Leave it to Dak Prescott to offer just a little of highly spiced theatre to set the degree for the Sunday night time showdown between the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers.
I imply, who else?
The extremely scrutinized Cowboys quarterback without a doubt had a downright salty reaction following final Sunday’s blowout win against the New England Patriots, requested about his motivation for a rematch against the rival that eradicated Dallas from the playoffs in every of the previous two seasons. It used to be all inside.
“I mean, you just want to (tick) me off going into the week,” Prescott mentioned to a reporter who pressed at the theme, conscious of the 2 interceptions that the quarterback threw within the divisional playoff loss at San Francisco in January. “I appreciate that. I do. Actually, I do.”
Then he ended the news convention and walked off.
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Before the overall remark, Prescott colorfully make clear how the loss drove him within the offseason.
“I mean, every (expletive) day,” he mentioned. “Every day. Every day. Every day.”
Love him or detest him, you’ll’t blame Prescott for sharing some uncooked pastime. He is aware of. If the Cowboys (3-1) are going to reach the imaginative and prescient of finishing the franchise’s 28-year Super Bowl drought, they’ll most certainly need to end up that they are able to beat the 49ers when it counts, assuming that some other playoff rematch is within the playing cards.
This weekend’s tilt at Levi’s Stadium supplies a becoming measuring stick because the 49ers (4-0) roll alongside as one of the vital NFL’s two unbeaten groups. More measuring sticks for Dallas loom within the coming weeks with the 2 NFC East matchups against with the Eagles (4-0). But first issues first.
For Prescott, Sunday night time is a chance to write down a brand new narrative that contrasts the crunch time gaffes the final two occasions. His turnovers in January had been most likely the adaptation within the 19-12 loss. Two seasons in the past, the 23-17 NFC wild-card spherical setback at AT&T Stadium ended with Prescott (and coaches) not able to successfully arrange the clock whilst positioning for a possible game-winning landing.
During his midweek consultation with Dallas media, Prescott mirrored on his postgame second a couple of days previous. But he infrequently walked again the feelings.
“I don’t want to say I was joking, but after the game we were celebrating the win and that gets brought up,” he mentioned. “It was, ‘Damn, thanks for reminding me.'”
There are many attractive swing components in play for Sunday night time. Among them: Can the Dallas protection that contained Christian McCaffrey in January do it once more because the scorching MVP candidate leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage? Will a wholesome Tony Pollard, who suffered a fractured ankle in the second one quarter in January, supply explosive performs that takes force off Prescott? Which pass-rushing stud – Micah Parsons or Nick Bosa – has the larger night time?
Since that loss in Santa Clara, the Cowboys tweaked the offense. Coordinator Kellen Moore is long gone, with trainer Mike McCarthy taking up the play-calling and Prescott getting much more duty on the line of scrimmage. Some of it’s been operating. Prescott has the NFL’s second-best final touch share (71.3%) and Dallas has sparkled with lengthy drives fueled by way of the league’s splendid third-down conversion charge (51.6%). But the unpleasant stain at the stats has include a penchant to lavatory down when nearer to the top zone. The Cowboys rank thirtieth for touchdowns (36.8%) upon getting within the purple zone – now not the most productive pattern for buying the most productive of San Francisco’s protection.
Still, the half-full manner for Dallas is that it’s concerning the provide. Fallout from the previous?
“We’ve stopped listening,” Prescott advised Dallas newshounds. “That’s in the past. We know what’s out there. We know what the history is. So, I can’t say this is about proving to the world as much as this is about going out to get our Week 5 win that we know is a big win that’s going to propel us throughout the season.”
Either that or the end result will simply flip up the warmth.
The code
Of the entire response to the remarks in July from Broncos trainer Sean Payton that alluded to his predecessor, it kind of feels fairly extraordinary that New York Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett contended that an unwritten “code” used to be violated as a result of a trainer spoke lower than favorably about some other trainer.
