Todd Archer
FRISCO, Texas — Dak Prescott needed to see how briskly he was throughout one of many early Dallas Cowboys practices in Oxnard, California.
After finishing up a faux on a Hunter Luepke run, the quarterback made a rapid shout to CeeDee Lamb and the race was on to the objective line some 50 yards away. Perhaps Prescott received by a step, however Lamb, the Professional Bowl huge receiver, may need handed him late.
“I imply, I had a head begin,” Prescott stated.
However there was a cause why Prescott went right into a full dash. He admitted it had one thing to do with the correct hamstring avulsion he suffered towards the Atlanta Falcons, which required surgical procedure and ended his 2024 season after eight video games.
“Actually, what that's, is attempting to ensure I do push my limits in follow,” Prescott stated. “Not being hit, I am not essentially operating away from folks as quick as I can, so I've bought to ensure I do get a few of these reps. And that was second there: ‘Hey, CeeDee, let's race.'
“With a head begin, I knew I needed to get it. However that is simply going to arrange me for the video games. It could possibly't be the primary time that I am operating for my life after I get on the market on Thursday towards Philly.”
The Cowboys' season opener towards the Philadelphia Eagles is lower than two weeks away, and for the sixth straight 12 months Prescott will enter the season with none preseason work.
Dallas has received two of their previous three season openers, however Prescott has not topped 180 yards passing and has totaled one landing and one interception. Within the blowout wins towards the Cleveland Browns (2024) and New York Giants (2023), the Cowboys didn't want Prescott to play Superman.
The final time Prescott returned from a season-ending damage was the 2021 opener — and he was Superman. He threw for 403 yards on 22-of-58 passing with three landing passes and an interception in a loss to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have been coming off their Tremendous Bowl LV victory.
The Eagles can even unfurl their championship banner on Sept. 4.
Prescott has stated he believes the work he bought in coaching camp, plus the prolonged time in a joint follow towards the Los Angeles Rams, can be sufficient preparation to face Philadelphia.
However he does wish to make sure that his legs are prepared, so even after his race with Lamb, he stored finishing up his fakes down the sphere to construct stamina.
“Quarterbacks, they do not run [in practice] like a number of the different guys do,” coach Brian Schottenheimer stated. “All the things is tracked [by] Catapult. The ability. The motion. The steps. The space. The velocity. All that stuff is measured. It is extra about him attending to high velocity since you're not attending to that high velocity in follow as a lot as you'd in a recreation if you're moved off the spot.”
Previous to struggling the hamstring damage, Prescott by no means had greater than two runs in a recreation final season. Main into the Falcons recreation, Prescott promised to make use of his legs extra. He had a 22-yard run in that recreation, however after a third-quarter scramble he felt a pull in his proper leg. Setting as much as move a pair performs later, Prescott's leg gave out.
His recreation and season have been over.
He trusted the surgical procedure and the rehab course of to the place he was in a position to do every thing he needed through the offseason program. He didn't have a time without work throughout coaching camp.
The Eagles have the most effective move rushes within the league and may get to a quarterback with outdoors velocity or inside energy. The Cowboys may very well be beginning an offensive line that can embrace two gamers (left deal with Nate Thomas and proper guard Tyler Booker) making the primary begins of their careers.
“It is not now [just] being wholesome, it is about how can I get higher?” Prescott stated. “I can not say, ‘OK, the hammy's good,' and I needn't run anymore. Effectively, no, I've bought to proceed to be pushing operating. I have to proceed to do issues which have gotten me thus far as a result of it is solely going to get me more healthy and solely going to permit me to do the issues that I wish to do through the season and all through the season.”
The Cowboys will not ask Prescott to run like he did earlier in his profession once they had designed run/move choices, particularly close to the objective line.
In 2018, he had a career-high 75 carries for 305 yards. He ran for 18 touchdowns in his first three years, six in every season. From 2019 to 2024, he totaled 11 dashing touchdowns.
In 2020, he suffered a compound fracture and dislocation of his proper ankle. In his first 4 seasons, he ran for at the very least 277 yards. For the reason that ankle damage, he has topped 200 yards as soon as (242 in 2023).
“Dak's gotta be capable to run,” Schottenheimer stated. “Quarterbacks run on this league. That is what they do. Now, are we going to come back out the primary play of the season towards Philadelphia and run energy learn with the quarterback? No, most likely not.
“However on the finish of the day, he is bought to maneuver. He is bought to make performs. He is bought to increase performs. Can we run him? Certain, we'll run him. And he is athlete. He must be good, getting down. Hey if he is in peril, slide. Get down. And that is what all the nice ones do.”
