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Nobody wants to see Tony take off and start running. And for that reason, it’s one part of his game that fans are content with not having. But that won’t be the case with Prescott.
Romo’s ability to extend plays with his feet has always been a strength. But Cowboys coaches aren’t going to expose the 36-year-old schematically more than they need to, especially after the injuries that have hit him the past few years. (He got hurt Thursday night while trying to slide after scrambling on a designed pass play.)
Cowboys' Dak Prescott says he's the smartest QB in this rookie class - Jared Dubin, CBS Sports
Prescott’s football smarts have been on full display this preseason and he’s not modest about it.
"Knowledge-wise, I think I'm the smartest quarterback that came in this class," Prescott recently told USA Today. "I would love to go on the board and go head to head with anybody else. That's how I feel. That's how confident I am."
Cowboys players have total confidence in Dak Prescott - Dwain Price, Star Telegram
One big difference this season in comparison to last year is that Cowboys teammates have a lot faith in their backup QB. Here is what Dak’s teammates had to say about him:
Dez Bryant: "The chemistry with not only me and him, but the rest of the guys, it’s tremendous. We’re going to back him up and he’s going to do the same. We’re just going to keep each other lifted and go from there."
Brice Butler :"I can tell you that last year when Tony went out, it was like a horror movie," Butler said. "I feel totally fine with [Prescott as the starter].
La’el Collins: "He’s just confident," Collins said. "The level of focus that he has every day, the attention to detail that he uses throughout practice, and the questions that he asks.
Will QB Dak Prescott play in Cowboys preseason finale? David Moore, SportsDay
The question on everyone’s mind going into the fourth and final preseason game is - will Dak play?
Now that Prescott will start the opener against the New York Giants on Sept. 11, does he still play in Thursday's game against Houston? He could use the work. But can the team risk exposing him to injury?
Jerry Jones understands both sides of the coin.
Jones said it would be nice to get Prescott more work but quickly added, "it's getting close to D Day.''
Of course, we need about 13 more pass attempts to get a more accurate comparison between Prescott and Russell Wilson.
Russell Wilson and Dak Prescott, uncanny similarity or pure coincidence? pic.twitter.com/i1gnEGxeya
— One Cool Customer (@OCC44) August 28, 2016
Stephen Jones: 'We'll just see' on signing a veteran backup for Dak - Jared Dubin, CBS Sports
Will the Cowboys sign a veteran QB to backup Dak? Stephen Jones weighs in.
"We'll just see. There's a lot of ways to acquire players," Jones said. "There's quarterbacks that are out there and don't have a home right now, and then there's quarterbacks that other teams have right now -- of course we can't talk about those players. We'll look at what our options are. It is something that we'll look at, in terms of looking at a veteran-type quarterback."
Dallas Cowboys: 10 Possible Waiver Wire Quarterbacks - Steven Mullenax, The Landry Hat
While the Cowboys are comfortable with their current backup, Dak Prescott, he is now the team’s starter. This leaves the new backup spot a little shaky. Should the team stand pat with Jameill Showers or should they look to bring someone in? Steven Mullenax throws out ten names, including one that keeps coming up.
The Browns have a logjam at the quarterback position, which already bolsters Robert Griffin III and rookie Cody Kessler. And it appears either Josh McCown or Austin Davis could be waived this week.
Cowboys fans will likely best remember Davis for torching Dallas for 327 passing yards and three touchdowns as a member of the St. Louis Rams back in Week Three of the 2014 regular season. Despite the fifth-year quarterback’s memorable performance, the Cowboys would eventually win that game 34-31.
Everyone has their own take on when Romo might return, but Jason Garrett isn’t one to play those types of games.
"There is no reason for me to stand up here and put a timetable on this,'' Garrett said Sunday, via the Dallas Morning News. "A lot of other people outside this building have suggested they know what the timetable is. That's not the world we live in.''
Our own Jim Scott was able to gather up some comments from Dr. David Chao regarding Romo’s injury.
Not the same bone, not the same part of bone. Tony Romo’s bone is not weak. This was football trauma." Unlike the transverse injury, however, the lumbar injury is structural. "It’s much different than in 2014. There’s risk it could get worse. No immediate return to play. He can’t take a hit for six weeks." Chao did note, however, that Romo could be throwing in two weeks time as the throwing motion doesn’t adversely affect the L1 vertebra.
Tony Romo Injury: The Ripple Effect - Jess Haynie, Inside The Star
With Romo’s timetable for return unknown, this could shake up the roster a bit. If he’s not placed on IR, he’s going to take up a roster spot. That could mean bad news for one of the bubble boys. Jess Haynie takes a look at some positions where players are at risk.
Running Back – How badly do you really need Lance Dunbar? Given his own history, how much do you even trust him to stay healthy? Dallas could elect to cut Dunbar along with Darren McFadden and just keep Ezekiel Elliott, Alfred Morris, and Darius Jackson. They also could decide to risk Jackson on the practice squad if they’d rather hang on to one of the veterans.
Last year, Lance Dunbar became the backup QBs best friend...well, that was until he got hurt. The loss of Romo could make him even more valuable to the roster.
Looking for some good news? Dez Bryant and Tyrone Crawford will be participating in individual drills after missing Thursday game with a concussion. Also, the Cowboys top corner should be a go for the opener.
Cornerback Orlando Scandrick did not play against the Seahawks after experiencing a little groin soreness a week ago, coming off his first game appearance since tearing his ACL and MCL in last year’s training camp. Scandrick said he expects to be ready for the season opener barring a setback, and he was dressed for practice Sunday, though it’s unknown how much work he might do.
Dez Bryant Returns to Practice After Concussion Protocol - David Watkins, NBC DFW
It would have been interesting to see what the Cowboys offense would have looked like with Dez on the field against Seattle. He and Dak had a nice little touchdown streak going in the preseason. It’s good to hear that he’s back on the field again.
"I felt fine. I was really ready to go back but like I said, I had to listen to them [athletic training staff]. I'm good, I'm excited. Nothing has changed, I'm ready to go," said Bryant.