The Dallas Cowboys endured a heartbreaking ending to their season opener, losing against their oldest rivals, the New York Giants 19-20, and leaving many fans and critics skeptical about their fresh, new offense this season. Cowboys superstar quarterback and team captain Tony Romo suffered a back injury against the Seattle Seahawks in the pre-season, leaving him seemingly out for the rest of the season.
But perhaps the bigger story behind Romo’s injury is last year’s fourth round draft pick for the team. Dak Prescott, former Mississippi State quarterback, was drafted initially to be an understudy of Romo during his last years and to eventually take up the mantle of being Dallas’ quarterback, which was accelerated greatly when he was thrust from back-up to team leader in the season opener against the New York Giants.
Prescott had a very fruitful career at Mississippi State, leading his team to the first number-one ranking the program had ever had and boasting an impressive 146 quarterback rating. Despite the narrow loss, the Cowboys suffered at the hands of the Giants.
Prescott delivered a respectable performance that reassured fans of their playoff potential this year. Prescott threw for 277 yards in his career opener and threw no interceptions, showing that he can remain calm and focused with an entire NFL offense on his back.
However, this loss was far from unproductive; the Cowboys showed great chemistry and talent from their rookies, and they can only build on their communication skills and momentum.
As Prescott moves forward, more and more eyes will be on him to lead one of the proudest and most vibrant teams in NFL history, and the pressure will only mount more and more as the season progresses. But as of yet, his hopes of remaining a starting quarterback into next season are still very much alive.
by Brandon Hussey
