,” Linehan said. “I don’t know, it’s just an intangible quality of mental toughness and perseverance and a relentless state of mind. I don’t know what it is, it’s something. It is used a lot. It’s something. I don’t know what they call it.”
Whatever they call it, Prescott has shown it and been about it throughout his career. It was most recently displayed in last week’s 29-23 overtime victory against the Philadelphia Eagles, which extended their winning streak to five games. The Cowboys are going into Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts one win away from clinching the NFC East title for second time since he replaced Tony Romo as starting quarterback in 2016.
It marked the 13th time that Prescott has led a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime, which ties Detroit’s Matt Stafford for the NFL lead.
But what he did against the Eagles is still amazing and mind-boggling, considering he was having one of his worst games through three quarters that included two awful interceptions and a fumble.
Prescott then closed with aplomb, completing 17 of 20 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns with a QB rating of 156.8 in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Receiver Amari Cooper caught 10 passes for 217 yards and all three touchdowns against the Eagles and his addition in a bye-week trade has been key to Prescott’s recent success and improved play from the offense. He said Prescott is everything you want in a quarterback.
”I was able to see it before I got here, I was able to definitely see it when I got here,” Cooper said. “Dak is a really resilient player. He doesn’t let anything affect him. He goes out there, he plays the next play, he’s always believing and having faith that we can overcome anything, and that’s what you need form your quarterback.“
Linehan says Prescott, 24, is still a young quarterback in only his third year as a starter who came to the Cowboys as a 2016 fourth-round developmental option out of Mississippi State before grabbing the mantle when Romo went to down and fashioning the finest rookie season of any quarterback in NFL history.
He still remains work in progress and needs to be more consistent. But you can’t deny his penchant for late-game heroics.
“I certainly like his closer ability at this point,” Linehan said. “We talk about it all the time, you can erase some of the things that happen to you that aren’t positive in the game with playing a clutch performance in the fourth quarter. He certainly has a knack for that. We’re obviously always working for consistency, but sometimes you got to keep playing and overcome a couple of the low points in the game and try to be your best when your best is needed.”
It has long been one of his strengths, dating back to college, high school and the playgrounds of Haughton, La. He has always wanted the ball when it mattered most. He has dreamed about it and lived it.
“It’s just about being in that position and knowing I got a chance to go win the game or give our team a chance to win them,” Prescott said. “Those are the moments I’ve dreamed about playing this game all my life. So just to be in them and to just go out there and execute means a lot. All my life I’ve been a little kid running around, doing the 3, 2, 1 shooting at the basketball goal. Making up a last-minute drive in my head. So I mean you’ve got to want to be in those moments. Some people do, Some people embrace. Some people ask for the ball. Those are the people I want on my team and I know we’ve got a lot of them in this locker room.”
So what were those memorable moments growing up?
“I don’t know, I had a couple of buzzer beaters in basketball in high school,” Prescott said. “Football, couple of game winners. My junior year for the district championship, think it was 50 seconds left, game tied, went down there and orchestrated a game-winning drive for a win. So a couple of them.”
Prescott says those are defining moments for an athlete and he has always wanted to be in those spots. Again, it’s something he dreamed about.
But he also credits it to his preparation and his work ethic so he can be at his best and perform when those moments arrive.
While being clutch is an intangible, Linehan said he saw seeds of it as he was watching tape of Prescott during the draft process.
It’s not all about throwing a game-winning touchdown pass. It’s about battling through adversity and not flinching in big moments
“My best example is, I watched maybe every game he played his last year [at Mississippi State], some the year before, his junior year, but he played Alabama and I think the first 10 plays of the game he got smoked in the pocket,” Linehan said. “And I just thought, ‘Wow.’ And I just kept watching him. I always watch the end zone copy of quarterbacks because you just get to see their demeanor and how they are. He was so calm and poised, playing, making plays. He kept them in it. It was a really good game. I just felt like he was unflappable. And playing in an environment where some guys get a little gun-shy. So you do see it on tape. I think it’s not all that hard to evaluate it. And his history of playing in those kinds of games.”
Linehan also recalled a game against Arkansas when he passed for 508 yards and five touchdowns in a 51-50 overtime win.
“It was just a grinder game and he just looked the same,” he said. “He looked like the same guy at the end of the game as he did at the start. Just calm and running the show. That’s who guys are, I guess.”
Apparently, that’s who Prescott is.
This story was originally published December 14, 2018 at 12:08 PM.
