OXNARD, Calif. – Today the Dallas Cowboys will have a “Blue White Scrimmage” at Camp in Oxnard to get the team ready for its first pre-season game against the 49ers on Thursday. Garrett remarked the scrimmage will “ appear to be a normal practice with an inside run and play action period. There will be a 7 on 7 period and then we will get into special teams. We will get into stuff more competitive. “
Today at the scrimmage and throughout pre-season will be a great opportunity for newcomers to showcase their skill and make an impression in the coaching staff. In pre-season many starters will not be on the field and will give second and third string players the chance to come in and embrace the role. Garrett stated today at the press conference that Ezekiel Elliott would not be getting much work in during pre-season.
There have been a few hiccups during training camp including kicker, Dan Bailey, missing a few kicks and quarterback, Dak Prescott, going several consecutive plays without connecting with a receiver or the offense being able to get into the end zone; Garrett is not bothered by either issue.
Dan Bailey has been one of the most accurate kickers in the league for a long time. Bailey has an overall field goal percentage of 88.2, and has made 186 kicks out of 211 attempts during his career with the Cowboys. Bailey faced a groin injury last year and was not his usual self when he returned. He is a tough guy and he came back to the field too soon after his injury and it affected his performance kicking the ball.
Heading into the 2018 season Garrett stated, “ he is striking the ball well. We feel good about him going into the start of the season. He has been a good player for us for such a long time and we feel very confident in what we can do.”
Dak Prescott won over the team his rookie season leading the Cowboys to a 13-3 season and was voted AP’s Offensive Rookie of the Year. After the 9-7 season last year, many doubt Prescott’s abilities. There were plays at camp that went to second and eighteen and third and eighteen. Not exactly the result the offense was looking for but Garrett said it was a “great experience for Dak.”
The NFL is all about shrugging off mistakes, learning from them, and being able to go back out and respond in a successful way. The coaching staff has a lot of faith in their starting QB; after all they re-structured the offensive scheme to become “Dak-Friendly” with receivers who fit in with his quarterback style. Prescott is a young player still learning and perfecting his craft, but he works harder than most on the field and is always one of the last to leave the weight room or practice field. The 2018 season holds a lot of weight for Dak Prescott and the Cowboys’ passing game.
