Why didn’t Dak Prescott speak to the media on Tuesday ahead of Giants game?

The Cowboys had another ugly loss at home on Sunday to the Baltimore Ravens and the drama of that game featured one CeeDee Lamb, who yelled at Dak Prescott on the sidelines and threw his hands on the ground in frustration. He added fuel to the fire when he declined to speak to the media after the game while Prescott and other teammates took responsibility for the loss.

Fast forward to Tuesday, and it was Lamb who spoke to the media and Prescott who was absent. Lamb, for his part, took accountability for his mistakes in the game and apologized for his performance and attitude. He said that he and Prescott are like brothers and that the passion comes out during games sometimes, but that they always have respect for each other. Meanwhile, Prescott was silent.

Why Prescott declined to speak to media ahead of Giants game

The Cowboys will look to bounce back from their home losses as they head to New York to face the Giants on Thursday night. Prescott has an impressive 12-2 record against the Giants with the only two losses coming in his rookie season, and he’s hoping to continue the upward trend this week.

However, reporters won’t get to hear from Prescott personally as he is not scheduled to speak to the media at all before the game. Cowboys officials said that the reason for his media absence is the short week. It’s unusual for Prescott, who is almost always available for questions from the media.

Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News posted this on X: “Team officials asked Dak Prescott not to speak with local media today due to short week. He did talk with the Amazon broadcast crew. Prescott is normally one of the more accessible players on this team. Have a great day.”

The excuse doesn’t make much sense, as short weeks are something the Cowboys (and every other NFL team) deal with every season, and Prescott is usually available despite it.

“Dak Prescott did not speak with reporters today,” said ESPN’s Todd Archer on X. “Don’t think he’s upset about anything. Don’t think he’s mad. Short week, quick turnaround, less time to get body right. But can’t remember a time he didn’t talk before a start.”

While the Cowboys are not unaccustomed to a short week, they are unaccustomed to a road game on a short week, something that apparently has never happened in all of franchise history. After two home losses and those circumstances heading into a road game against a divisional foe, perhaps the Cowboys just want Prescott extra focused.