Cowboys: Prescott will sidestep slump
Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson is a believer in the sophomore slump ... just not for his secondyear star, Dak Prescott.
“I think it’s a real thing, but I don’t think it’s a real thing with Dak,” Wilson told USA TODAY Sports after the team’s minicamp practice Wednesday.
“He is just so dialed in. He’s so motivated. His intangibles are off the hook. I don’t even think it’s a concern for him.”
A lot has changed from a year ago when Prescott — a fourthround draft pick and not even Dallas’ first choice to develop at the position — was scraping for offseason reps behind veterans Tony Romo and Kellen Moore. Romo is retired (for now) to the broadcast booth. Moore is backing up Prescott, who replaced injured Romo late in training camp and never gave back the job.
But anticipation inside the league of some kind of backslide from Prescott lingers even after he silenced doubters last season by throwing 23 touchdown passes with four interceptions and a 104.9 passer rating — a rookie record — on the way to an NFC East title and offensive rookie of the year honors. But the more tape opponents have, people figure, the sooner they’ll figure out how to make the young quarterback’s life difficult. Yet Prescott never really hit an extended rough patch as a rookie.
“And even if he had an off game, he found ways to win,” said Wilson, an NFL quarterback for 19 seasons.
“He didn’t have his fastball in Minnesota (a 17-15 win on Dec. 1), and he ran on third down and converted, found a way to win at the end of the game. Even the playoff game, Green Bay’s kicking our ass and we’re down big (21-3) — he didn’t blink. We’re back, and then we’re right there (tied at 31) at the end. It should’ve been an overtime game.”
Clearly, the presence of league rushing leader Ezekiel Elliott and the NFL’s best offensive line made a big difference in getting Prescott going. Because defenses regularly ganged up to try to stop Elliott last season, Prescott had more favorable passing looks and he took advantage.
What Prescott did wasn’t just a function of the system or the people around him, though. His poise, pocket presence and toughness were evident every week. When teams tried to confuse him — showing different fronts, bringing pressure, etc. — he showed a veteran’s calm. And that has carried over to the offseason.
“He’s had a great approach and mind-set so far,” receiver Cole Beasley said. “He’s the type of guy that’s going to grind no matter what and continue to get better no matter how good he gets.”
In other words, Prescott’s not the type to have one good season and decide he’s made it.
“Not one shred of that. Not one shred,” Wilson said. “In fact, just the opposite. It’s like, ‘I’ve tasted it, it’s an appetizer, I want to get better.’ ”
Asked after Wednesday’s practice — which wasn’t the cleanest — where he feels he is heading into the pre-training camp break, Prescott said, “I’m excited (about) where I’m going. I’m happy the position I am now, this team, the way we’re going, the offense.”
At the start of the offseason program, Wilson said, he brought up the slump that followed the Cowboys’ last two division titles — a fall from 11-5 in 2009 to 6-10 in 2010 and from 12-4 in 2014 to 4-12 in 2015. Both drops coincided with Romo injuries, but the point was made: Everyone needed to fight complacency. Prescott assured Wilson that was a nonissue.
With Romo gone, some Cowboys veterans challenged Prescott to become a more prominent vocal leader, and Prescott has responded to that, too.
“He’s a natural leader to start with, but he’s very respectful, if that makes sense,” Wilson said. “But (linebacker) Sean Lee and (tight end) Jason Witten said, ‘Come on, man, this is your team now.’ And he doesn’t shy away from that, which is phenomenal.”
Prescott himself shrugged off the “sophomore slump” idea last week, saying he knows what it takes to continue to get better. He certainly has help, at least on offense.
Dallas’ receiver group should only be improved with a healthy Dez Bryant alongside Beasley, Terrance Williams, rookie Ryan Switzer and ever-stalwart Witten. There is a sense (maybe a hope) in the league that the O-line will take a step back, but if defenses keep focusing on Elliott and daring Prescott to beat them …
“I would take my chances with that all day long,” Wilson said.