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Maybe the Cowboys are on to something with their patient approach to finding Tony Romo's backup
By Brandon George

OXNARD, Calif. -- The Cowboys keep saying they will be patient in their approach to finding a backup quarterback.
Maybe they're on to something.

Rookie Dak Prescott and second-year quarterback Jameill Showers were sharp Sunday in front of 8,726 fans, by far the largest crowd of training camp yet.

Prescott received a lot of work in team and 7-on-7 drills. He was as sharp as he's been all camp and threw the ball well on the run. He had a touchdown pass to tight end Geoff Swaim.

Showers took all 16 plays of the Cowboys' annual Blue-White Scrimmage, the first time the club has tackled to the ground all camp. Showers led the Cowboys to a pair of field goal drives. He completed 7-of-10 passes and showed great arm strength.

"Oh, I'm really more encouraged after this about holding our pat hand on a veteran than before this," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said after the two-hour practice, "and as we go along, if we continue to see this kind of improvement and see this kind of instinctive [play] and [they] really look very comfortable back there, that will give us some running room here, give us some options."

The Cowboys went 1-11 without Tony Romo last year and didn't sign a veteran backup in the offseason.

After losing backup Kellen Moore for the next three to four months Tuesday with a fractured ankle, the Cowboys made a run at veteran Nick Foles. But Foles signed with Kansas City, and the Cowboys haven't made a push for anyone else since.

Part of the reason the Cowboys are taking it slow is because the club is still early in training camp and they've been impressed with Prescott and Showers.

"Both of them are really, really doing a good job in the role that we've asked of them," Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said after practice. "Certainly Dak has been taking more reps and working with the twos more and we've been really pleased with Dak in that role, but Jameill is competing and he's pushing the quarterback group and he's not going away because he's got a lot of ability, too."

The Cowboys cut their scrimmage short because their defense is so depleted. They practiced Sunday without eight of the 17 defensive linemen on their roster and missing five of their 14 linebackers.

That helped the first-team offense, led by Romo who had his best training camp practice yet.

So much is made about Romo's days off. But he practiced in pads for the third consecutive day Sunday and finished 10-of-14 in team drills.

Romo's best pass came when he put perfect touch on a pass to the right end zone that hit receiver Dez Bryant in stride for about a 30-yard touchdown. Bryant beat cornerback Brandon Carr on the play for the score, flashing his celebratory "X" signal to the fans in the end zone area.

"I thought Tony was sharp as a tack out there," Jones said. "I thought Dez looked good out there, too."

The Cowboys had planned to give Prescott some work in the 16-play scrimmage. But after Prescott's extended work in team and 7-on-7 drills, Cowboys coaches decided to give Showers all the plays in the scrimmage.

Romo isn't expected to play Saturday in the Cowboys' first preseason game against the Rams. Prescott and Showers will likely split time, with another chance to keep Jones sitting on his hands in the club's search for a backup quarterback.

"It definitely feels good to be able to come out here and prove to coaches and put them at ease, saying that we have something to offer," Showers said. "I can play football. I know I can play."
 

Dodger12

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"Oh, I'm really more encouraged after this about holding our pat hand on a veteran than before this," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said after the two-hour practice, "and as we go along, if we continue to see this kind of improvement and see this kind of instinctive [play] and [they] really look very comfortable back there, that will give us some running room here, give us some options."

My God I hate this man. I just cringe when I read his quotes. He wouldn't know talent if it walked up to him and smacked him in the face with his pat hand. The sad part is he really believes what he's saying. Hey, Brandon Weeden throws the pretties ball he's ever seen. And this guy is our chief talent evaluator.
 

yimyammer

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My God I hate this man. I just cringe when I read his quotes. He wouldn't know talent if it walked up to him and smacked him in the face with his pat hand. The sad part is he really believes what he's saying. Hey, Brandon Weeden throws the pretties ball he's ever seen. And this guy is our chief talent evaluator.

Right there with ya amigo, I have to avoid hearing or reading anything he says because it instantly puts me in a rage and I start to dream about how pleasurable it would be to hurt the man.

I might be to the point on the hate scale that I'd rather see the Cowboys get annihilated by every opponent just to enjoy the misery it would cause that prick
 
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Yeah but he wears a stop watch around his neck at the combine so take him serious!
 

Rynie

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Why are all of you acting like we could actually win games with a backup QB. Did y'all suddenly forget who our HC is?
 

theoneandonly

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This coaching staff isnt going to develop anybody, and if Romo goes down, let the tanking commence.
 

