Prescott puts calf issue to rest, set for Broncos

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Dak Prescott didn't think twice about maximum effort in his first practice after missing a game because of a strained right calf.

Until the star Dallas quarterback had time to think twice about it.

"First play (Wednesday), I get ready to scramble, I take five or six steps and throw on the run and I thought about it," Prescott said. "I'm like, 'I probably shouldn't have done that on my first rep.' That was easy for me to say, 'OK, that is why I didn't play last week, because I don't think about that.' And I am not going to think about that. I am going to think about whatever it takes to win the game."

Prescott said it was "safe to say" he would play Sunday against Denver (4-4) after sitting last week when backup Cooper Rush threw the go-ahead touchdown pass in the final minute of a 20-16 win over Minnesota. It was the sixth straight victory for the Cowboys (6-1).

The strained calf came when Prescott threw the winning TD pass to CeeDee Lamb in overtime for a 35-29 victory against New England almost three weeks ago. The Cowboys hoped an open week would keep Prescott from missing a game. They chose the cautious approach.

Prescott said he was disappointed not to get to play against the Vikings, but didn't have much trouble getting over it. Asked if there was any way he would sit again, Prescott said, "No, no, no. They got their two weeks with the bye. We'll give them that."

The Cowboys listed Prescott as questionable against Minnesota after he was held out of team drills all week. Receiver Amari Cooper, who caught the go-ahead TD toss from Rush, said the quarterback told his teammates two days before the game that he wasn't playing.