Cowboys: Jerry Jones, Please Wait On Prescott Era

With backup quarterback Dak Prescott lighting up the preseason for the Cowboys, Jerry Jones needs to be patient and not rush the dynamic signal caller into action.

The Dallas Cowboys are one happy team right now because of the dynamic play of fourth round draft pick Dak Prescott. After all, the talented signal caller is playing more like the number one pick in the draft than a mid-round selection.

In two preseason games, Prescott has thrown for 338 yards, six touchdowns, no interceptions, and completed 22 out of 27 passes. Two of his touchdowns were runs, including a 20- yard scramble on third and long.

The former Mississippi State Bulldogs’ playmaker ONLY has five incompletions.

After starting quarterback Tony Romo finished two series of action against the Miami Dolphins, Prescott took over and played well into the third quarter. The rookie sensation led a group of starters and reserves on four scoring drives.

Prescott has a 156.4 rating as a quarterback. If not for a few dropped passes, Prescott would have a perfect rating. The young QB is playing like a veteran with a few Pro Bowl appearances and Super Bowl titles under his belt.

That is good thing for the Cowboys organization and for Cowboys Nation. It appears that the Cowboys have their backup quarterback and more importantly, their heir apparent to Romo.

On the other hand, the Prescott Era needs to happen in due time, when the opportunity presents itself. Hopefully, that era will start when Romo retires after winning a few Lombardi trophies.

More from Sports Dallas Fort-Worth

What does not need to happen is for egotistical owner Jerry Jones to get antsy and usher in the Prescott Era prematurely because the rookie is playing at such an outstanding level.

With Prescott receiving so much well-deserved hype, combined with Romo’s age and durability, Jones can’t put Romo on a short leash.

When I say short leash, I’m referring to Romo permanently losing his job to injury or Romo performing at a less-than-perfect level.

This is not a far-fetched possibility.

And the main reason is because it’s the Dallas Cowboys we’re talking about here.

The Cowboys are scrutinized more than any sports franchise in the world, especially in the NFL. Playing quarterback for America’s Team is a high profile job, which is why Prescott is receiving so much praise and hype during preseason.

We’re talking about preseason, not the regular season. The rumors have started from Cowboys’ fans and opposing fans alike that Prescott should start over Romo or that Romo will lose his job sooner rather than later.

Add the media to the mix and things only get worse. If and when Romo has a bad game, all hell will surely break loose and the noise for Prescott will begin.

As much as Jones loves Romo, not even the hype-personified owner can stop the onslaught of pressure of not replacing Romo with Prescott.

Prescott’s maturity level, combined with the pressure and marketability, will be too much for the owner to resist. Since Jones is the official general manager, it’ll make him look so smart, too, as if he knew this would happen.

However, this is exactly why Jones has to stand pat and stay the course and block out any nonsense about Prescott taking over for Romo or having a knee-jerk reaction if Romo has a bad game here or there.

For the most part, I don’t foresee Romo playing awful or anything of that nature. I expect the Pro Bowler to come in and lead the Cowboys to the NFC East title and make a deep run into the playoffs.

My main concern with Romo is his health. The question is will Romo survive the 16-game schedule without being injured?

The two broken clavicles and surgically repaired back is well documented.

When there is a talented backup QB like Prescott on the roster, the slightest injury or bad game by Romo will have everyone hollering for the rookie to come in and save the day.

It’s understandable because the quarterback position is the most important position in all of sports.

To be clear, I do believe Prescott can come in and win several games if Romo were injured and missed significant playing time. Plus, I believe he could be the starter, too.

However, I’d rather see Prescott sit the bench and watch and learn from one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL instead of being thrust into action because of outside pressure. Or even worse – because Jones wants to look like a genius.

Prescott is playing with poise, commanding the huddle, making the proper reads, throwing with accuracy, and knowing when to run and slide. Further, he has shown his overall athletic ability.

Also, Prescott has completely out-played his quarterback counterparts in Jared Goff, Carson Wentz, and Paxton Lynch. Prescott is playing and looking like a franchise quarterback at the moment.

Next: Cowboys: Any Regret Over Paxton Lynch Now?

These traits point to Prescott being the Cowboys’ future franchise quarterback, but not yet.

Until then, Jerry Jones, let’s wait for the Prescott Era to begin.

Home/Dallas Cowboys