Many reports came out after the gruesome injury former Mississippi State University star and current Dallas Cowboys starting quarterback Dak Prescott said could end his career. Even before that, when Dak got his contract, analysts such as Skip Bayless stated, “Did Jerry Jones just overpay for Dak just as he did for Zeke, Amari, Demarcus Lawrence, and Jaylon Smith? You bet.” Recently, reports came out during training camp that he may not be fully healthy at all this season and that fans should not expect him to play as well as he did prior to his injury. It’s time to officially consider all of these reports wrong.
The Cowboys opened up week one against the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where Prescott had a field day against one of the best defenses in the league. Dak threw for 403 yards and three touchdowns in a tough loss. Even though the Cowboys came up short, he threw the ball 58 times, completing over 74% of his passes. In week two, he led a game-winning drive to defeat the Los Angeles Chargers, giving the Cowboys a big time road win. Overall, Dak appears to have picked up right where he left off from last season, arguably looking better than he ever has before.
Many MSU fans also became Cowboys fans when Dak was handed the starting job a few seasons ago. So, what’s the ceiling for Dak and the Cowboys? Dak Prescott is an MVP candidate. Yes, I said that, Most Valuable Player Dak Prescott. He’s a clear frontrunner for comeback player of the year, and easily fits himself into the MVP conversation. Playing on a team with an offense as high-powered as the Cowboys, you have to expect these numbers from Dak to continue.
As for the Cowboys, the ceiling for them is winning the Super Bowl. I saw incredible improvement on the defensive side of the ball in week one, which is all this team needed to truly compete. Do I truly believe the Cowboys will win the Super Bowl? No. However, with Dak Prescott leading this incredibly talented unit, it cannot be ruled out.
Is it possible for this team to underperform this season? Yes. It’s unlikely that they fall short of the playoffs in my opinion, and unless they are bombarded with injuries again, it really would be a shock to see them not win the NFC East. With this in mind, the floor for them is a 10-8 record and champions of the NFC East, securing a first round home playoff game. Dak will not allow this team to be mediocre once again.
Dak kept the receipts of everyone who said he would not be the same player he was last season, and has already ripped them to shreds. I can only expect this elite play to continue heading into week three in their home opener Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles.
