What Jerry Jones saw late in overtime this past Sunday was what he described as “vintage Dak Prescott.” First came a pinpoint pass to George Pickens for 27 yards, just beyond the reach of the opponent’s best corner. Then came Prescott avoiding the pass rush and taking off for a 14-yard run.
To Jones, the club’s hands-on owner, those were more than two clutch plays that set up the game-winning field goal in the Cowboys‘ 40-37 overtime win over the Giants. They were justification for the faith Jones has had in his quarterback all along. He’s never shied away from his belief that Prescott is capable of leading his Cowboys to the Super Bowl.
And he’s right. Prescott really is that good.
He’s just never had strong enough of a supporting cast to win it all.
Maybe he will soon.
It’s too early to tell after just two games, of course. But as the Cowboys prepare for a Week 3 matchup against the Chicago Bears (4:25 p.m. ET on FOX), Jones sure does seem to believe he’s got the right group around Prescott for the first time in the quarterback’s now 10-year career. And he believes it even after trading away linebacker Micah Parsons, one of the best defensive players in the game, and embracing what his critics believe is a quantity over quality approach.
“We’ve got some real talent on our roster,” Jones said during a recent appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “You can’t keep all of those players under our [salary cap] system. You need to make some choices.
“One of many issues that I satisfaction myself in, regardless that I’m criticized for dragging a negotiation out, is that you have to see the wreck when it’s coming or see the occasion when it’s coming. After we signed Dak Prescott, we knew that we have been going to must be very considered as we go ahead to place the type of roster round Prescott that provides us an opportunity to win the Tremendous Bowl.”
It is actually a controversial strategy, within the wake of the 82-year-old’s resolution to commerce Parsons to Inexperienced Bay slightly than pay him the $46.5 million per yr the Packers gave him (4 years, $186 million with $136 million assured). However for Jones, it’s all a part of his dedication to Prescott. He signed Prescott to a four-year, $240 million deal final September, making him the highest-paid participant within the NFL — a distinction Dak nonetheless holds. And he adopted that up by giving his greatest weapon, CeeDee Lamb, a four-year, $136 million deal, making him the highest-paid receiver within the league.
Dak Prescott could not have been extra clutch whereas main the Cowboys to a comeback victory over the Giants in Week 2. (Picture by Cooper Neill/Getty Photos)
Jones thought of paying Parsons, too, and making them his new long-term Large 3. However his principle gave the impression to be that tying up all that wage cap area in three gamers was going to restrict what he might spend on the remainder of his crew. And Jones actually hasn’t been shy about spending this offseason. This summer time alone, he’s prolonged tight finish Jake Ferguson, fullback Hunter Luepke, All-Professional cornerback DaRon Bland and Professional Bowl guard Tyler Smith.
That every one got here after he traded for Pickens again in Might, including the second receiver the Cowboys have wanted since buying and selling away Amari Cooper 4 years in the past. Jones has additionally gotten promising returns from free-agent pickup Javonte Williams, who’s already rushed for 151 yards and three touchdowns. With cash left over so as to add to a struggling move rush — insert Parsons quip right here — he took a one-year, $3.5 million flier on Jadeveon Clowney.
Not all of that’s straight associated to the choice to not pay Parsons, clearly, although Jones did say the addition of Clowney is “the explanation we deal with the roster the best way we deal with it, so we will do these sorts of issues.” However his level has been constant. The Parsons commerce has given Jones the type of monetary flexibility and draft (or commerce) property to construct the type of crew Prescott wants and deserves.
Prescott and CeeDee Lamb have been one of many league’s most formidable passing duos since first becoming a member of forces in 2020. (Picture by Ron Jenkins/Getty Photos)
And he needed to, as a result of it was clear that Prescott couldn’t make it work with Lamb alone. For just a few years now, the Cowboys’ offense has been startlingly one-dimensional. Any crew that managed to close down the Prescott-to-Lamb connection had an incredible probability to win the sport. When Prescott and Lamb went off, the Cowboys have been a risk to everybody. The 2 of them alone might cowl a lot of the Cowboys’ different flaws.
Now they don’t essentially must — if Jones’ grasp plan proves appropriate. On protection, Jones is betting that defensive sort out Kenny Clark, acquired within the Parsons commerce, will shore up their leaky run protection, particularly late within the season, even when it’s exhausting to argue that his new-look protection is best total. And the addition of Pickens provides the Cowboys an overqualified Robin reverse Lamb’s Batman within the passing sport.
“He’s the man who’s going to win one-on-one or if not, draw fouls,” Prescott mentioned of Pickens. “Very bodily. He is a mismatch for any DB on this league. So, they’ll must double. And that’s your troubles proper there. You need to double him or double CeeDee?
“When these guys aren’t doubled, they’ll benefit from it.”
There are nonetheless holes in Jones’ grand plan. The offensive line he’s painstakingly constructed over the previous few drafts hasn’t seemed good within the first two video games, and can now be with out heart Cooper Beebe for 6-8 weeks. And, naturally, the Parsons-less protection has seemed like a legal responsibility early, placing much more stress on Prescott to mild up the scoreboard.
“I do know Jerry loves Kenny Clark and I get that he desires to enhance the run protection,” the scout mentioned. “However Parsons is a wrecking ball. You possibly can’t simply substitute all of the issues he does.”
True, however Prescott is the type of quarterback who could make up for what the Cowboys misplaced — once more, assuming the correct of crew is lastly round him. He threw for 4,516 yards and an NFL-best 36 touchdowns in 2023 when the Cowboys had a middling speeding assault, with about 40% of his passing yards going to Lamb. Everybody knew Prescott solely had one actual viable choice, and he nonetheless one way or the other made it work because the Cowboys went 12-5 and gained the NFC East.
With higher personnel round him, there’s no actual motive why he can’t do this once more.
“[Jones] will not be improper in what he’s saying,” one NFC scout mentioned. “The extra property you’ve got, the extra cap room you’ve got, the higher crew you’ll be able to construct. And Prescott is an elite quarterback who actually can win with the suitable crew round him.
“Nevertheless it’s about what you do with these property that you’ve. These draft picks they obtained for Parsons (first rounders in 2026 and 2027) gained’t assist for a few years. Does Dak have a greater crew round him now with Parsons gone? I don’t know that we all know that but.”
Jones thinks he is aware of. Buying and selling Parsons away was both a) a guess in opposition to Prescott not being ok to win all of it with three gamers gobbling up a lot of the membership’s cap area, or b) Parsons not being well worth the greatest deal within the league for a non-QB. Jones is clearly suggesting the latter.
Almost one month after buying and selling Micah Parsons, Jerry Jones continues to be explaining his rationale for making the transfer. (Picture by Cooper Neill/Getty Photos)
“I will inform you this proper now,” Jones mentioned, “as we sit up for Dak’s time, once we made his contract and we glance ahead, this was one of the best ways to maximise our probability to get a Tremendous Bowl for Dak.
“We have now the highest-paid participant within the NFL at quarterback. We made that dedication final yr, and we’re proud we made it. It had the whole lot to do with [the Parsons trade]. Every thing. It provides us each alternative with Dak Prescott and Lamb and the bottom that we’ve obtained to win now.”
He’s not improper about that. He’s obtained the suitable quarterback.
The one query is whether or not Jones, whose personnel blunders have wasted a lot of Prescott’s first 9 years within the NFL, can lastly do proper by him.
Ralph Vacchiano is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports activities. He spent six years masking the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and earlier than that, 16 years masking the Giants and the NFL for the New York Each day Information. Observe him on Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.
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