After Sunday’s win against the Packers, rookie quarterback Dak Prescott has the Cowboys at 5-1 and has launched NFL fans into a great debate over whether Tony Romo or Prescott should start once Romo is healthy.
Not that my two cents matters or anything, but I know good football when I see it. News flash: Cowboys, you have to start Prescott.
Prescott has come into the league, and despite the opening loss against the Giants, has taken a team who was 4-12 and in an unstable position last year to a 5-1 start and the top of the NFC East.
If you need more specific stats to be convinced, well here you go. First of all, Prescott broke Tom Brady’s record of pass attempts without an interception to begin a career in Sunday’s game against the Packers.
Anytime your name is beside Brady’s, especially after only playing six games in the NFL, you’re definitely doing something right.
Prescott not only broke Brady’s record, but he and fellow rookie, running back Ezekiel Elliot, became the first rookie QB and RB duo to have 1,000 passing yards and 500 rushing yards through five games of the season. Prescott had 1,239 yards while Elliot had 546 yards.
After their game this Sunday, Prescott added another 247 yards, giving him 1,486 on the year. He also acquired a 117.4 passer rating in the game, giving him his fifth game in a row with a rating of over 100.
With his individual stats aside, Prescott has also made everyone that knows how to catch a ball and run forward relevant. Twelve different receivers/running backs hauled in a reception from Prescott this year, with four of them having triple-digit yardage and ten of them double-digit yardage.
Cowboys wide receiver Brice Butler had scored only two touchdowns in three seasons coming into this year. This season, he has already scored two touchdowns and is just under the 100-yard mark – 97 – with none other than rookie Mr. Prescott in the driver’s seat.
That being said, it’s not that Romo never spreads the ball around, but Prescott has shown as much effectiveness in such a short amount of time working with his receiving corp. The man looks like he has been playing with this team for years when he has only played and practiced with them for five months.
If Prescott keeps playing the way he has been playing and the Cowboys decide to go with him as their starter, the possibilities could be endless. He is a young talent that could have many years ahead of him with Elliot by his side.
Romo’s situation is almost a no-brainer to me. He needs to either quit playing due to all of his injuries, or sit out until he truly thinks he can play without risking another injury.
Hall-of-Fame QB Brett Favre simply put it like this for the Cowboys situation, “Romo needs to let Dak be the starter until he starts struggling and is needed.”
Favre also said that currently the Cowboys are firing on all cylinders with Prescott on the field and should let it stay that way instead of Romo coming in to possibly interrupt something great.
The Cowboys will have plenty of time to decide the situation as they have their bye week this week and take on the Eagles in two weeks.
