Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott Gives Cowboys Hope
By Dink Kearney
If the Dallas Cowboys were looking for a veteran quarterback to back-up Tony Romo before? They certainly aren’t any longer. Not with Dak Prescott’s performance.
The Cowboys went 4-12 last season largely because starting quarterback Tony Romo broke his clavicle. Twice. Without Romo, backup quarterbacks Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassel performed miserably, making the backup quarterback position the number one priority for America’s Team in the offseason.
The Cowboys addressed that issue immediately in this year’s draft. After failing to move up and select Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch, the Cowboys selected Mississippi State’s quarterback Dak Prescott in the fourth round.
The talented signal caller set several records in college, and at one point, led the Bulldogs to a number one ranking.
Prescott has that it factor, moxy, and confidence …
In Prescott’s first NFL action, the gunslinger went 10-12 with two touchdowns, and zero interceptions, outperforming any of his rookie QB peers.
The ultra-cool, rookie quarterback completed two passes to Bryant; one a back-shoulder fade that Bryant turned into a fantastic catch. And a touchdown pass where Prescott threw another back-shoulder fade that Bryant turned into an awesome catch.
Prescott continued to impress as he threw a tight, spiraling, 32-yard touchdown pass to Terrance Williams, which he caught over the shoulder going into the end zone. The pass was so perfect that it looked as if someone had dropped the football directly into Williams’ hands.
Related Story: 1-Gap vs 2-Gap Defense
The pass couldn’t have been thrown any better.
The smooth-throwing quarterback only missed out on perfection because of two drops by tight end Geoff Swaim. Regardless, Prescott still finished with an astonishing 154.5 quarterback rating.
The Good News
With Prescott performing at such a high level in his first preseason game, the Cowboys no longer have to look for a backup quarterback. Two weeks ago the Cowboys were in panic mode as it tried unsuccessfully to sign quarterback Nick Foles and trade for Cleveland Browns backup QB Josh McCown.
Further, Prescott allows Mr. Jerry Jones to finally stop thinking about signing troubled quarterback Johnny Manziel. When TMZ asked Jones about pursuing Manziel, the egotistical owner said, “Dak Prescott”.
That is the best response Jones has ever made!
The Great News
More importantly, Prescott performing at a stunning level means the Cowboys have a signal caller to take the reigns in the event quarterback Tony Romo falls to injury again. The incumbent quarterback has the dreaded label of being injury-prone, much to the chagrin of Cowboys fans nationwide.
Breaking your clavicle three times in a career, including twice in one season (combined with a surgically repaired back and having a mandatory day not to practice), spells injury prone.
The Cowboys’ brass understands this and are high-fiving each other because they finally have a dynamic signal caller behind Romo!
If Prescott continues to play at this level, the Cowboys have their quarterback for the future whenever Romo retires. If Romo misses a significant amount of time due to injuries and Prescott performs at a high level, the rookie QB might remain the starter.
It’ll be the New Patriots and Tom Brady all over again. However, that is a hypothetical situation nobody wants to witness.
From the Cowboys front office to Cowboys Nation, everyone is excited about Prescott because the rookie is the future, a signal caller that appears to have all of the tools to lead this historic franchise.
When was the last time Dallas had this much excitement about a quarterback on its roster?You would have to go back to 1989 when the Cowboys drafted Hall of Famer Troy Aikman, and he led the Cowboys to three Super Bowl titles.
Another reason Prescott gives the Cowboys hope is that he gets to sit back and learn the ropes from Romo for a few seasons. The rookie is in the right position, honing his skills while patiently waiting his time.
More from Dallas Cowboys
- West coast, Texas coast, burnt toast: Cowboys don’t need more runs
- Brandin Cooks will change the way defenses play the Dallas Cowboys
- Why the Dallas Cowboys defensive X-Factor is EDGE Sam Williams
- Dallas Cowboys: 3 head coach options if McCarthy fails in 2023
- Dallas Cowboys: Is CB Jourdan Lewis a tradeable asset?
That is the best scenario for the rookie quarterback.
Do I believe Prescott could step in a win a few games for the Cowboys in the event Romo goes down? Of course I do because Prescott has that it factor, moxy, and confidence every quarterback needs to lead his team on a game-winning drive.
I want to be clear that I know Prescott is a talented young quarterback that is going to take his lumps and bruises like the best of them. In no way am I putting him in the Hall of Fame or saying he’s better than Romo.
Even if Prescott under performs the rest of the preseason (which I don’t foresee), the Cowboys have a player they can mold into a better signal caller until his opportunity arrives.
The reality is that Prescott performed well in his first NFL action and that is a good thing. On the other hand, if he performed poorly that would be bad news for the Cowboys, and definitely put the front office back in panic mode.
One player that isn’t in panic mode is Dez Bryant. The All Pro receiver spoke highly of Prescott.
"“I think the best thing about Dak is that he is extremely calm,” said Bryant. “It’s like he’s been here before. He’s not playing like a rookie. He is going to be very good. He’s special.”"
That means so much coming from Bryant.
Next: Cowboys: This Position on the D-Line Will Be Vastly Improved
Dak Prescott is very special.
That’s why he gives Dallas so much hope!