Do you think Dak Prescott's injury has cost him some money? — DONALD LEWIS
Nick: In the harsh reality of this, yes he probably has. And I say that not because the Cowboys are going to use this as leverage against him, but more because this injury will prevent him from having the season that he was on pace for. He was putting up numbers that would've shattered many NFL records and if the Cowboys managed to get into the playoffs as well, Dak was looking at something well over what Watson got. Now, he doesn't have that to use anymore, but I still think the Cowboys will work on something to make sure he's locked up. I don't think he'll get less than what Dallas has already offered but maybe less than he was on pace to get.
David: It'd be irresponsible to skip too far ahead in this process. Surgery went well, but obviously everyone involved will be keeping an eye on the progress of Dak's recovery. Having said all of that, if he heals properly, I'm not sure this will affect him too much. He's still only under contract for this year, and if he recovers the way we hope he will, it's totally plausible the team will have to franchise tag him again. So as long as there aren't any complications, Dak is worth another franchise tag – and that means he's still worth a big salary. My only real question would be if he'd be willing to sign a smaller deal next year to guarantee himself some security – or if he'd be down to bet on himself again in 2021. Knowing what I know about his level of confidence, I tend to think he might be willing to gamble again if he has to.
Mike Nolan seemed to be very actively communicating with players Sunday. Do you think his being on the sideline rather than in the booth helped improve their performance? — BILL CONWAY / PALM SPRINGS, CA
Nick: That and playing Daniel Jones and a Giants offense that doesn't have any dangerous weapons. But yes, communication seemed better and the intensity was strong at the end of the game. I assume we will see Nolan on the sidelines now moving forward.
David: Nolan told us on Monday night that he thought being on the sideline helped them tweak several things during the course of the game. He also said COVID-19 protocols made it a bit more difficult to function in the booth – which made me wonder why it took until Week 5 to make the switch. Regardless, it seemed to have a positive effect. Like Nick said, it's also worth noting that they were playing a terrible offense. I bet they'll do it again next week, and we'll see how well it works against Kyler Murray and Co.
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