Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys not expecting Dak Prescott to miss substantial time due to calf injury

Published Oct. 20, 2021 11:52 a.m. ET

Dak Prescott sauntered into the Cowboys' postgame news conference in a walking boot Sunday.

The sight was a plummet back to reality after the Boys catapulted themselves to a triumphant 35-29 overtime victory over the New England Patriots.

In the final few minutes of the game, Dallas kicker Greg Zuerlein missed a 51-yard field goal down 21-20 with 2:46 to play, shifting the possession arrow back to the Patriots, who had an opportunity to collect a few first downs and run out the clock.

That was their intended plan. But just as he has in every game this season, Trevon Diggs intercepted that plan with a mammoth takeaway, turning defense to offense en route to a lead-changing TD.

But his and the Cowboys' elation was short-lived.

Just one play later, Mac Jones forced Diggs to bite on a nifty pump fake before launching a deep rocket to Kendrick Bourne, who snuck behind the safety for a 75-yard score. Prescott & Co. got themselves into adequate field position on Dallas' ensuing two-minute drill and converted a field goal to send the game to overtime.

In the extra period, Dallas' D came up with a crucial stop, forcing a punt and returning the ball to Prescott. No. 4 then calmly led his troupe downfield before rattling off this momentous dime on the run to CeeDee Lamb, who waltzed in for the decisive TD.

It was on this play that Prescott sustained the injury, a calf strain, as he rolled out of the pocket to gain some room to throw.

Prescott was seen limping off the field as he celebrated Dallas' victory, and then he appeared at the news conference in the boot.

It was a development that incited some uneasiness within the team's camp, especially because the calf in question is on the leg Prescott injured last season.

But head coach Mike McCarthy assured the media that the boot was nothing to make a fuss about, particularly with a week off on the horizon. "[He'll be] fine," the coach told reporters. "There is a variance in timelines, but we're optimistic for Minnesota."

McCarthy added that he plans to rest Prescott to allow him time for rehab during the team's incumbent bye week.

Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones had a slightly different tone Monday on 105.3 The Fan.

"Anytime you're sending your quarterback in for an MRI, there's a little nervousness," he said. "But also know what a competitor and how tough Dak is, and [we're] optimistic that we're going to get good. … Hopefully, we're thinking positive and think that he'll be ready to go against Minnesota."

Although a walking boot isn't the most comforting visual, NFL Network's Ian Rapaport said Monday on "NFL Now" that it could actually be a positive sign

"People see a boot, everybody freaks out," he said. "A boot is not always bad. In this case, a boot is actually good."

"It's a protective device to make sure that Prescott doesn't put too much pressure on the injury. He tweaked [his calf] on the last play of the game. He took a couple steps after that, didn't fall down — all of that is a good sign. He believes he's going to be OK. This is something they believe and hope should not cause him to miss time."

But Tuesday on "Speak For Yourself," Marcellus Wiley was singing a different tune, arguing that the calf injury is, in fact, very much reason to worry.

"The calf has to support so much: the most important part of your body as an athlete, which is your foot, and then these big, gigantic muscles [hamstring and quads]," he said. "So when it gets strained, with the low blood circulation flow that's going down your body, all of a sudden that strain is a little more severe than it sounds. You haven't seen Michael Gallup for a reason."

The timely bye week should provide Prescott some extra time for recuperation.

Meanwhile, his team will wait with crossed fingers as the Cowboys hope for the best.