Getty Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy
From the first moment he addressed Dak Prescott’s season-ending injury, Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy challenged not Prescott’s backup, but the backup to Prescott’s backup.
“Ben DiNucci needs to step up, too,” McCarthy said after last Sunday’s win against the Giants.
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DiNucci, a seventh-round rookie, now finds himself one snap away from starting for the 2-3 Cowboys. Team brass has made clear they are not worried over the QB1 transition from Prescott, the league’s passing leader entering Week 5, to former longtime Bengal Andy Dalton, who offers neither the dual-threat ability nor arm talent of his counterpart.
The clipboard-duty transition from Dalton to DiNucci, though? Different story.
“Frankly, I’m not as concerned about Andy Dalton’s preparation as much as I’m focused on Ben DiNucci’s. We have to make sure that the No. 2, that’s where the biggest preparation and change is going on,” McCarthy told reporters Thursday, via the Dallas Morning News.
In addition to leading the scout-team offense, McCarthy revealed, DiNucci will receive first-string practice reps ahead of the Cowboys’ inaugural post-Prescott affair, a Monday night home showdown with the 3-2 Arizona Cardinals. He will be active for the first time as a pro with Dalton under center.
Candidacy for No. 2 Job
The James Madison product was chosen No. 231 overall in April’s draft, days before the Cowboys signed Dalton to a one-year deal and chopped incumbent backup Cooper Rush.
Accurate and capable of using his legs, DiNucci’s physical and mental limitations severely cap his upside at the NFL level. Although McCarthy himself compared the 6-foot-3, 209-pound signal-caller to ex-Rams Pro Bowler Marc Bulger, it became evident during Dallas’ truncated training camp that DiNucci was green behind the ears.
“[He’s a] talented guy. He’s got a long way to go. …The speed of the game for him is fast,” QBs coach Doug Nussmeier said in August, via the Dallas Morning News, conceding it’s difficult to develop a first-year passer sans preseason work.
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QB Competition?
DiNucci did well to vanquish 2019 practice-squadder Clayton Thorson and earn the third-string spot on the Cowboys’ regular-season roster. But he faces another battle: holding off third-year journeyman Garrett Gilbert, whom the club signed off the Cleveland Browns’ practice squad on Monday.
Gilbert is not yet a legitimate contender for the QB2 gig, forced to undergo COVID-19 testing prior to entry into the facility. Once inside, however, the ex-Mr. Texas Football and SMU product could quickly push his way up the depth chart, his experience an asset.
With four QBs in tow and only three slots to go around, this may explain why McCarthy has repeatedly called for DiNucci to shoulder the responsibilities of his newfound promotion.
“We need to make sure Ben advances in his new role,” he said Thursday, via The Athletic.
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL