Cowboys Rookies Face New Challenges In Their First Short Week In The NFL

The Dallas Cowboys and Thanksgiving seem to go hand-in-hand. I personally can’t remember a Thanksgiving that the Cowboys game wasn’t on TV.

This week they take on their division rival, the Washington Redskins, at home at AT&T Stadium. It’s a tough matchup featuring two of the best teams in the NFC, but a matchup the Cowboys should win nonetheless.

As fans, we love these Thursday games. It means we don’t have to wait an entire week to watch another NFL game. I’m not sure that the players/coaches feel the same way.

It’s a quick turnaround, which means the coaches and players have to condense down the  game plan and try to recuperate as quickly as possible. Veteran players in the NFL are more accustomed to preparing for these short weeks, but it creates a new challenge for the rookies who have probably never had to play two games in less than a week’s time.

There is no denying that the Dallas Cowboys have been led by their 2016 rookie class, and it’s one of the reasons why they have the best record in the NFL.

Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott are not only two of the best rookies in the entire NFL, but arguably two of the best players at their position.

Elliott, with the help of the offensive line, is a dominating force in the NFL and is currently leading the league in rushing. This year’s #4 overall draft pick is everything the Cowboys thought he was and possibly more.

Prescott on the other hand has pretty much come out of nowhere, and performed better than anybody could have ever predicted. He shows the poise of a veteran QB and continues to not only break records, but give the Cowboys a chance to win week in and week out.

Elliott and Prescott might be the most well-known rookies from the Cowboys 2016 draft class, but they are not the only ones contributing in a big way.

Anthony Brown, like Prescott, has had to come in and play because of injuries in the secondary. He has done a phenomenal job and looks like a future starter in this league. That’s pretty impressive considering he was a sixth round draft pick.

Maliek Collins was drafted by the Cowboys in the third round. He has performed so well that Tyrone Crawford was able to move to defensive end to provide depth and help with the pass rush.

To say that the Cowboys rookies have helped this team win nine consecutive games in a row would be an understatement.

So far, this rookie draft class looks to be one of the best the Cowboys have had in perhaps the last decade. But, this is their first short week in the NFL and it creates a new challenge that they are unaccustomed to.

Last week’s game against the Baltimore Ravens was a tough physical game, so it will be really interesting to see how the team is able to bounce back against the Redskins Thursday afternoon, especially the rookies.

Do you think the Cowboys rookies are up to the challenge?

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