FRISCO, Texas — Corridor of Fame coach Invoice Parcells had a well-known saying: Soccer gamers play soccer throughout soccer season.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott needs to play soccer regardless that the Cowboys have been eradicated from the playoffs Saturday when the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Washington Commanders.
“That is my job,” Prescott mentioned. “That is what I like to do. Sitting out final yr and the instances earlier than, you do not take attending to play this sport without any consideration. You play each sport to win. You play each sport with an opportunity to go to the playoffs or play within the Tremendous Bowl. Sadly, that is not at all times the case, and if it isn’t the case once we take the sphere or each time it could be, I am grateful for the chance to play this sport. And I am not going to ever cross it up.”
In 2020, he missed the ultimate 11 video games with a dislocation and fractured proper ankle. A yr in the past at the moment, Prescott was recovering from surgical procedure to restore a hamstring avulsion.
“These previous couple of video games I put down the crutches so simply to even take into consideration that, proper, and take into consideration that now I am right here and I am feeling the very best that I’ve had,” Prescott mentioned, “and I am wholesome and I get an opportunity to take the sphere with my brothers. I am tremendous excited for this chance.”
Maybe Cowboys administration will make the choice to take a seat Prescott for the ultimate sport or two if the crew is formally eradicated from the postseason. Prescott’s significance to a profitable 2026 may outweigh what occurs the remainder of this season. Why danger an damage that might affect that?
Proprietor and common supervisor Jerry Jones mentioned on 105.3 The Fan this week that they won’t play for draft positioning. Coach Brian Schottenheimer was requested if beginning backup QB Joe Milton III could be potential.
“I wish to win,” Schottenheimer mentioned. “So the plan might be to play Dak.”
Why Aubrey’s kicks have been off the mark
When Brandon Aubrey missed discipline purpose makes an attempt from 51 and 59 yards final week in opposition to the Minnesota Vikings, it was virtually met with shock due to how good the Professional Bowl kicker has been to begin his profession.
As Aubrey analyzed what went fallacious, it got here all the way down to physique posture.
“It is laborious to see the place your foot makes contact with the ball, however that is the large one,” Aubrey mentioned. “You may have toe, ankle and the candy spot. So toe pushes it off proper. That is what the case was with the 59. An ankle ball will simply be disgusting. I have never had a kind of. However the first miss [51], I made contact correctly, however my physique’s simply falling off it. That is the physique posture.
“I am going to have a toe mis-hit each every now and then, however these have an opportunity to nonetheless go in. However the falling off the ball, my momentum’s going left and my leg’s attempting to go proper.”
Aubrey didn’t put the misses on the Vikings’ aggressive rushes. He mentioned he would not see the frenzy till the ball is gone.
“I’d see them out of my peripherals and pull my leg again [after],” Aubrey mentioned.
It was solely the third time Aubrey had two misses in a sport. He had one every in 2023 and ’24.
Final week’s kicks “weren’t back-to-back,” he mentioned. “There have been three discipline targets between them that we made. And the 59, I imply, you’d prefer to make it, but it surely’s not a high-percentage kick. For me, it is in all probability a better proportion than most, so I would prefer to make it, but it surely’s not one thing I am beating myself up about. [The 51-yarder] is within the vary the place I would say you’d count on to make it. Any NFL kicker needs to be anticipated to make that.”
Let’s get to know the fourth-year tight finish a bit of bit higher.
When you weren’t enjoying soccer, what would you be doing?
“I would in all probability both would’ve carried out navy, or I’d’ve tried to do one thing alongside the strains of like appearing or one thing. However identical to being a lifeless physique. Not being a lead position or something. The man who dies within the first 5 minutes.”
Favourite soccer reminiscence
“Ever? I’d say youth ball. Certainly one of my finest associates, his title is Jack Scott, he was my working again. The opposite crew that was actually good, they have been the South Aspect Raiders. I had a pair buddies who performed for them, too. However I handed it to him and he scored and he began speaking smack. We’re in like fifth grade and so they all surrounded him, began pushing him round. I needed to attain in and seize him, and he is like, I may’ve took ’em.’ It was humorous.”
Prized possession
“I am not tremendous materialistic. I’d simply say the relationships that I’ve in-built my life.”
Why did you decide your quantity?
“Eighty-seven, I haven’t got a ton of which means with it, however I have been 8 for a very long time and that type of jogs my memory of my brother [Joe]. I at all times knew I needed one thing with 8 in it. I by no means performed tight finish till school. I assumed I used to be going to be a center linebacker. All my different provides bedsides Wisconsin have been for out of doors linebacker. I mentioned, ‘Effectively, I’ll Wisconsin, so I suppose I am a decent finish.'”
Which teammate has made the largest affect?
“There’s two who actually type of like influenced me and I’d say — and he in all probability doesn’t know this — we had an O-lineman, certainly one of my actually good associates in highschool, his title was James Neuson. He performed our senior yr with two torn ACLs, simply taped them up and performed with them. He was like, ‘I haven’t got something after this. That is my soccer. I like it an excessive amount of to cheat it. That is my final shot.’
“So I’ve remembered that for a really very long time. And likewise simply my brother. I used to be on a pair groups of his and he’d simply beat the s— out of me and at last once we have been carried out he was like, ‘You are good.'”
