Getty Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offense continues to struggle.
The Dallas Cowboys had Dak Prescott’s back in the team’s Week 14 rivalry matchup against the Washington Football Team. Tackle La’el Collins was ejected in the fourth quarter for throwing a punch at Washington defender James Smith-Williams for delivering a hit on Prescott near the sideline.
Both Collins and Ezekiel Elliott came to Prescott’s defense after the Cowboys franchise quarterback went down. Not only did Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy back Collins for the play, but Prescott gave the offensive lineman a heartfelt message after his ejection.
“Yeah, of course, I just told him, ‘Appreciate it,'” Prescott told reporters during his postgame press conference. “Told him right there at the moment as they were taking him out of the game. Told him how I felt about him as a brother and as a teammate and just reiterated that in the locker room.”
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Zeke on Standing up for Dak: ‘We Fight for Ours’
#Cowboys La’el Collins was ejected earlier from the game for throwing a punch.
After the game, Elliott explained his mindset when he jumped in with Collins to come to Prescott’s defense. The Cowboys star running back noted that the team “fight[s] for ours.”
“Yeah, I think that’s just a brotherhood,” Elliott explained in his postgame media session. “We fight for ours. We all love each other. So, when we see someone take a shot at our guys, we gotta make sure he’s protected.
Blogging the Boys’ RJ Ochoa believes the incident shows a distinct difference from last year’s Cowboys team makeup.
“A year ago zero Cowboys players jumped to the defense of Andy Dalton when Jon Bostic had his dirty hit on him,” Ochoa noted on Twitter on December 12. “Good for La’el Collins jumping to Dak Prescott’s defense there.”
Prescott Backed Collins After His Suspension at the Beginning of the Season
![Patrik [No C] Walker](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1716921492607565824/l1gvip-K_normal.jpg){kind=small}
They’re really making the mistake of pissing off the #Cowboys for two weeks from now 😂😂😂
Also, remember how the backup linemen let Andy Dalton get leveled and did nothing?
Dak ain’t Andy Dalton, and these are the starting linemen + Zeke (and Collins + Zeke want it ALL).
Prescott has a close relationship with Collins and was vocal in his support for the tackle throughout his suspension earlier this season. During a late October practice, Prescott praised Collins’ performance and explained what he brings to the Cowboys.
“Dak Prescott said La’el Collins had the best practice of his career today: ‘He’s an enforcer on this offensive line, has always been that way so just to feel his energy. Feel like he may have had his best practice he’s had as a pro. That’s huge for him personally and for us,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill tweeted on October 28.
Prescott on Offensive Performance: ‘It’s Not Acceptable’
LOVE this. Collins and Zeke attack the Washington pass rusher for this hit on Dak. This is a Dallas team you can root for
It was not the cleanest game for Prescott who threw a late interception that was returned for a touchdown with minutes remaining in the contest. The pick-six made it a one-possession game and Washington had an opportunity to drive down to tie the game. Prescott described the play by the offense down the stretch as “not acceptable.”
“Yeah, it’s frustrating, we got high standards and high expectations for ourselves,” Prescott said. “So, when you’re not moving the ball and you’re not scoring points. You’re only scoring, what, six points in the second half? Yeah, it’s not acceptable. We’ve got to be better than that in the latter part of the year, obviously, as you get ready to go play better teams, play division teams and play in the playoffs.”