For the newest Dallas Cowboys, Competition is Key
By Ricky Castro
For the Dallas Cowboys, competition always led to success. It caused stressful moments in the past but resulted in amazing results. It’s a funny thing.
In 1989, when Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman took his first snap at during the team’s OTA’s he had the eyes of another rookie over his shoulder, watching his every move.
At the time, fellow quarterback Steve Walsh was the second overall pick of the 1989 Supplemental Draft, and considered just as highly of a draft pick as Aikman. Competition reeked that training camp.
However, it was competition that made Aikman work that much harder to eventually win the starting quarterback job in Dallas, win three Super Bowls, and gain induction into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame. Competition stresses you out, but it brings out the best in you. Its funny like that.
Let’s fast forward to the future, shall we? I’m here in my tiny 600 square foot apartment, watching the Cowboys go up against the Seattle Seahawks in the third preseason game. Every time rookie quarterback Dak Prescott is about to snap the ball I stop what I’m doing and watch.
I think about what Prescott is going to do. Surely, he will act like a rookie and make some bonehead mistake. Nope. Instead, Prescott acts cool in the pocket, steps up to relieve pressure, and pass or run. Then, whizzes a pass past the turned head of a Seattle linebacker, but high enough where Cowboys’ tight end Jason Witten can still grab it at the back of the end zone. Touchdown.
This style of play is becoming all too familiar for Prescott. The rookie was forced into action early because Cowboys starting quarterback Tony Romo only participated on three plays of this game before suffering a back injury that forced him to retire…for the night.
Romo was begging any coach or medical personnel that would clear him to get back on the field. With all of Prescott’s success this preseason, the veteran likely wants to show that he still has what it takes to win. Romo wants to assure the coaches that he should still remain the starting quarterback when he comes back from injury no matter how serious.
As a precaution, Romo was sidelined while Prescott was given yet another opportunity to assure us all that he is the future. Two very different ends of the spectrum. One, a seasoned quarterback trying to secure his legacy. The other, at the very beginning of his professional career. Competition is funny like that.
New Cowboys’ running back Alfred Morris has been very productive these past two preseason games. Morris was penciled in as the current starter at running back on the Cowboys depth chart. Rookie Ezekiel Elliott started versus the Seahawks and showed us that Dallas drafted him for a reason.
On a couple of occasions, Elliott barreled over Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor. The rookie runner showed speed, burst to get around the corners, and plenty of power. He enough ability to draw a late hit penalty from Chancellor out of frustration. If it wasn’t for competition with Morris, Elliott wouldn’t have had such an impressive showing. Competition will produce that for you.
Competition is a funny thing in football. It makes or breaks careers and brings out the worst in people to achieve greatness. Historically, the Cowboys have had a high success rate when great competition is executed in many positions on the depth chart.
Next: Five Dallas Cowboys whose stock is on the rise
So far this preseason, the Cowboys have shown that they have competition in two key positions: quarterback and running back. The rest of this preseason and regular season will determine where else competition will rear its determined head. Sooner or later it will show up, or not. It’s funny like that.