FRISCO, Texas -- There is no disputing Tom Brady is the GOAT when it comes to being an NFL quarterback, but Dallas Cowboys star signal-caller Dak Prescott possesses a diametrically opposed view from him on how to handle mistakes from his pass-catchers.
Brady, Fox Sports' newest A Team analyst, ripped Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Brooks to shreds during the game broadcast of Dallas' 44-19 loss against the New Orleans Saints in Week 2. Brooks fell down running a slant route just past midfield as the Cowboys were driving to attempt to trim their 28-13 deficit down to a one-score hole. That led to Prescott's pass, which was thrown to where Brooks would have been, landing in the hands of Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo for an interception. Three plays later, New Orleans' lead ballooned to 35-13 after a one-yard quarterback sneak touchdown by Saints quarterback Derek Carr. Game over.
After that miscue, Brady said he wouldn't target Brooks the rest of the game if he was quarterback.
"Not today," Brady said on the call. "It's actually pretty tough to go back there. Because you know where he's at, you're saying, I'm going to him, I just can't count on him that he's going to stay on his feet."
Prescott went back to Brooks on the very next drive, and he rewarded his quarterback's faith with a 10-yard completion. That was his only catch of the day since a fourth-quarter target to Brooks, a 2023 seventh-round pick out of South Carolina, fell incomplete.
"Just keep the guy's head up," Prescott said when asked how he handles a pass-catcher's mistake that leads to an interception. "We're going to need him. As great as that sounds -- 'You're going to turn your back on a guy' -- that's not realistic. It's the ultimate team game. ... Being there to pick up a guy. I told [Brooks] him, 'Hell, I may miss some throws and there's going to be a ball that probably, unfortunately, slips out of my hand, or don't put it where I want to put it and it turns into an interception. Does that mean you're going to give up on your route next time? Absolutely not.' Yeah, I'm going to go back to that guy, trust that guy. He's put in a lot of hard work. He's a young player. He's building. He's growing. For me, it's about making sure he doesn't get down on himself."
Joy has been an emotion that's been on short supply around the Cowboys' locker room this week, but that's the mood Prescott has been trying to instill as Dallas prepares to host 2023 NFL MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens in a crucial bounce-back opportunity.
"This game brings me a lot of joy," Prescott said. "Honestly, any time I'm out there on the practice field, the commitment to the preparation that I have, that the guys have. The shared commitment. It's the ultimate team sport. You've got to make sure you're doing your part and helping each other to do their part, playing complementary football. Being there for a teammate maybe in his preparation if he needs it, and then just being your best on Sunday and playing your part."