Cowboys vs Raiders: Dak Prescott to call offensive plays

The Dallas Cowboys and head coach Mike McCarthy are having fun with the preseason finale. A lot has been made about McCarthy taking over play-calling on offense this year, but tonight he’s enlisted an offensive assistant to help—quarterback Dak Prescott.

Since OTAs and minicamp, McCarthy has emphasized Prescott being at the center of his offense. He wanted No. 4 to have complete command of the huddle and orchestrate things at the line of scrimmage.

An example of Prescott taking the reigns was when he took offensive skill players to Georgia for a weekend retreat to connect off the field and get some extra reps in while they were there. It was a weekend of brotherhood, and when McCarthy was asked about the trip and his thoughts on it, he mentioned Prescott had organized the entire getaway and worked on a game plan he developed after he and McCarthy spoke.

With tonight being Will Grier’s last game as a member of the Cowboys with Trey Lance coming to town, Prescott could help build some offensive drives that make Grier and the entire offense look good. Grier isn’t the only one that needs a positive game on offense.

Wide receiver Simi Fehoko and running back Malik Davis could be on the outside looking in with 53-man roster cuts looming. A positive showing could change some minds in the front office heading into Tuesday’s deadline.

It isn’t unprecedented to see a player take over the headset on the sidelines. Kyler Murray had a chance to call offensive plays last preseason and did pretty well. For Prescott, this has a chance to show an understanding of the offense from another angle while having fun.

If he wants to take the path of Kellen Moore and someday go from the field to the sidelines, tonight will be the start of the process.