FRISCO, Texas – If there's a silver lining somewhere in the wake of this loss to Washington, perhaps it's that the Cowboys are developing a budding young playmaker.
Lost in the shuffle of an ugly loss was a fun stat line for Michael Gallup, who scored his first professional touchdown in the first half of the game.
"It's tough. You get your first touchdown, but you want to get a win, too," Gallup said.
With Dallas trailing, 7-0, one minute before halftime, Gallup broke Greg Stroman's ankles with a double-move that left him wide open for a 49-yard touchdown.
"A little stutter-go. He bit real hard and I just had to wait for Dak to throw that thing," Gallup said.
It was a great moment for a rookie who has had an up-and-down debut season. Through six games, Gallup has struggled with consistency – following up dropped balls with spectacular catches, like the one he made last week against Jacksonville.
His final stat line of three catches, 81 yards and the touchdown was a step in the right direction, especially for a receiver corps that has been searching for playmakers all season long.
"I'm excited for the player that he's coming into and what he's going to be," said Dak Prescott. "I've said it continuously, he's a guy that has open ears and open eyes. He's wanting to learn, he's trying to figure out what I'm thinking. He's a guy that's asking for the ball."
Sunday marked just the second time Gallup has finished with multiple catches, although he has been among the leaders in snaps among wide receivers. It has to be encouraging for Prescott to give Gallup such a public vote of confidence.
And in return, Gallup said he wants to reward that trust.
"It puts a lot of confidence in the quarterback throwing me more targets and stuff like that, so I've just got to be there to make him right," he said.
For an offense that has struggled to find yards and points – specifically through the air -- that's an encouraging thought. Not surprisingly, Prescott said the arrow is only pointing up.
"When you have a guy like that, you know he's got great upside," Prescott said. "He's stepping into his own now, becoming that player that he wants to be."
