The Dallas Cowboys have wrapped up their time in Oxnard, Calif., for the first leg of training camp before heading back to The Star in Frisco, Texas.
Quarterback Dak Prescott discussed the recent chippy practice and who he mentioned as playmakers on the offense.
Dak Prescott Recounts Scuffles During Practice
After a chippy last day of practice, it was clear that the Cowboys are competitive and ready to play another team.
“The passion, the energy, excitement, the confidence within this team showed out there just in a little bit of scuffles and in the back and forth, and I would think that what you get right there is two units that are ready to see another unit,” said Prescott.
But the quarterback says he loves the competition until the “blindside hits” or “punches are thrown directly to a helmet or a face mask.”
“At that point, we’re jeopardizing our team, and so for me, it’s about, coach always talks about it: ‘Don’t throw the punch.’ Don’t be the guy that reacts, I guess you can say, and viper up,” said Prescott.
He says that it shows passion and is a testament to the confidence grown by the offense and who the defense believes they are and that it shows that the team is ready to play someone else. But they need to be smarter than putting each other in jeopardy by throwing punches.
“I can’t say in my eight years that we’ve had that, but that’s credit to, as I said, everything that we’ve really put into this team into both units feeling like nobody’s a little brother,” said Prescott, mentioning that he grew up being the little brother and that’s not “happening anymore.”
Overall, Prescott said that they are a family, and all of that stays on the field, not seeping into the locker room.
Prescott says he feels that the team accomplished the plan and direction they came into camp to follow. But ultimately, they are ready for the next step that gets them closer to the regular season.
How the Offense Has Adjusted to Mike McCarthy’s Play-Calling
During camp, the offense wanted to adjust to head coach Mike McCarthy calling the plays, and Prescott says he feels great buying into all of it.
He says the offense will use the weeks ahead of the start of the regular season to sure things up. But they had already started that understanding in the spring; training camp was just a time to see it all come together.
During minicamp and OTAs, a prominent theme was the team’s communication and knowing “the why.”
Prescott discussed how McCarthy detailed the plays in the installation, which helped everyone understand the purpose of each play.
Prescott also mentioned that it was exciting to be on the headset during the team’s first preseason game to see the tempo and pace that McCarthy is getting the team in.
Regarding the pace that McCarthy calls the plays, Prescott says he isn’t into comparing what Kellen Moore did before.
He says McCarthy tells him, “It’s better to have the fast play in than the perfect play in.”
Prescott says this uses their strengths and pace of operation to pressure opposing defenses to play with an aggressive style.
But playing fast with McCarthy allows Prescott to change the cadence and get different looks.
Prescott Highlights Offensive Playmakers
G Zack Martin
Prescott discussed how great it is to have Zack Martin back at camp following his weeks-long holdout.
He knew Martin was doing everything he could to be prepared to return when that time came.
The quarterback said he understood it was a business matter and could relate since he had been in a similar situation.
“That’s a brother, goes well beyond the lines of the football field, and so that for me is just about supporting him,” said Martin.
Prescott says he knows Martin will take care of the right side of the line and block. But what Martin contributes to the guys at center and right tackle is something you can’t “put into words” unless you are experiencing it.
WR Jalen Tolbert
It is no secret that Prescott has worked with wide receiver Jalen Tolbert to help build his confidence.
It has paid dividends for Tolbert, as he has had one of the most impressive camps across the team.
Prescott talked about Tolbert’s camp being the opposite of last year because of his approach in the offseason to get better.
“He’s a guy that you can put him all across the board now … He knows what to do, he’s doing it the right way, he’s doing it with the role of making this team better of whatever’s asked for him,” said Prescott, adding that it’s been exciting to see the player and man Tolbert has become.
TE Jake Ferguson
Prescott was asked about tight end Jake Ferguson and said he is close to being a “big-time guy” but is already a playmaker.
He says Ferguson has been where he needs him to be, communicates, and works hard to be on the same page of knowing what the offense expects of him.
“You see him make a great catch in that preseason game back shoulder, and I think that just shows you that ‘hey, you throw it to this guy, he wants to make the play, and he expects to make the play,’ and I think that’s where he takes this next step from just a playmaker to becoming a big-time player in the league,” said Prescott.
RBs Deuce Vaughn and KaVontae Turpin
Prescott talked about how Deuce Vaughn and KaVontae Turpin’s height doesn’t matter since his training taught him to change his targets no matter where they are.
“When you’re on the field, those two guys, for me, it is get it into their hands as fast as I can and realize when they have a mismatch on the field that’s in benefit for them and put them in space that a lot of guys aren’t gonna be able to tackle them in space. So that’s a great package that we have, and we’ll continue to build off of it,” said Prescott.