OXNARD, Calif. -- The Cowboys keep saying they will be patient in their approach to finding a backup quarterback.

Maybe they're on to something.

Rookie Dak Prescott and second-year quarterback Jameill Showers were sharp Sunday in front of 8,726 fans, by far the largest crowd of training camp yet.

Prescott received a lot of work in team and 7-on-7 drills. He was as sharp as he's been all camp and threw the ball well on the run. He had a touchdown pass to tight end Geoff Swaim.

Showers took all 16 plays of the Cowboys' annual Blue-White Scrimmage, the first time the club has tackled to the ground all camp. Showers led the Cowboys to a pair of field goal drives. He completed 7-of-10 passes and showed great arm strength.

"Oh, I'm really more encouraged after this about holding our pat hand on a veteran than before this," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said after the two-hour practice, "and as we go along, if we continue to see this kind of improvement and see this kind of instinctive [play] and [they] really look very comfortable back there, that will give us some running room here, give us some options."

The Cowboys went 1-11 without Tony Romo last year and didn't sign a veteran backup in the offseason.

After losing backup Kellen Moore for the next three to four months Tuesday with a fractured ankle, the Cowboys made a run at veteran Nick Foles. But Foles signed with Kansas City, and the Cowboys haven't made a push for anyone else since.

Part of the reason the Cowboys are taking it slow is because the club is still early in training camp and they've been impressed with Prescott and Showers.

"Both of them are really, really doing a good job in the role that we've asked of them," Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said after practice. "Certainly Dak has been taking more reps and working with the twos more and we've been really pleased with Dak in that role, but Jameill is competing and he's pushing the quarterback group and he's not going away because he's got a lot of ability, too."

The Cowboys cut their scrimmage short because their defense is so depleted. They practiced Sunday without eight of the 17 defensive linemen on their roster and missing five of their 14 linebackers.

That helped the first-team offense, led by Romo who had his best training camp practice yet.

So much is made about Romo's days off. But he practiced in pads for the third consecutive day Sunday and finished 10-of-14 in team drills.

Romo's best pass came when he put perfect touch on a pass to the right end zone that hit receiver Dez Bryant in stride for about a 30-yard touchdown. Bryant beat cornerback Brandon Carr on the play for the score, flashing his celebratory "X" signal to the fans in the end zone area.

"I thought Tony was sharp as a tack out there," Jones said. "I thought Dez looked good out there, too."

9 to 88 pic.twitter.com/7yHFuqc9zs — Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 8, 2016

Tap here to see Romo's touchdown pass to Bryant if on a mobile device.

The Cowboys had planned to give Prescott some work in the 16-play scrimmage. But after Prescott's extended work in team and 7-on-7 drills, Cowboys coaches decided to give Showers all the plays in the scrimmage.

Romo isn't expected to play Saturday in the Cowboys' first preseason game against the Rams. Prescott and Showers will likely split time, with another chance to keep Jones sitting on his hands in the club's search for a backup quarterback.

"It definitely feels good to be able to come out here and prove to coaches and put them at ease, saying that we have something to offer," Showers said. "I can play football. I know I can play."

Twitter: @DMN_George

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