If you missed last night's action, or if you simply want to see it again, here's every pass by Dak Prescott against the Rams.
Every throw from Dak Prescott's impeccable @DallasCowboys debut! #DALvsLA https://t.co/ux6hQG4SbL
— NFL (@NFL) August 14, 2016
Dak’s Debut Keeping Veteran QBs On Street For Now - Nick Eatman, Dallas Cowboys
Eatman calls Prescott's effort a "fantastic game for the rookie quarterback", and explains why the search for a veteran backup hasn't been called off but is definitely on the back burner.
Somewhere on a dry-erase board at Oxnard, Calif., or on a notepad or piece of paper among the front-office personnel, exists a short list of available free-agent quarterbacks.
Now, don’t expect anything to get erased or thrown away after Saturday night’s game in Los Angeles, butt those veteran quarterbacks shouldn’t be holding their breath for the Cowboys to call anytime soon.
Dak Prescott shines in NFL preseason debut - Michael Schwartz, USA Today
Prescot gave the team a few reasons to believe he's ahead of schedule in his development, Schwartz explains.
Prescott was forced into the role as Tony Romo's potential backup when Kellen Moore suffered a fractured right fibula. Originally projected to be a developmental prospect in his first year, Prescott might end up serving a much more important role in 2016 if Dallas opts not to add an established veteran at quarterback.
Dak Prescott shines in Dallas Cowboys preseason loss at L.A. Rams - Clarence Hill, The Star-Telegram
Rookie quarterback Dak Prescott started and threw two touchdowns in one half of play.
More games must be played as well as many more practices, but the Cowboys couldn’t have asked for a better start in what was Prescott’s first outing as a NFL quarterback despite a 28-24 loss against the Los Angeles Rams in the preseason opener for both teams.
Prescott [completede] 10 of 12 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns. He had a quarterback rating of 154.5 to lead the Cowboys to a 24-7 halftime lead.
"I thought Dak did a good job," coach Jason Garrett said. "He had poise and composure. He ran the offense well. I thought he managed the game well and executed plays. He made some little plays and also made some big plays."
Cowboys rookie Dak Prescott puts top draft picks Jared Goff, Carson Wentz to shame in debut - Tim Cowlishaw, SportsDay
Cowlishaw writes that Prescott "looked far more prepared" after two weeks of camp than the top two draft picks.
On the one hand, it's an exhibition game, a football friendly, with relatively little at stake. On the other hand, nearly perfect is still nearly perfect.
The quarterback picked at the top of the draft, Jared Goff, made his debut for the Rams and completed four of nine passes for 38 yards. He also threw an interception to rookie linebacker Mark Nzeocha.
The quarterback picked No. 2 by Philadelphia, Carson Wentz, went 12-for-24 for just 89 yards with an interception Thursday night. He also suffered a hairline fracture in his ribs that could set him back for a few weeks.
Now it's just one night, and Goff and Wentz might have Hall of Fame careers ahead of them. Like I said, no one knows. But all we can see is that Prescott -- selected 133 picks after Wentz -- appears capable of making the transition from college spread quarterback in the SEC to dropback passer in the NFL faster than expected.
Dak Prescott, not Jared Goff, looks like No. 1 pick - Jarett Bell, USA Today
Bell compares Prescott with Goff and concludes that while Prescott sizzled, Jared Goff fizzled.
While it is way too early to draw definitive conclusions – Prescott has had reps with the starters, while Goff is working with the twos – the contrasting experiences of the quarterbacks suggested much about how these guys are progressing. That Prescott was a fourth-round pick was another head-scratcher. He sure outplayed the Cal product who was taken at the top of the draft.
Interestingly, the dress rehearsals before an announced crowd of 89,140 fans were reminiscent of what I witnessed from the quarterbacks last week in glimpses of their practices.
Goff, whom the Rams maintain they won’t rush while rolling with Case Keenum, struck me as a bit timid in practice. He had the worst interception I’ve seen this summer with a short, soft, lazy-looking pass that was deflected into a pop-up over the middle.
