Cowboys players have total confidence in Dak Prescott
Amid the storm of losing Tony Romo to a back injury for possibly six to 10 weeks, there’s a sense of calmness about the Dallas Cowboys as they’re forced to turn to rookie Dak Prescott as their starting quarterback.
In three preseason games, Prescott has completed 39 of 50 passes for 454 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions. He also has rushed for a pair of touchdowns, and has the highest passing rating (137.8) among any qualified passer in the NFL.
In the words of the Cowboys, Prescott is no ordinary backup quarterback. And no ordinary rookie.
The chemistry with not only me and him, but the rest of the guys, it’s tremendous.
Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant on Dak Prescott
“One thing about Dak is he’s extremely humble — he wants to learn,” wide receiver Dez Bryant said. “He wants to know everyone.
“The chemistry with not only me and him, but the rest of the guys, it’s tremendous. We’re going to back him up and he’s going to do the same. We’re just going to keep each other lifted and go from there.”
Wide receiver Brice Butler noted the tone is different for the Cowboys this year than last year when Romo missed 12 games due to injuries, and the backup quarterbacks had a 1-11 record.
“I can tell you that last year when Tony went out, it was like a horror movie,” Butler said. “I feel totally fine with [Prescott as the starter].
“I know he’s a rook, so when we play these defensive coordinators, they’re going to try to send the house. But I think he’ll change that out real quick.”
Left guard La’el Collins was not only impressed with Prescott’s performance against Seattle’s rugged first-team defense in a preseason game Thursday but also with the rookie from Mississippi State as a whole since the organized team activities in May.
“He’s just confident,” Collins said. “The level of focus that he has every day, the attention to detail that he uses throughout practice, and the questions that he asks.
“He’s a really good football player, so I think that him being able to step in and play is huge for him and I think that he’s going to do a great job for us. His play is speaking for itself as well.”
You got these guys that come around once a year, scouting these guys — and really don’t know half the [stuff] that they’re talking about. To me it’s very simple: look at the conference he came from.
Dez Bryant on Prescott’s lasting until the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft
Bryant is perplexed as to why Prescott wasn’t drafted until the fourth round. Especially since the 6-2, 238-pounder played in the vaunted Southeastern Conference, which is generally regarded as the toughest college football conference in the nation.
“You got these guys that come around once a year, scouting these guys — and really don’t know half the [stuff] that they’re talking about,” Bryant said. “To me it’s very simple: look at the conference he came from.
“That’s the next thing to the NFL, coming from a college standpoint. Winning games at Mississippi State — not saying anything bad about Mississippi State.”
Bryant went on to say: “It just shows the character, it just shows who he is. When you talk about the SEC, you’re talking about LSU, Georgia, Florida, Alabama — those are the top dogs. [Mississippi State] was in the race. They were talked about for two years, right? Just because of that man.”
Prescott’s experience in the SEC, along with the imposing numbers he’s put up in three preseason games, has the Cowboys inspired that they won’t be relegated to an also-ran this season without Romo.
“Give credit when it’s due,” Bryant said of Prescott. “He deserves it.
“He builds every day and gets better every day, because he wants to. When it’s like that — us, for the wideouts, it’s a must that we stay behind him, to keep him lifted.”
Dwain Price: 817-390-7760, @dwainprice
This story was originally published August 28, 2016 at 5:40 PM with the headline "Cowboys players have total confidence in Dak Prescott."