‘Bench Dak’ talk must stop
THE NOISE emanating from Dallas in the wake of the Cowboys’ 10-7 road loss to the Giants last Sunday night is everything that is wrong with sports today — sports that are littered with far too many rant-before-youthink hot takes saturating social media, talk radio and TV.
The MetLife Stadium scoreboard lights barely had read zeroes before Cowboys fans were calling for their prized rookie quarterback Dak Prescott to be benched in favor of veteran Tony Romo, who last played in a game Nov. 26, 2015.
The same Dak Prescott who helped lead the Cowboys to an NFL-best 11-1 record while throwing 19 touchdown passes and just two interceptions entering the Giants game.
So now the Cowboys are 11-2, having lost their two games (both to the Giants) by a total of four points, and Prescott is coming off his worst performance of the year (17-of-37 passes for 165 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions). And it’s time to bench him?
What reality are these people living in? Would they like to trade places with the likes of the Browns, 49ers, Jets or the like, who have no idea whether they actually have a franchise quarterback on their roster?
Why would anyone of sound mind mess with what the Cowboys have been doing this season?
The naysayers point to the fact Prescott has failed to throw for at least 200 yards in the past three games (195, 139 and 165). Are these people forgetting the Cowboys rely mostly on their stud offensive line and rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott, who leads the league with 1,392 rushing yards and 12 TDs on 287 carries?
Shame on every Cowboys fan calling for Prescott to be replaced by Romo. And shame on Cowboys owner Jerry Jones for fanning the flames of his clueless fans by allowing the conversation to perpetuate by calling a potential quarterback change a “legitimate discussion.’’
Romo, who has been out since August when he suffered a compression fracture in his back, has been practicing for weeks and is ready if needed. With due respect to Romo, he should remain on the sideline until a true “if needed’’ scenario arises.