‘Hard Knocks’ give peek of what to expect from Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott: ‘I’m back’
Those who question whether Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is fully healed from the shoulder strain that caused him to miss all of the preseason, well, they got a chance to see for themselves on the fourth episode of HBO’s Hard Knocks.
Prescott’s return to practice after being sidelined since July 28 was impressive enough for Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to declare him good to go for the Sept. 9 season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
But there are skeptics who believe Jones and the Cowboys are saying what they have to say because they have no choice but to ride with their franchise quarterback and his $160 million contract.
If pictures tell a thousand words, it should be well understood that HBO’s cameras tell a million more.
Prescott officially declared himself back to his team after ripping pass after pass in practice, shooting air pistols while taking trash to his teammates along the way.
A fist bump with an elated coach Mike McCarthy after practice on his first day back said it all.
“I’m back,” Prescott told his teammates.
“It’s great, right,” McCarthy said.
Tuesday’s Episode 4, however, continued to be dud as far as drama is concerned.
The sagging ratings are proof of that.
HBO missed an opportunity to delve deeper into the COVID-19 outbreak at the team’s facility.
It also dropped the ball on getting the mothers of tackle Isaac Alarcon and defensive end Azur Kamara in the same room together, although the camera angles and cinematography remain top-notch.
HBO has been spotlighting the roster pushes of Alarcon, who is from Mexico, and Kamara, who is from the Ivory Coast.
Alarcon’s mom is a favorite of the camera because of her passionate and intense cheering and praying during games for her son and the team.
Kamara’s mom, regally dressed in her African attire, cheers more sweetly and at a lower volume, but with the same love.
Alarcon was cut on Tuesday, but could be brought back to the practice squad as an international exemption. Kamara did make the initial 53-man roster.
It was interesting how they showcased the Cowboys practicing in the Texas heat. It made for good television, but tough to take seriously considering that hundreds of high school athletes in the region practice in the same conditions without the same amenities, or complaints, from the players.
Football idol Ezekiel Elliott, who is being held out of the preseason, has proven to be the team’s biggest cheerleader and assistant running backs coach during the games.
Secondary coach Joe Whitt and defensive line coach Aden Durde were impressive in how they were portrayed and look to be future head coaches.
Running backs coach Skip Peete’s handling of rookie running back hopeful JaQuan Hardy with humor and biting criticism was compelling.
Speaking of humor, defensive end Tarell Basham has a future as a stand-up comic. He took the stage at a local comedy club and killed a great impersonation of defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence.
Rookie linebacker Micah Parsons had a cookout at his house and won everyone over with his mom’s cooking. That baked macaroni and cheese looked scrumptious.
This story was originally published September 1, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
