DALLAS — One of the gray clouds hanging over the Dallas Cowboys during their bye week has been quarterback Dak Prescott's calf.
On the game-winning touchdown pass to receiver CeeDee Lamb to beat the New England Patriots 35-29 in overtime in Week 6, Prescott injured his calf. With the two-time Pro Bowler sustaining an injury to his leg, it was about the only thing that could derail the Cowboys' optimistic finish after a strong 5-1 start.
Cowboys owner, president, and general manager Jerry Jones told "Shan & RJ" on 105.3 "The Fan" on Tuesday that he was encouraged by the way Prescott moved around at Monday's practice at The Star.
"Those things have to be monitored," said Jones. "We have a solid week, which is great to monitor that. I thought [Zack] Martin had a good description of it when he had the calf tear last year. He said some days it feels great and then it feels like you got run over by a bulldozer the next day. But still, I feel very good about where Dak is right now.”
The injury to Prescott's calf is reminiscent of his shoulder strain sustained after the first 10 days of training camp. Prescott missed all of the team's four preseason games as the Cowboys medical staff made sure the franchise quarterback was healthy enough to go for an entire 17-game slate.
Jones said that he isn't as worried about Prescott's calf as he was his shoulder.
Said Jones: "Much less, much less. Not even in my thought process of things to worry about. So, again, comparing the two, I wouldn’t compare the two. One is much less sensitive to me — I’m talking the calf than the shoulder.”
Another element as to why the Cowboys aren't as concerned about Prescott's calf, as it relates to their aspirations in January, is due to the strong roster. Dallas has two capable running backs in Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, who average 5.1 yards per carry and 6.0 yards per carry.
Dallas still has All-Pro talent along the offensive line in left tackle Tyron Smith and right guard Zack Martin. The defense has been adept at procuring 14 takeaways, tied for third-most in the NFL, with cornerback Trevon Diggs charging forward with a league-leading seven interceptions.
"Dak is playing above anything I could have dreamed about," Jones said. "And, so, we know we’re benefiting from that. We know that he doesn’t have to have those offensive-player-of-the-week type games, that we got a supporting cast. I feel real good about that.”
The Cowboys have a healthy lead in the NFC East as the rest of the division is log-jammed at 2-5. If the Cowboys' winning streak continues and the rest of the division falters, talk of resting Prescott for a playoff push may become sensible in mid-December as the season winds down.
"So much of that will depend on how he feels and how he’s basically giving feedback, and the answer is you certainly would measure how to play a game with the idea in mind that he could give you a lot of games in the future," Jones said. "That’s pretty easy. The big point would be [backup] (Cooper) Rush and how he’s doing."
The Cowboys take on the Minnesota Vikings for the Sunday night game in Week 8 at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Do you believe that Dak Prescott will be ready to go for the Halloween matchup against the Vikings? Share your thoughts with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.