Dak Prescott could get the thumbs up for Week 6, but only if he passes the spin test.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday the doubt around Prescott is whether he has enough hand and grip strength in his right thumb to spin the ball with the velocity needed to throw passes on target. If he can, Jones and the Cowboys should get Prescott back in the lineup Sunday with the NFC East lead on the line against the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles (5-0).
“He’s gotta really be able to spin the ball,” Jones said. “We’ll start working on that Wednesday real hard. We know Dak Prescott can play, but can he spin the ball?”
Backup Cooper Rush spun a four-game winning streak since replacing the injured Prescott. Dallas scored a defensive touchdown to down the Los Angeles Rams last week and improve to 4-1, firmly in second place in the division by virtue of a head-to-head win over the 4-1 New York Giants.
Grip was the issue for Prescott last week. He attempted to strengthen his hand and right thumb following the removal of a stitch left over from surgery last month. But Prescott couldn’t keep the ball locked in with his grip and continued in the rehab phase.
Jones said there is no thought from the franchise that Rush would remain in the lineup even after Prescott is fully cleared.
“When we get him back, that’ll be a real additive. We’ll be a mess (for opponents) if we can keep playing defense like this,” Jones said.
Defense has driven the Cowboys’ rise in the standings.
Dallas ranks first in quarterback hits, is tied for first in rushing touchdowns allowed (1), second in sacks (20) and third in points allowed per game (14.3).
–Field Level Media