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Jerry Jones isn’t willing to go through it twice with Dak Prescott.
Traumatized by Prescott’s season-ending ankle injury, the Dallas Cowboys czar urged his franchise quarterback to be smarter — read: “take less and less hits” — when he chooses to break the pocket.
“I’ve always handicapped, to some degree, Dak because of the fact that he’s so effective and has been in his career in the running game, and his ability to take it down and get the big play and get the yards. I’ve always known that he couldn’t do that like that for long in the NFL. You can’t do that,” Jones said Tuesday on 105.3 The Fan. “Troy Aikman had a lot of mobility when he first came in his first couple years, and boy that stopped quickly and we got to where we had trouble just with his mobility, period, around the pocket. You can’t count on that. Now, when you say handicap, no, it’s just a part of the game that we’re not going to be able to figure in. You look at some quarterbacks that live with it and done good, the quarterback in Seattle (Russell Wilson) is the best I’ve ever seen at sustaining success with his mobility. He sure is good at it. And if you notice, he just does not get hit with a lot of impact. Dak can do that. Dak will do that. He can evolve to where he just will take less and less hits. He has to or we won’t have him to play.”
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Dak Not a First-Read Runner
Prescott sustained a right ankle compound fracture and dislocation against the New Yor Giants on Oct. 11 when his leg awkwardly was trapped against the AT&T Stadium turf while being tackled following an eight-yard scramble. He required emergency surgery which came with a recovery timeline of 4-6 months.
But that — the play, not the injury — was something of an outlier, only his 18th rushing attempt of the season, three of which went for touchdowns. Although technically a dual-threat talent, the two-time Pro Bowler is more comfortable (and more effective) taking to the air. Lamar Jackson, he’s not.
Through five seasons and 69 Cowboys games, Prescott has totaled 1,314 yards and 24 TDs on 259 carries. He logged a career-low 52 totes and three ground scores in 2019, his first year in offensive coordinator Kellen Moore’s pass-happy system.
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Jerry Responds to Dak’s ‘Small Victories’ Message
Jones had an … interesting reaction to recent comments made by Prescott — particularly the “small victories” that Prescott conveyed he’s achieved in his rehabilitation from the grisly ankle injury.
“You better be looking for the little nuances of victory because the big ones haven’t been there,” Jones said last Friday on 105.3 The Fan, via The Athletic.
In the interest of fairness, Jones was asked about the Cowboys finding small victories throughout what’s been an extremely disappointing season, and his very Jerry-like answer reflected that.
Still, it’s worth wondering about any lingering resentment the sides may still harbor following their failed long-term contract negotiations. Which is exactly why some interpreted Jones’ response as a not-so-subtle dig at Prescott.
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL
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