Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer 7y

Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott facing different kind of adversity in Week 3

FRISCO, Texas -- In a year, Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott have become the faces of the Dallas Cowboys.

Prescott was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year after leading the Cowboys to a 13-3 record last season. Elliott led the NFL in rushing with 1,631 yards and was named an All-Pro.

After Sunday’s 42-17 loss to the Denver Broncos, Prescott and Elliott have to show they can rebound from poor performances in a lopsided defeat.

In two of their three losses last season, the Cowboys were driving for potential winning or tying scores in the fourth quarter. The third loss, in the season finale against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Cowboys fell 27-13, but Elliott did not play and Prescott played in two series.

Sunday’s loss was something new, and questions swirl around both for different reasons.

For Elliott, it’s about a lack of effort in chasing down Broncos defenders on Prescott interceptions. For Prescott, it’s about failing to make things happen when the run game was stalled.

The average age on the Cowboys’ roster is 26.02, younger than the league average. They have 10 rookies or first-year players on the roster, which falls in line with the league average. They have seven players 30 years old and up, which is less than the league average.

At their core, the Cowboys remain a young team that faced some adversities a year ago, but nothing like what they face this week, in which everything -- everything -- gets questioned.

“You want to have mentally tough guys on your team,” coach Jason Garrett said. “You want to have guys who are the right kind of guys, who are going to compete through some challenging situations. So you’re always evaluating that.

“That’s the nature of our game. Every time we break the huddle, the guys across from you, that’s adversity. They’re really good in this league, so your ability to respond to that again and again and again, that’s what separates the best players.”

Garrett did not question his quarterback's effort Sunday, but he did question his execution at times. He thought Sunday might have been one of Prescott’s best games because of how he stood in the face of adversity. It’s the same reason he believes Tony Romo’s five-interception game against the Buffalo Bills in 2007 was his best, and Troy Aikman’s performance in the 1994 NFC Championship game was among the Hall of Famer’s best.

“If you get a chance, go back and watch the tape of No. 4. No. 4 is a special player,” Garrett said of Prescott. “It was not an easy game for him. Got knocked around a little bit, got banged up early. And talk about a guy who battles. Talk about a guy who fights. Talk about a guy who leads the team under adversity, under duress. It was special.

“I reflect back on the best quarterbacks I’ve been around. Oftentimes the games I remember most are the ones that the situations are the most challenging. And you see how they respond. How they respond to a turnover, how they respond to guys hitting them in the face over and over and over again. You’ve heard me say this before: My old man says you can hit him in the face with a shovel and he keeps coming back. That’s what Dak Prescott again demonstrated.”

Garrett’s mind turned to an 11-yard run by Prescott on third-and-14 with the outcome already decided late in the fourth quarter. He scrambled away from trouble and lowered his shoulder on a Denver defender looking for extra yardage.

“He’s a great competitor,” Garrett said. “He fights. He scratches. He claws. He’s a great leader for our team.”

It makes the perfect contrast to how Elliott responded to adversity. He stood with his hands on his hips after Chris Harris Jr. picked off Prescott in the third quarter. Garrett was not pleased with Elliott’s effort on Aqib Talib’s 103-yard interception return late in the game, either. Prescott was the last Cowboy trying to track down Talib, to no avail.

Elliott’s longest run against the Broncos was five yards. He is not accustomed to being slowed, let alone being stopped in the first 16 games he played in the NFL.

The Cowboys need ElliottĀ and Prescott to respond against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night.

“One of the things that is the foundation of our football team is fight,” Garrett said. “We’re going to compete and fight and scratch and claw. That’s what we’re going to be. That’s one of the reasons we love Zeke Elliott. That’s what he is. Watch him play. He competes. He battles.

“Urban Meyer told us he’s the best player he’s ever had when the ball is not in his hands, and so he’s made great blocks throughout his career with us. That’s just what he’s all about. Again, those plays were uncharacteristic of him. We’ll certainly address it with him, but we have to address that with our entire team. That’s not the way we play.”

^ Back to Top ^