DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys may be facing a familiar opponent on Sunday when they take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16 at AT&T Stadium.
According to Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones, Eagles rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts has some elements to his game that are reminiscent of Dak Prescott.
"To some degree he reminds you — I'm not going to go as far as to say all the details of the skills — his leadership, competitiveness, and the success he is having quickly reminds of our guy Dak," Jones told "K&C Masterpiece" on 105.3 "The Fan" [KRLD-FM] Monday. "And this is just what I'm seeing from afar. It's unfair for me to judge."
While Jones isn't in the building with the Eagles, the Cowboys' front office boss knows that Hurts' respect on the team and work ethic are self-evident.
"Certainly he competed his tail off yesterday against a really good Arizona football team," Jones said of Hurts' play in the 33-26 loss to the Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. "Certainly Kyler Murray is playing at a high level. I think he went step for step with him and just came up a little short at the end. So, we are going to have our hands full when we play Jalen."
Hurts completed 24 passes on 44 attempts for 338 yards and three touchdowns. The Cardinals defense was able to sack Hurts six times, but the rookie second-rounder from Oklahoma was able to score a rushing touchdown and gain 63 yards on 11 carries.
Jones admitted the Cowboys also had interest in Hurts during the process leading up to the 2020 NFL Draft, as one of coach Mike McCarthy's philosophies is to groom young quarterbacks, which is why they did end up drafting Ben DiNucci from James Madison in the seventh round.
Said Jones: "We looked really hard. Certainly obviously our guy is Dak, but at the same time, Mike is a big proponent of continuing to look at quarterbacks. He went off the board as he should have there in the second round. We certainly had interest in him, but as I've said all along, our complete commitment is to Dak Prescott and look forward to getting his deal at some point finished and getting him back on the field. He's certainly the leader of this team and we certainly miss him."
The Cowboys fell 23-9 to the Eagles on Sunday Night Football in Week 8. Carson Wentz went 15-of-27 for 123 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles. In terms of passer rating, DiNucci outplayed Wentz: 64.6 to 61.2 in the seventh-rounder’s first and only start.
With the Eagles turning to Hurts to rescue their season and give them a shot in the arm to qualify for the postseason, Dallas knows they are facing a catalytic force in the former Sooner.
Do you think the Cowboys should have been more serious about selecting Jalen Hurts in the draft? Share your thoughts with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.
