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By Jon Machota Sep 15, 2019
LANDOVER, Md. — Dak Prescott heard about Josh Norman’s comments from last week. He’s heard skeptics before. The Cowboys quarterback said Norman didn’t provide any extra motivation heading into Sunday’s game.
For the second consecutive week, Prescott was outstanding, leading the Cowboys to a 31-21 win over the Washington Redskins at FedExField.
Prescott, who finished the game completing his final 18 passes, threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns on 26 of 30 passing.
“I got enough things that motivate me, that get me going,” Prescott said. “What somebody says good or bad about me definitely isn’t the case. … I’ve always been doubted. I always accept it. It’s who I am.”
Norman said last week that Prescott has grown in Dallas’ system, but he was quick to add that the fourth-year quarterback had a clean pocket throughout the season opener.
“I don’t think he was getting much rush up the field on him,” Norman said. “You stand back there in the pocket all day and go through your first, second and third reads and come back to your first one, OK, cool. Anybody can do that. You (reporter) could throw the ball if that’s the case. At the end of the day, he’s been playing well. As you can see, he’s evolved, he’s grown in the system.”
Norman said after the game that he wasn’t being critical of Prescott, instead blaming reporters for taking him out of context.
Much like the season opener against the Giants, there wasn’t much Washington could do to stop Dallas’ offense once it started clicking. The Cowboys punted on two of their first three possessions. Prescott threw an interception on the other.
The next five possessions: four touchdowns, one field goal.
Most games come down to a few key plays. Here are five that decided Sunday’s.
1.) Tyrone Crawford’s sack. The Cowboys only had one on Sunday, but it came during a key moment. With Washington leading 7-0 early in the second quarter, Crawford lined up at defensive tackle on the inside of center Chase Roullier’s right shoulder. He was initially met at the line by Roullier and right guard Brandon Scherff. After breaking away, Crawford rolled to his left and around the outside of the line. DeMarcus Lawrence’s push inside helped free Crawford to beat right tackle Morgan Moses, dropping Case Keenum for a 13-yard loss on third-and-11.
Lawrence and defensive tackle Maliek Collins were frustrated by the team’s lack of pass rush for a second consecutive game. The group managed only one sack against Eli Manning last week.
“One sack is not our standard,” Lawrence said. “We got to be in the quarterback’s face every time he drops back.”
But considering that Washington was at midfield and looking to add to its lead, Crawford’s stop was critical.
“Momentum is huge,” Dak Prescott said of Crawford’s play. “Momentum is one of the biggest things in this game. And at that point, we needed it. They were pretty much right there on the fringe of a couple more yards kicking a field goal, and they’re still on top of us. But defense comes up, and Crawford makes a big-time sack, and they punted away.”
2.) Devin Smith’s 51-yard touchdown. On the series following Tyrone Crawford’s sack, Dak Prescott showed again that his offseason work on the deep ball is paying off. On second-and-7 with 6:16 left in the second quarter, Prescott faked a handoff to Ezekiel Elliott and then dropped back to Dallas’ 40-yard-line. With linebacker Cassanova McKinzy quickly closing in, Prescott went deep to Smith, who lined up to Prescott’s left with Josh Norman in man coverage. Smith didn’t have to break stride as Prescott hit him with a pass around the Washington 7. Smith then finished the play by diving into the end zone.
(Photo: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports)
It was Smith’s first touchdown as a Cowboy and the second of his NFL career. Smith, a second-round pick by the Jets in 2015, suffered multiple season-ending knee injuries while with New York, leading to his release.
Smith was a key contributor on Ohio State’s 2014 national title team. He was known for his ability to take the top off the defense as he led the Buckeyes that season with 33 catches for 931 yards and 12 touchdowns.
“One of his real skills is he can catch and adjust on a deep ball,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said of Smith. “That’s been his M.O. since he came out of Ohio State. You saw a classic out there today. That really adds a dimension for Dak and our offense … He’s got a big future.”
