PHILADELPHIA — Few can fully understand or appreciate the emotions Sunday evening of Ben DiNucci, a Pittsburgh native and rookie seventh-round pick who will make his first NFL start on the road for the Cowboys in Week 8.
Gus Frerotte can.
In Week 8 of 1994, the Pittsburgh native was a rookie seventh-round pick when he made his first NFL start on the road. Frerotte, who coached Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott in high school, has followed DiNucci’s career for several years. His son, Gunnar, and DiNucci competed against each other in prep football and were part of the same college conference.
Frerotte remembers the simplified game plan under Norv Turner, Frerotte’s head coach with Washington. He remembers the nerves and thoughts leading up to kickoff against an Indianapolis Colts team led by Jim Harbaugh and Marshall Faulk.
“When you stand there and you listen to the national anthem, sometimes it just hits you,” Frerotte said. “You’re like, ‘Jeez. It’s my chance. It’s my opportunity.’ And I hope Ben takes it all in, tries to remember as much as he can and has a good game.”
At 7:20 p.m. CT, the Cowboys will start DiNucci against the Philadelphia Eagles following injuries to Dak Prescott and Andy Dalton. Frerotte is the most recent quarterback to win a start as a rookie seventh-round pick. DiNucci has a chance to succeed where Ryan Fitzpatrick, John Navarre, Moses Moreno and Tony Graziani have not.
In 1994, Washington drafted two quarterbacks, Heath Shuler with the third overall pick and Frerotte with the 197th. A contract impasse for Shuler allowed Frerotte to work with the starters during the offseason.
When Shuler injured his ankle in October, veteran backup John Friesz didn’t replace him. Frerotte received the nod instead.
“It was crazy,” Frerotte said. “I remember coming into the team meeting Monday morning after a game, and Norv just came in. I had no idea. He said, ‘Hey, we’re going to have a new quarterback this week. Gus Frerotte’s going to be our starter.’ And I was just like, ‘What?’ I had my pad. I was ready to take notes like we normally do. There was no forewarning.”
For four straight games, Frerotte’s experience as a backup ended.
He was off the scout team. Game plans were tailored to him. Reporters interviewed and wrote about him. It is one thing, Frerotte said, to enter a game as a backup. It is quite another to handle the entire week leading up a first career start.
“You’ve got to go home and think about not screwing up,” Frerotte said.
Having experienced it, Frerotte would advise DiNucci to trust the players around him. Appreciate that everyone in the locker room wants him to be successful. Be confident. Make eye contact with teammates in the huddle. Carry the same swagger DiNucci has possessed while working in the confines of the game plan.
DiNucci played 21 snaps last week at Washington after Dalton’s third-quarter concussion. He was sacked on three of six dropbacks and made a poor pitch to Elliott, resulting in a fumble. He fumbled a second time on one of those sacks. DiNucci did complete a 32-yard pass to wide receiver Amari Cooper on his first pass attempt.
“He is going to have a little bit of a learning curve getting out there,” Frerotte said. "I don’t care what you do. Sundays, Monday nights, the games are so much faster than any practice you’ve ever been through. … I think the biggest challenge is if a mistake happens to let it go and move on to the next play. Can Ben do that? Can Ben not get down?
“When you make a mistake, you feel like the whole world is all on your shoulders. Somebody may be yelling at you or whatever. And you have to realize, ‘I get to go out and do it again. I get to prove myself again.’ You just let it go and move on.”
The Eagles have a talented defensive front.
Dallas will start two rookies on the offensive line between center Tyler Biadasz and right tackle Terence Steele. Biadasz is a fourth-round pick who has impressed in three starts. Steele went undrafted and, in a trial-by-fire season, has been a liability. Cam Erving also is an injury replacement at left tackle.
This is where the Cowboys' game plan comes in.
Coach Mike McCarthy and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore had a full week to conceive and install how to give their offense its best chance for success behind DiNucci. The 23-year-old, who starred in college at James Madison, didn’t receive on-field instruction during the spring due to the NFL’s COVID-19 lockdown. Training camp also was abridged and the preseason was canceled, leaving him few reps behind Prescott and Dalton.
DiNucci served as Dallas' No. 3 quarterback for the first five practice weeks of the regular season. He was the No. 2 for two weeks. Now, for one game until Dalton likely returns next week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he is the starter.
“I always look at, ‘OK, what are the things you can do to help him?’” Frerotte said. "Obviously, you can move the pocket, run play-action, things like that. That also helps your linemen because if your (right) tackle is a rookie and he’s just got to drop back and protect the whole game and your center has to go against Fletcher Cox all game, it’s probably not a good situation.
“Ben’s mobile. You’ve got to get him out of the pocket. You can run on little half rolls. I think that’s a way to protect him. If you just keep him within that tackle-to-tackle area, it could be a long night. Hopefully, they help him out with some good game-planning.”
In 1994, Turner designed an effective, simple game plan.
Frerotte completed 17 of 32 passes for two touchdowns and no interceptions. Although he fumbled once, Washington recovered. The lack of turnovers was key to the 41-27 win at the RCA Dome.
Sunday is DiNucci’s chance.
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