OXNARD, Calif. -- With Tony Romo getting an extra day of rest, Dak Prescott took the first-team quarterback snaps for the Dallas Cowboys for the second time in camp.
However, this time he got to work with Jason Witten and Dez Bryant. When Prescott worked with the ones last week, Witten and Bryant were given the day off. Maybe it was the presence of the veterans, but Prescott was as sharp as he has been all camp.
Dak Prescott went 13 for 16 in work with the first-team on Tuesday. Kirby Lee/USA TODAY SportsIn team and 7-on-7 drills, Prescott went 13 of 16, including a 5-of-6 stretch in the two-minute drill. His only incompletion was a spike to stop the clock. Prescott opened the drive with back-to-back completions to Cole Beasley and then was able to rifle a slant to Terrance Williams just out of the reach of linebacker Anthony Hitchens. He followed that up with a slant to Bryant and, after the spike, he found Witten on a sideline throw to stop the clock and set up a game-tying field goal by Dan Bailey.
It wasn't just the completion percentage that was impressive. It was where Prescott put the ball. On a pass to Witten underneath the zone, he put the ball on Witten's right shoulder, which instinctively told him to turn that way with a defender closing from his left.
On to the observations:
In the offense vs. defense compete period, the offense won on five of the six reps. Witten was the most impressive, feigning to the inside to his left on a seam route to draw S Byron Jones on his hip only to cut back sharply to the right to create a couple of yards of separation for an easy throw from Prescott.
In the goal-line portion of practice the defense was given a 5-3 win, but on the final two snaps DE Lawrence Okoye appeared to line up in the neutral zone. When the No. 1 offense went against the No. 1 defense, RB Darius Jackson ran for a score and TE Austin Traylor caught a TD. The defense, however, came up with a stop on the third snap, with LB Derek Akunne standing Jackson up. DT Zach Wood blew up Jackson's last carry with some penetration that allowed LBs Hitchens and Mark Nzeocha to make a stop.
There was a brief scare when LT Tyron Smith had to miss two snaps in short-yardage work. He appeared to have some soreness in his neck or left shoulder but returned and did not miss another snap.
Usually players get testy as camp goes on but defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli and assistant defensive line coach Leon Lett needed to be separated after the first play of goal-line drills. CB Morris Claiborneplayed peacemaker but the practice kept going without a hitch.
DTs Tyrone Crawford, Terrell McClain and Cedric Thornton returned to practice but did not take part in the short-yardage drills as they work back from back and toe injuries as well as a virus. LB Kyle Wilber, who has been battling a sore back, worked off to the side in full pads. He has not practiced since Aug. 2. WR Devin Street (back) was also rehabbing in full pads.
Heard from the sidelines from a young boy about Bryant: "88 just dropped it. 88 drops nothing."
Brice Butler's best route of the day might have come in one-on-one drills. Working a deep comeback, Butler was able to keep his eyes down field to sell the go route on the cornerback only to peel off a the last second to make a catch from Prescott after getting away from CB Deji Olatoye.
Here’s the first-team kickoff return team so far: Jones, Hitchens, Keith Smith, Nzeocha, Jeff Heath, Gavin Escobar, Geoff Swaim, Jack Crawford, Charles Tapper, Rod Smith and Lucky Whitehead. The first-team kick coverage unit consisted of: Barry Church, Smith, Nzeocha, Heath, Tapper, Swaim, J.J. Wilcox, Smith, Whitehead and Jones.