3.) Dak Prescott’s 42-yard run. With 2:30 left in the first half and the score tied 7-7, the Cowboys turned to the zone read. Dallas lined up in 11 personnel with Jason Witten and Amari Cooper to the right of the formation and Randall Cobb and Michael Gallup to the left.
Prescott lined up in shotgun with Tony Pollard to his left. Prescott held out the ball while reading Cassanova McKinzy, who was coming off the right end. When McKinzy bit hard on the fake — tackling Pollard — Prescott kept the ball and was off to the races.
The Cowboys quarterback ended up slowing down at one point, allowing Gallup to block Josh Norman. Eventually, Norman got around the block and brought Prescott down at the Washington 21. The Cowboys scored five plays later as Prescott connected with Jason Witten on a two-yard touchdown pass.
“I’m not the fastest, so I didn’t know what was behind me or coming up behind me,” Prescott said of the run.
Ezekiel Elliott said he told Prescott he would’ve scored if he just kept running. Prescott’s response: “Yeah, I love my teammates. They have all the belief in me.”
Prescott, who averaged 4.7 rush attempts and 19 rushing yards per game last season, has run nine times for 81 yards through two games this season.
“You don’t want to run it too much throughout the season; it’s a long season in the NFL,” Kellen Moore said of Prescott using his feet on the big play. “But certainly it’s a strength of his, so you don’t want to tell him no.”
4.) Ezekiel Elliott touchdown run. The Cowboys were up 24-14 with just over five minutes left in the game, facing third and goal from the Washington 2. Elliott did what he does best: Finish forward after he’s been hit. Dallas lined up in 11 personnel with three receivers to the left of the formation. Elliott lined up to the right of the formation but then motioned next to Dak Prescott, who was in shotgun. Prescott slipped while handing the ball to the two-time rushing champ, but it didn’t affect Elliott. He ran straight ahead, getting key blocks from Jason Witten, La’el Collins, Zack Martin and Travis Frederick.
“We were right there,” Elliott said of the play. “Shoot, just get in there. Put your head down and get in there, get behind the big fellas.”
(Photo: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports)
Elliott’s physical running style is perfect for these types of late-game situations. The Cowboys chose to go with Tony Pollard on the previous series to keep Elliott fresh for the final minutes. He looked like his old self running out the clock late. On third-and-5 with 1:07 remaining, Elliott took another handoff to the right, heading up the sideline for 27 yards. Dallas kneeled and ran out the clock on the next play.
After being limited in Week 1, Elliott looks like he’s all the way back. His 111 yards on 23 carries on Sunday represented the 20th 100-yard outing in 42 games with the Cowboys.
“Slowly but surely, I think I’m getting back in my rhythm and knocking that rust off,” Elliott said. “I feel good about where I’m at. … It feels good to be back out there getting that normal workload.”
5.) Dak Prescott’s 11-yard run with 2:06 remaining. An argument can be made that the game was already over at this point. But Prescott’s QB keeper on second-and-7 left no doubt. Washington had just scored a touchdown on the previous series to pull within 10. If the Cowboys don’t get a first down on that possession, the Redskins would have had another shot at scoring in their hurry-up offense with a little over a minute remaining. They’d then have to recover an onside kick. Yes, all unlikely. But instead of having a two-percent chance of tying the game, this play made sure the number was zero.
Dallas was in 12 personnel with Devin Smith to the left of the formation and Randall Cobb to the right. Prescott faked the handoff to Elliott while running to his right. Elliott went out as if he was looking for a pass. Prescott then faked the pass before tucking the ball and running past linebacker Montez Sweat and safety Landon Collins, who was covering Elliott. The first down took the game to the two-minute warning. Four plays later, the game was over.
Jerry Jones said after the game that he believes this is the best two-game stretch of Prescott’s Cowboys career. He stopped short of saying in Prescott’s life because he wasn’t sure if he had better at Mississippi State.
Did he?
“I’m focused on the now,” Prescott said. “I don’t know. Obviously we made a good run at Mississippi State. I’m sure I had some good games and some things there, but at this point, it’s about turning the page, and I’m not going to sit on what we’ve done to this point. Now it’s what we can do to get better and to have a better performance as an offense going into Week 3.”
