This time last year, Dez Bryant was gearing up for the 2016 season with Tony Romo as his quarterback. Dez had been plagued the previous 2015 season with injuries and chances that he would be able to dominate like he did in 2014, leading the league with 16 TDs, were low.  Simultaneously, then rookie QB Dak Prescott was competing with Jameill Showers for the backup position, and was only getting one or two live reps per practice.

What a difference a year makes. After stepping in for the injured Romo, Dak earned himself NFL rookie of the year and carried the Dallas Cowboys to a 13-3 season. From the beginning, he had the understanding that in order for his team to be successful, talent alone wasn’t going to cut it. He made a point to be a leader that his teammates would want to follow, and no one knows this better than Bryant. These two have developed a bond and chemistry that would make any quarterback/wide receiver duo envious.

Their bond was strengthened when Bryant’s father passed away the day before the Cowboys were set to play the Pittsburgh Steelers. Having experienced the loss of his mother, Dak was able to reach out and provide the support his teammate needed. Dez went out and had the best game of the season and he attributed much of that success to Dak.

“That Pittsburgh game … I never felt that way ever before. I was calm. I played my best football. I ran the best routes I ever ran with the Cowboys. A lot of credit goes to Dak.”

Fast forward to the playoff game against the Green Bay Packers where again their chemistry was evident. They connected for two touchdowns and Bryant caught nine passes for a total of 132 yards. This last pre-season game against the Indianapolis Colts, the two contributed to a great 95-yard touchdown drive with Dez getting 55 yards in two plays and receiving the touchdown pass. When asked during halftime about Bryant, Dak had nothing but good things to say about his teammate.

Dak Prescott halftime quotes: pic.twitter.com/KeGhtFvIim

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 20, 2017

All of this coupled with the fact that Dak has been getting all the reps during training camp and Bryant is now healthy, leads me to believe that this could be a record breaking season for both players.