Dak, Zeke, and Dez—sounds like quite the trio composed of noteworthy names and a heavy dose of young talent, right?
Dak Prescott continued to woo the Dallas Cowboys faithful during a crucial victory against the Chicago Bears. The Dak-to-Dez connection officially blossomed when Prescott threw his first career touchdown pass to Dez Bryant, the 60th career touchdown reception for #88, and Ezekiel Elliot demonstrated his durability and vision by tallying 30 carries for an average of 4.7 yards per carry.
Most importantly, however, Prescott effectively managed the pressure of running America’s team by exercising good decision-making with both his pocket poise and precision passing.
That being said, there is no denying that the future looks promising at the helm for the Dallas Cowboys, but fans need to temper their excitement while they patiently await the return of Tony Romo. Yes—the Cowboys still belong to the man who gave the Cowboys their first playoff victory since 1996 in the 2009 Wild Card playoff against the Philadelphia Eagles and yet another in the 2014 Wild Card playoff against the Detroit Lions.
Keep in mind that Prescott is still a raw talent that needs to be harnessed and honed—he is still a student of the game who could benefit greatly under the expertise of Romo for the next couple seasons.
Throughout the first three weeks of the season, Prescott has been gifted with a few underwhelming defenses. New York Giants defensive end Olivier Vernon and defensive tackle Damon Harrison cashed in upon signing with the Giants in the offseason but have failed to make a huge impact on the field. The Washington Redskins defense has been characterized by Josh Norman either complaining about not being able to guard the right receiver or getting burned by a man named Odell Beckham Jr. As for the Chicago Bears, all that needs to be said is exactly that: the Chicago Bears.
Prescott will again be able to showcase his talent against a lackluster San Francisco 49ers before a tough three-game slate consisting of the Cincinnati Bengals, the Green Bay Packers, and the Eagles. This three-week period is otherwise known as the boom-or-bust period for Prescott. If he can escape with at least a couple wins while logging performances comparable to those of the past couple weeks, then it would make sense for the Cowboys to take it slow with Romo’s return considering he returned from a fractured collarbone in 2015 only to fracture it again two weeks later. Right now, Romo is expected to return Nov. 6 when the Cowboys play the Cleveland Browns on the road.
Quarterbacks typically struggle putting up solid numbers during their rookie season—at least that was the case until Cam Newton, Robert Griffin III, and Russell Wilson recorded arguably three of the greatest five rookie seasons for a quarterback. The recent emergence of young and shifty quarterbacks gives Prescott the benefit of the doubt, and it is easy to see the endless potential that Prescott possesses.
Nonetheless, Romo has gone from zero to hero in Dallas, from botching the snap during a potential game-winning field goal against the Seattle Seahawks in the 2006 Wild Card playoff to being on the verge of making it to the 2014 NFC Championship off another botched play against the Packers.
Eventually the well of chances will run dry for Romo, but unless Prescott morphs into the next Newton in the upcoming weeks, the city of Dallas owes Romo one more chance.
Photo: Nunzio Ingrassia (foxsports.com)
