Fueled by quarterback Dak Prescott, Dallas’ passing game is both prolific and essential to the Cowboys’ chances of victory each week. Typically, the Cowboys have leaned on either Lamb or offseason addition George Pickens, depending on the week. But when Lamb went down with an injury Thursday night, Flournoy suddenly became Pickens’ most important backup.
Prescott had plenty of reason to trust his lesser-known teammate, giving him 13 goals and giving Flournoy a chance to announce his presence in the national arena, an opportunity Flournoy didn’t miss. After all, as he said, he had prepared for it.
“Any time [Prescott] had messaged our group chat he’s throwing, I always try to make myself available,” Flournoy said. “Everything I had, I’m like, ‘OK, I’ve got to run routes for Dak.’ I knew I wanted to make up his mind, he’s 10 years old, one of the best quarterbacks for me. Honestly, I knew that if I could earn his trust, I could develop into a great receiver. My whole goal is to get into the Hall of Fame, and he and I had countless conversations about that.”
One 115-yard game doesn’t get Flournoy any closer to Canton, but it’s a good start. Since his prolific outing in Detroit, Flournoy has caught the attention of both those who regularly cover the Cowboys and the larger NFL landscape.
He can stay in the spotlight by proving he’s a consistent opponent alongside Pickens and Lamb. Dallas may need Flournoy to do that if the Cowboys want to complete an unlikely run to the postseason.
“When I get a play called, I’m like, ‘OK, let’s do this, come on. Let me show everybody. Let me prove to myself that I could be a Hall of Fame caliber receiver,'” Flournoy said. “I always looked up to Jerry Rice. I like how he always went hard every single play … so I just go out there, run play, pass play, I just go fast.”