Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott says he ignores the noise

FRISCO, Tex. -- Dallas Cowboys rookie quarterback Dak Prescott is in the midst of a full-blown, fan-manufactured quarterback controversy.

He just doesn't know it.

Following his worst performance of the season in a 10-7 loss to the New York Giants, many fans were calling for him to be benched in favor of former starter Tony Romo and owner Jerry Jones is calling it a legitimate conversation.

Never mind that the Cowboys are 11-2 heading into Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

There is panic in the streets of Dallas regarding Prescott's worst performance of the season when he completed 17 of 37 passes for 165 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions and a passer rating of 45.4.

But Prescott is doing his best to ignore the noise.

"Don't put myself in a situation to hear," Prescott said. "Don't go on twitter. Don't go hanging out asking fans opinions or anything. Just hang out and be myself.

"Family definitely knows not to come at me with 'he said, she said,'" he said. "They just kind of know that. They know how I react. If they say something I usually don't respond to them. So they know.

"It's noise. No matter if it's good or bad," Prescott added. "No matter if it's success or adversity. It is all noise. It doesn't affect what I do or how I feel each and every day or how I go about practice. I just have to stay focused. I know what I can do. I just have to continue to do that."

Prescott acknowledges he didn't have his best performance against the Giants.

He admits that he wasn't as patient at times as he has been earlier in the season. He knows there are things he needs to work on in terms of focus from play to play.

"I kind of got a little impatient," Prescott said. "I wouldn't say I was too up or too down at any moment. I wanted to make a big play. I think I was a little anxious to do that instead of taking what they gave us. It was kind of hard because we know what the offense is capable of doing. I have to stay patient as I have done all season long."

That's the part of Prescott that has impressed the Cowboys from the beginning. That's what made him so successful and it's why head coach Jason Garrett is confident he will bounce back with a better game Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"I just think that's what he does best," Garrett said of Prescott's ability to respond. "There are a number of different situations he's been confronted with over the course of the year that he just handles; handles them really well during the game, handles them really well from week to week. There's no question that's his strength as a person, his poise, his composure, his confidence in himself, his ability to focus on the task at hand."

Receiver Cole Beasley said the rest of the team has no doubt that Prescott will bounce back. But he said they all must bounce back with better games to help him.

Said Beasley, "All the confidence in the world, man. In that last game, it wasn't anybody's best game really. But throughout the game his demeanor never changed. He's the same guy playing well, or having an off game. That's what you like to see and anytime you can see a guy fight through it like that, guys are going to follow. He'll definitely bounce back, he's a heck of a competitor, heck of a player and we've got to help him."