James Lofton on Cowboys minus Ezekiel Elliott: ‘Does Dak Prescott continue to progress?’

The Dallas Cowboys aren’t the Zeke and Dak Show anymore. At least, not for the first six games of the 2017 NFL season.

The league announced Friday that Ezekiel Elliott, the dynamic rookie running back to helped the Cowboys to their 13-3 finish, has been suspended for six games for violating its personal-conduct policy.

‘The leading receiver on the team was Cole Beasley, slot receiver, short throws’

So that raises a big question: Will quarterback Dak Prescott, whose rookie success in 2016 had plenty to do with Elliott’s production, be as dynamic through those first six games?

“Does Dak Prescott continue to progress?” Hall-of-Famer James Lofton said on the SiriusXM Blitz. “Last year, in his passing game — I talked about these quarterbacks coming out of that spread (offense) being good in that zero-to10-yard area — the leading receiver on the team was Cole Beasley, slot receiver, short throws. Jason Witten, short throws. A little more hit and miss with Dez Bryant up the field.

‘Is he able to use all the receivers more?’

“So does he progress? Is he able to use all the receivers more? Do they rely on him more?”

Lofton pointed out that the defense was “surprisingly good” last season, but the secondary needs revamping.

‘This is a new year and you’ve got to do it again’

“So a lot of change, even though we think it’s the same, because we see the star on the side of the helmet, some the players are the same, the offensive line is still really great,” he said. “But this is a new year and you’ve got to do it again.”