The Dallas Cowboys held a walkthrough practice Wednesday during which their franchise quarterback was noticeably missing in action.
Head coach Jason Garrett declared Dak Prescott is “probably in a similar place” as last week, his right AC joint sprain still affecting his throwing functionality.
“We don’t anticipate him practicing fully,” Garrett said, per the Dallas Morning News. “He’ll be limited at best.”
This has become the new norm for Prescott, who did not toss a single pass in practice prior to the team’s damaging Week 16 loss to the Eagles. He was taken off the final injury report and started against Philadelphia, completing 25-of-44 balls for 265 scoreless yards.
But it was apparent that Prescott, wildly accurate at times, was hamstrung to some degree by the shoulder injury. He averaged just six yards per attempt and logged a 74.5 QB rating, his third-lowest mark this season. He skipped passes and missed high on others, uncharacteristic of his typical precision.
After the loss, which put Dallas’ playoff hopes on life support, Prescott pushed back against speculation that his arm was worse than the team let on, that it contributed to such a brutal defeat.
“Yeah, I mean I missed some throws,” he said, per Pro Football Talk. “I mean, I can’t say I have pain or I felt it in my shoulder. It could have been a lack of reps this week. Who knows? But it definitely wasn’t my shoulder. It wasn’t anything I was feeling. I felt great.”
Prescott likely will be a limited participant on Thursday and Friday but is expected to be all systems go for the Cowboys’ must-win season finale versus the Washington Redskins.
He threw for 269 yards, three TDs, and an interception in a Week 2 win over Washington, adding an additional 69 rushing yards amid the 31-21 triumph.
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Other Walking Wounded
Joining Dak on the sideline Tuesday were defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (shoulder), left tackle Tyron Smith (back), and linebacker Sean Lee (pectoral, thigh) — all of whom played last Sunday and should suit up against the Redskins, barring individual setbacks.
Lawrence saw only 42 defensive snaps (58.3 percent) in Week 16. Garrett admitted the $105 million pass-rusher “was affected by [his shoulder ailment], but he played through it.”
Smith’s nagging back issue isn’t a cause for concern, either now or later, and he’ll be in the starting lineup for the finale at AT&T Stadium.
“We don’t think it’s a long-term deal,” said Garrett.
Lee has gutted through his upper- and lower-body injuries for the past few weeks. They didn’t slow him down against the Eagles, as the veteran ‘backer led Dallas with 17 tackles, including nine solo stops.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott (throwing shoulder), DE DeMarcus Lawrence (shoulder), LT Tyron Smith (back) and LB Sean Lee (thigh, pectoral) did not participate in Christmas Day practice. Lawrence saw limited snaps Sunday vs. Eagles. May explain that.
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Cowboys Issue Troubling Status Update on Dak Prescott for Week 17