Prescott proves NFL is ‘where I belong’
Rookie gives Dallas a chance without Romo
FRISCO, Texas — Dak Prescott converted a long third down on the go-ahead drive in his first NFL win by changing the protection and the route at the line of scrimmage.
Later, the rookie Dallas quarterback wisely slid to take a sack on a bootleg that didn’t work when the most important thing for the Cowboys was forcing Washington to use its last timeout in the final two minutes.
The former Mississippi State standout keeps telling people he felt ready for the NFL from the beginning. And he keeps showing it after injuries to Tony Romo and Kellen Moore suddenly made him the starter.
“This isn’t a dream where I’m like wowed every day,” Prescott said with the same demeanor he had as a thirdteamer during offseason workouts. “I feel like this is where I belong, so I’ve got to continue to get better.”
Prescott has an NFLrecord 75 passes without an interception to start a career, although he’s still looking for his first touchdown pass.
He’ll shoot for a number much more important to him when the Cowboys host Chicago on Sunday night.
With a win, the 23-year-old will have double the number of victories the Cowboys had without Romo in 14 games over the three seasons before the fourth-round pick showed up.
Prescott inherited starting jobs in high school and college because of injuries and didn’t surrender it either time.
At Mississippi State, he finished as the school’s passing leader while joining Tim Tebow as the only SEC quarterbacks with at least 70 touchdowns passing and at least 40 rushing.
A day after getting his first win, 27-23 over the Redskins, Prescott was asked what he thought if the wins kept coming while Romo recovers
from his fourth back injury in less than four years. He was quick to call it Romo’s team, another thing he has said all along.
“I think Dak said it best,” owner and general manager Jerry Jones said on his radio show this week.
“Tony would be the first to tell you it’s everybody’s team. But still, it’s Tony’s team.”
Prescott became the backup when Moore broke his right ankle in training camp. And he became the starter when Romo broke a bone in his back in the third preseason game at Seattle.
Along the way, Prescott led the NFL in passer rating in the preseason, helping the Cowboys change their mind about adding a new backup to Romo. Eventually, Dallas signed Mark Sanchez as the No. 2 behind Prescott, who had a rushing TD against Washington.
If Prescott beats the injuryriddled Bears, he’ll have one more victory than veterans Brandon Weeden, Matt Cassel and Moore managed in 12 starts last season.
And the Cowboys will have a winning record while being a week closer to Romo’s return with a young quarterback who’s looking like the future beyond the 36-year-old and 10-year starter.
“We’ve had success, he’s handled that well,” coach Jason Garrett said of Prescott. “We’ve had some adversity, he’s handled that well. We’ve been ahead, he’s handled that well. We’ve been behind, he’s handled that well.”