Prescott, out of Mississippi State, had a different presence in Dallas’ practices, where he has picked up extra reps with Romo’s typical weekly off-days and then with projected No. 2 quarterback Kellen Moore knocked out with a fractured ankle. He seemed decisive in team drills, and didn’t appear fazed by the environment.
Rookie Dak Prescott looks like the Cowboys' answer at backup QB - Andre Vergara, FOX Sports
More praise for Prescott.
The speculation on who'd back up Tony Romo ranged from the sublime to the absurd. On Saturday night, Dak Prescott seemingly put an end to all of that.
Prescott's performance had to give the Cowboys confidence that they had found their backup QB.
Social media reacts to Dak Prescott’s surprising debut - Kyle Ringo, SEC Country
If you've grown tired of hearing the same old voices on your social media tweets, this article has highlights from last night that might not have made it into your social media timeline, and that's always a good thing.
History says Dallas Cowboys could keep inexperienced backup QBs - Todd Archer, ESPN
Todd Archer on Friday made an interesting point about the Cowboys' history with inexperienced backup QBs.
Covering Jerry Jones long enough you learn not to buy stock in everything he says. Sometimes it's for effect, like hoping Jaylon Smith will play this season. Jones said the development of the young quarterbacks has him thinking of standing pat behind Tony Romo. It certainly sounds a little strange considering the Cowboys' record without Romo last season.
Dak Prescott's arrow has been pointing up since camp started, but it's too difficult to know for sure if he can be the No. 2. It's a tall task for a fourth-round pick, or even a first-round pick in some cases.
But let's go back in time for a second. In 2004, the Cowboys cut Quincy Carter in camp and had Vinny Testaverde as the starter. Despite Testaverde's age -- he was 40 when the season started -- the Cowboys went with Romo, who did not play a game as a rookie in 2003, and Drew Henson, who had been playing baseball, as the backups. The Cowboys were coming off a 10-6 season and a playoff appearance in Bill Parcells' first season, so it wasn't like that team had low expectations at the start of the year.
Chaz Green, Swaim Among Players Reviewed In Writers’ Players to Watch | Dallas Cowboys
Eatman, Helman, and Phillips give the thumbs up for Anthony Brown and Darius Jackson, and saw mixed results from Geoff Swaim, Keith Smith, Ryan Russell, and Kavon Frazier. Bryan Broaddus looked at Chaz Green and Mark Nzeocha:
Chaz Green: I always say that with an offensive linemen, you evaluate how he played not on a handful of plays but his entire body of work. For Chaz Green the film will likely show some positive plays for the most part especially when he had his snaps with the first line. What was clear was that the longer he had to play, the more physically tired and sloppy he became with his technique. I don't care how talented you might be if your technique is bad you are going to look bad and that's exactly what happened with Green. If he's going to be the swing tackle on this team, he is going to have to get in better shape physically but more importantly he is going to have to become more mentally strong because he is neither right now.
Mark Nzeocha: I thought it was a good thing to see Mark Nzeocha get the work load that he did in this game. There were several snaps where he was right where he needed to be on his fits especially when the ball was right in front of him. The one poor play I thought he had during the night was the first drive of the 2nd half for the Rams that resulted in the touchdown by Chase Reynolds. It appeared that his responsibility was to take Reynolds out of the backfield on what we call a "Texas Route". Back starts wide then angles back to the inside. Nezocha was just too wide on the drop and then was confusion [sic] where he needed to be once Reynolds broke inside. It was poor positioning on his part. Other than that, his interception was needed and when he had a chance to finish tackles he [was] right there.
Travis Frederick agrees to six-year, $56.4M extension - Chris Wesseling, NFL.com
Other stuff happened too.
The team has agreed to terms with center Travis Frederick on a six-year contract extension that will make him the highest-paid center in the league, NFL Media's Rand Getlin and NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported. Per Rapoport, the deal is worth $56.4 million ($18.2 million fully guaranteed, $28.2 million in total guarantees), per a source informed of the contract.