Earlier this week at his annual youth football camp, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was asked if he would be able to take the team to a Super Bowl. He didn’t flinch and responded, “I’m trying. I’m doing my absolute best.”
Prescott did his day long tour with ESPN and Fox Sports last week, and had a few comments about where he feels this team stands and how excited he is for his team to “surprise some people”.
“I like where we are headed. I like the way we finished OTA’s and minicamp. You can see guys excited to get back. And what’s good, the last day of an OTA or minicamp, guys weren’t sprinting out the door. Knowing guys want to get back together in this off time to not only just hang out but to work and get better at ball. That is exactly what we need in a young team.
“It’s hard to [surprise] people with the Dallas Cowboys; our standards are high,” Prescott said. “But when you hear talk we don’t have this player, we don’t have that player. We don’t have a lot of well-known guys. But that only makes the guys we have hungrier.”
It’s no secret that a lot will fall on the Prescott’s shoulders this season. He had somewhat of a down year compared to his stellar rookie campaign, but Prescott supporters will point to multiple obstacles:
- The ongoing Ezekiel Elliott drama last season, ultimately leading to his eventual six-game suspension
- The health of the offensive line, most importantly Tyron Smith’s season long back issues
- Lacking of chemistry between Dak and Dez Bryant
- Young secondary
The list goes on.
Obviously, some of these issues should be a distant memory. Elliott has already shown signs of wanting to be a real leader for this team. The Cowboys released Dez Bryant in the off-season. Tyron Smith has stated that he hasn’t felt better than right now. That secondary? It’s really starting to show signs and the acquisition of Kris Richard should only help motivate and nurture this unit into something that can really work.
Reasons for optimism? I would say so.
Prescott’s rookie campaign was no fluke. He’s a product of the pieces around him. He had Elliott for all 16 games in 2016, and his offensive line provided him the time to find his receivers with precision, and use his athletic ability when needed. He tied Ben Roethlisberger for rookie wins with 13, and has been compared to Russell Wilson. With some of the issues from last season looking like a thing of the past, it’s now on Prescott to show his worth, especially now that contract talks are starting up.
Cowboys Nation is tired of waiting. We haven’t reached the NFC Championship game since 1995, when they won the Super Bowl, defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers.
We are ready, Dak. Bring it home!
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