By Jon Machota Sep 15, 2019
LANDOVER, Md. — Dak Prescott heard about Josh Norman’s comments from last week. He’s heard skeptics before. The Cowboys quarterback said Norman didn’t provide any extra motivation heading into Sunday’s game.
For the second consecutive week, Prescott was outstanding, leading the Cowboys to a 31-21 win over the Washington Redskins at FedExField.
Prescott, who finished the game completing his final 18 passes, threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns on 26 of 30 passing.
“I got enough things that motivate me, that get me going,” Prescott said. “What somebody says good or bad about me definitely isn’t the case. … I’ve always been doubted. I always accept it. It’s who I am.”
Norman said last week that Prescott has grown in Dallas’ system, but he was quick to add that the fourth-year quarterback had a clean pocket throughout the season opener.
“I don’t think he was getting much rush up the field on him,” Norman said. “You stand back there in the pocket all day and go through your first, second and third reads and come back to your first one, OK, cool. Anybody can do that. You (reporter) could throw the ball if that’s the case. At the end of the day, he’s been playing well. As you can see, he’s evolved, he’s grown in the system.”
Norman said after the game that he wasn’t being critical of Prescott, instead blaming reporters for taking him out of context.
Much like the season opener against the Giants, there wasn’t much Washington could do to stop Dallas’ offense once it started clicking. The Cowboys punted on two of their first three possessions. Prescott threw an interception on the other.
The next five possessions: four touchdowns, one field goal.
Most games come down to a few key plays. Here are five that decided Sunday’s.
1.) Tyrone Crawford’s sack. The Cowboys only had one on Sunday, but it came during a key moment. With Washington leading 7-0 early in the second quarter, Crawford lined up at defensive tackle on the inside of center Chase Roullier’s right shoulder. He was initially met at the line by Roullier and right guard Brandon Scherff. After breaking away, Crawford rolled to his left and around the outside of the line. DeMarcus Lawrence’s push inside helped free Crawford to beat right tackle Morgan Moses, dropping Case Keenum for a 13-yard loss on third-and-11.
Lawrence and defensive tackle Maliek Collins were frustrated by the team’s lack of pass rush for a second consecutive game. The group managed only one sack against Eli Manning last week.
“One sack is not our standard,” Lawrence said. “We got to be in the quarterback’s face every time he drops back.”
But considering that Washington was at midfield and looking to add to its lead, Crawford’s stop was critical.
“Momentum is huge,” Dak Prescott said of Crawford’s play. “Momentum is one of the biggest things in this game. And at that point, we needed it. They were pretty much right there on the fringe of a couple more yards kicking a field goal, and they’re still on top of us. But defense comes up, and Crawford makes a big-time sack, and they punted away.”
2.) Devin Smith’s 51-yard touchdown. On the series following Tyrone Crawford’s sack, Dak Prescott showed again that his offseason work on the deep ball is paying off. On second-and-7 with 6:16 left in the second quarter, Prescott faked a handoff to Ezekiel Elliott and then dropped back to Dallas’ 40-yard-line. With linebacker Cassanova McKinzy quickly closing in, Prescott went deep to Smith, who lined up to Prescott’s left with Josh Norman in man coverage. Smith didn’t have to break stride as Prescott hit him with a pass around the Washington 7. Smith then finished the play by diving into the end zone.
(Photo: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports)
It was Smith’s first touchdown as a Cowboy and the second of his NFL career. Smith, a second-round pick by the Jets in 2015, suffered multiple season-ending knee injuries while with New York, leading to his release.
Smith was a key contributor on Ohio State’s 2014 national title team. He was known for his ability to take the top off the defense as he led the Buckeyes that season with 33 catches for 931 yards and 12 touchdowns.
“One of his real skills is he can catch and adjust on a deep ball,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said of Smith. “That’s been his M.O. since he came out of Ohio State. You saw a classic out there today. That really adds a dimension for Dak and our offense … He’s got a big future.”