Then once more, if I’m the lawyers pursuing the class-action racial discrimination lawsuit against the NFL initiated by way of Brian Flores, I’m exploring whether or not any such “code” components into why some African-American coaches with more potent resumes are too steadily handed over for head training jobs. The Flores lawsuit used to be prompted, take into account, when Bill Belichick congratulated “Brian” – he supposed to ship the message to Brian Daboll fairly than Flores – for buying the New York Giants task in 2022 whilst Flores had but to interview.
Decades after an unwritten “gentleman’s agreement” existed within the NFL to prohibit African-American avid gamers for 12 years, it’s placing (albeit now not completely unexpected) to assume there’s a privileged mindset that maintains such “codes” nonetheless exist.
In any match, as Hackett returns to Denver to stand his former staff, it’s price not anything that Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson’s revival beneath Payton’s watch is palatable. Wilson, coming off profession lows final season for passer ranking (84.4) and final touch share (60.5%) is tied for moment within the NFL with 9 TD passes and tied for 1/3 within the league with a 106.7 passer ranking.
Big Ben we could it rip
It’s just right news for the Pittsburgh Steelers that their quarterback, Kenny Pickett, is anticipated to begin on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens after leaving the Week 4 loss at Houston with a knee damage.
Pretty unhealthy, even though, that Pickett used to be harm on a play that used to be any such stretch from the Steelers identification.
Late within the 1/3 quarter, Pittsburgh confronted a fourth-and-1 from Houston’s 33-yard line. Rather than pound away with an influence run from, say, Najee Harris (who averaged greater than 5 yards in step with elevate at the day), Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada put Pickett within the shotgun and known as for a cross.
Bad transfer. Pickett used to be sacked for 9 yards and knocked out of the sport. And the Steelers, trailing by way of 10 on the time, by no means recovered in dropping 30-6.
The series fueled some other heap of second-guessing for the embattled Canada, maximum particularly from the franchise’s all-time main passer, Ben Roethlisberger.
“I hated the play call,” the previous quarterback mentioned all over his podcast, “Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger.” “Probably 99.9% of Pittsburgh hated the play call.”
Roethlisberger defined that past his drawback with calling for a cross from the shotgun, he took factor with the kind of play as Pickett used to be taking a look to hook up with a “choice” path.
Good factor the credible research wasn’t silenced by way of any “code” that may have avoided Big Ben from criticizing the verdict by way of his former coordinator.
Quick slants
As if being a part of a unit that allowed Giants quarterback Daniel Jones to take in 11 sacks against the Seahawks on Monday night time wasn’t sufficient of a downer, second-year take on Evan Neal made issues such a lot worse by way of lashing out at “fair-weather” enthusiasts who expressed their displeasure with the effects with some severe booing. “Why would a lion concern himself with the opinion of a sheep?” Neal mentioned to NJ.com. “The person that’s commenting on my performance, what does he do? Flip hot dogs and hamburgers somewhere?” Neal has apologized two times … and expectantly realized a long-term lesson. Giants working again Saquon Barkley applauded Neal for apologizing however added, “The advice I would give him, and any other teammate is never pick a battle with the fans. You’re never going to win that one.” … One factor improper with an Atlanta passing offense that ranks dead-last within the NFL: Limited alternatives for tight finish Kyle Pitts. During the loss against Jacksonville in Week 4, Pitts stuck simply two passes for 21 yards (4 goals) and wasn’t even thrown to by way of suffering quarterback Desmond Ridder till past due in the second one quarter. Pitts used to be the highest-drafted tight lead to historical past when selected fourth general by way of the Falcons in 2021. But for the season he has simply 11 catches for 121 yards, with 0 TDs. … Here’s a measure of the way unhealthy it’s been for Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who signed a document five-year, $275 million contract sooner than the season however has been nagged by way of a calf damage: Burrow’s passer ranking of 69.1 is less than the numbers for Zach Wilson and Daniel Jones. In different phrases, it’s the worst within the league.
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