Doomsday

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This coaching staff isnt going to develop anybody, and if Romo goes down, let the tanking commence.
That might happen with Romo completely upright. He's been a interception machine so far this offseason - against our horrible secondary no less - and didn't look any too sharp when "healthy" last year. If teams put any significant scoring pressure on us we'll be passing way too much, and I can easily see us starting out 0-4. The dude has a BAD BACK that is still bothering him.

Jerry thinking Romo represents a "pat hand" is just insanity.
 

dbair1967

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That might happen with Romo completely upright. He's been a interception machine so far this offseason - against our horrible secondary no less - and didn't look any too sharp when "healthy" last year. If teams put any significant scoring pressure on us we'll be passing way too much, and I can easily see us starting out 0-4. The dude has a BAD BACK that is still bothering him.

Jerry thinking Romo represents a "pat hand" is just insanity.

Yeah I have to admit, as optimistic as I normally am in preseason/TC this has me worried.

He can easily step out of bed the wrong way one day and be done for the year. While Luke McCown is interesting, I think I might be looking more at Glennon from Tampa (or someone like him) because if Romo goes down they are not winning many (if any) games with Prescott or Showers this year.
 

Doomsday

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He can easily step out of bed the wrong way one day and be done for the year.
Didn't he already tweak his back, or something? Got a extra day or two of "rest" as a result?

Dude is just a ticking time bomb.
 

dbair1967

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Didn't he already tweak his back, or something? Got a extra day or two of "rest" as a result?

Dude is just a ticking time bomb.

Yep, they said he had "soreness"

I would expect a guy with multiple back procedures to probably have "soreness" most days now. The fact that they had to announce it and give him more rest is troubling because to me, it indicates more than just the usual "soreness"
 

Rynie

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Didn't they win 4 or 5 with Kitna though?

The only reason we beat the giants that year was their offense had no idea what Pasqualoni had in store for them, since he became the DC. Also, was it McCann who had a 101 yard pick six? Then, we cut him. He's better than Claiborne RIGHT NOW. We ran a naked bootleg with Kitna for a TD. Has Garrett done anything remotely close to that since? Nope. Also, the players knew their jobs might not be safe.

Sorry, I am not giving Garrett credit for anything, since he is nothing more than a mediocre coach with no common sense or balls when it comes to the actual games.
 

dbair1967

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The only reason we beat the giants that year was their offense had no idea what Pasqualoni had in store for them, since he became the DC. Also, was it McCann who had a 101 yard pick six? Then, we cut him. He's better than Claiborne RIGHT NOW. We ran a naked bootleg with Kitna for a TD. Has Garrett done anything remotely close to that since? Nope. Also, the players knew their jobs might not be safe.

Sorry, I am not giving Garrett credit for anything, since he is nothing more than a mediocre coach with no common sense or balls when it comes to the actual games.

I don't care who you give credit to, the point was they did win games with a backup QB.

Kitna played pretty well most weeks for us.
 

Rynie

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I don't care who you give credit to, the point was they did win games with a backup QB.

Kitna played pretty well most weeks for us.

Then I'll give the credit to your mammy. Ha!
 

theoneandonly

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That might happen with Romo completely upright. He's been a interception machine so far this offseason - against our horrible secondary no less - and didn't look any too sharp when "healthy" last year. If teams put any significant scoring pressure on us we'll be passing way too much, and I can easily see us starting out 0-4. The dude has a BAD BACK that is still bothering him.

Jerry thinking Romo represents a "pat hand" is just insanity.

Yeah I have pointed all this out elsewhere and didnt get a warm fuzzy response. You know how it is, nothing penetrates the blind homer goggles and headset.
 

ThoughtExperiment

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Let's be honest, nobody knows how Romo's back will do. Maybe it really is stronger after a couple of years of rehab and strength work, or maybe it pops tomorrow when he bends over to put on his socks.

Can't imagine he'll be playing well three years from now, but for this year it might be okay.
 

Doomsday

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most of us are just smarter than you two dim bulbs.
You're the prototype low information fan. You had to be told multiple times that Romo tweaked his back in game 1 vs. the Giants last season and still don't believe it, and still refuse to believe the back and clavicle are problems. He's already having problems with his back, and is a pick machine in practice vs. our Legion of Boobs secondary.

Denying facts doesn't make them go away, ya see.
 
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