3.) Dak Prescott’s 42-yard run. With 2:30 left in the first half and the score tied 7-7, the Cowboys turned to the zone read. Dallas lined up in 11 personnel with Jason Witten and Amari Cooper to the right of the formation and Randall Cobb and Michael Gallup to the left.
Prescott lined up in shotgun with Tony Pollard to his left. Prescott held out the ball while reading Cassanova McKinzy, who was coming off the right end. When McKinzy bit hard on the fake — tackling Pollard — Prescott kept the ball and was off to the races.
The Cowboys quarterback ended up slowing down at one point, allowing Gallup to block Josh Norman. Eventually, Norman got around the block and brought Prescott down at the Washington 21. The Cowboys scored five plays later as Prescott connected with Jason Witten on a two-yard touchdown pass.
“I’m not the fastest, so I didn’t know what was behind me or coming up behind me,” Prescott said of the run.
Ezekiel Elliott said he told Prescott he would’ve scored if he just kept running. Prescott’s response: “Yeah, I love my teammates. They have all the belief in me.”
Prescott, who averaged 4.7 rush attempts and 19 rushing yards per game last season, has run nine times for 81 yards through two games this season.
“You don’t want to run it too much throughout the season; it’s a long season in the NFL,” Kellen Moore said of Prescott using his feet on the big play. “But certainly it’s a strength of his, so you don’t want to tell him no.”
4.) Ezekiel Elliott touchdown run. The Cowboys were up 24-14 with just over five minutes left in the game, facing third and goal from the Washington 2. Elliott did what he does best: Finish forward after he’s been hit. Dallas lined up in 11 personnel with three receivers to the left of the formation. Elliott lined up to the right of the formation but then motioned next to Dak Prescott, who was in shotgun. Prescott slipped while handing the ball to the two-time rushing champ, but it didn’t affect Elliott. He ran straight ahead, getting key blocks from Jason Witten, La’el Collins, Zack Martin and Travis Frederick.
“We were right there,” Elliott said of the play. “Shoot, just get in there. Put your head down and get in there, get behind the big fellas.”
(Photo: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports)
Elliott’s physical running style is perfect for these types of late-game situations. The Cowboys chose to go with Tony Pollard on the previous series to keep Elliott fresh for the final minutes. He looked like his old self running out the clock late. On third-and-5 with 1:07 remaining, Elliott took another handoff to the right, heading up the sideline for 27 yards. Dallas kneeled and ran out the clock on the next play.
After being limited in Week 1, Elliott looks like he’s all the way back. His 111 yards on 23 carries on Sunday represented the 20th 100-yard outing in 42 games with the Cowboys.
“Slowly but surely, I think I’m getting back in my rhythm and knocking that rust off,” Elliott said. “I feel good about where I’m at. … It feels good to be back out there getting that normal workload.”
5.) Dak Prescott’s 11-yard run with 2:06 remaining. An argument can be made that the game was already over at this point. But Prescott’s QB keeper on second-and-7 left no doubt. Washington had just scored a touchdown on the previous series to pull within 10. If the Cowboys don’t get a first down on that possession, the Redskins would have had another shot at scoring in their hurry-up offense with a little over a minute remaining. They’d then have to recover an onside kick. Yes, all unlikely. But instead of having a two-percent chance of tying the game, this play made sure the number was zero.
Dallas was in 12 personnel with Devin Smith to the left of the formation and Randall Cobb to the right. Prescott faked the handoff to Elliott while running to his right. Elliott went out as if he was looking for a pass. Prescott then faked the pass before tucking the ball and running past linebacker Montez Sweat and safety Landon Collins, who was covering Elliott. The first down took the game to the two-minute warning. Four plays later, the game was over.
Jerry Jones said after the game that he believes this is the best two-game stretch of Prescott’s Cowboys career. He stopped short of saying in Prescott’s life because he wasn’t sure if he had better at Mississippi State.
Did he?
“I’m focused on the now,” Prescott said. “I don’t know. Obviously we made a good run at Mississippi State. I’m sure I had some good games and some things there, but at this point, it’s about turning the page, and I’m not going to sit on what we’ve done to this point. Now it’s what we can do to get better and to have a better performance as an offense going into Week 3.”
