FRISCO, Texas — Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant has waited nearly eight months to get another crack at Giants cornerback Janoris “Jackrabbit” Jenkins. The offseason trash talk exchanged only has made him more eager for Sunday night.
“I just know that makes Dez hungry,” Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said on Wednesday after practice. “Dez is ready to go, ready for this matchup.
“Where Dez [lines up] I don’t think matters, as much as he’s ready for this matchup. He’s ready to go. Just know that. He’s ready.”
In two games against Jenkins last season, both Giants victories, the Cowboys wide receiver was held to a combined two receptions for 18 yards on 14 targets and fumbled, most of which came against Jenkins.
In February, Jenkins went on a Dallas radio station and explained the root of his success against Bryant. Bryant saw the story in April, thinking Jenkins still was talking about the games, and went off, tweeting, “I will embarrass him.” In a subsequent tweet, he admitted he “jumped the gun,” but said, “I’m still looking forward to our battle.”
Jenkins responded in a tweet that Bryant was mad because he revealed the “facts” of their matchups.
Prescott, meanwhile, appears ready for his second season to begin.
The second-year quarterback seemed at ease discussing the coming season and the weight of expectations he now faces. Asked about the sophomore jinx, he smiled, and jokingly asked what it was.
“I’m a much better player, much more experienced [than I was last year],” Prescott said.
Prescott was voted one of six team captains, coach Jason Garrett announced on Wednesday, a clear sign of what the Cowboys think of the 24-year-old quarterback — who threw 23 touchdowns, completed 67 percent of his passes for 3,667 yards and was the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year a season ago.
Prescott supplanted center Travis Frederick as one of six captains — along with tight end Jason Witten, place-kicker Dan Bailey, linebacker Sean Lee, cornerback Orlando Scandrick and defensive end Tyrone Crawford.
“You’ve seen the way that [Prescott] has grown as a player, but also as a person, and being a leader in this locker room,” Frederick said. “I think it would’ve been easy to say last year he should’ve been [a captain], or could’ve been, and he acted that way throughout. So I think It’s really good for us.”