Cowboys’ Dak Prescott surpasses last year’s backup quarterbacks

The Dallas Cowboys used three backup quarterbacks and won once in 12 games a season ago.

Dak Prescott has already doubled that mark three weeks into the season, leading the Cowboys to a 31-17 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday night.

Prescott is 2-1 as a starter for the Cowboys, dazzling again in his prime-time debut with his college coach, Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen, in attendance. He is the first Cowboys backup quarterback to win at AT&T Stadium since Jon Kitna in December 2010.

“I don’t know that anybody could say that we envisioned him playing as well this early,” coach Jason Garrett said. “To think that a rookie starting and doing the things he’s doing in these first three ballgames has been impressive to all of us. But not a surprise because of his approach. His approach from minute one since he got with the Cowboys has been outstanding.”

Prescott led TD drives of 75, 72 and 73 yards in the first half, going 12-of-15 passing for 139 yards. All of those touchdowns, though, were scored on the ground, including a 1-yard plunge himself in the first quarter.

But Prescott eventually threw his first touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, hitting Dez Bryant for a 17-yard score that put the game out of reach. Most important is that Prescott had another interception-less game.

Prescott finished 19-of-24 passing for 248 yards with one touchdown.

“It felt great,” Prescott said of his TD pass. “I had a copule other close moments there earlier in the game. Then we got Dez in there. It took a lot of attempts but it happened.”

Prescott said the Cowboys saved the ball of his first NFL pass, although he didn’t seem overly eager to keep it.

As Prescott said, “If [Bryant] wants it, he can have it. I plan on getting many more. We might cut it in half or something.”

Prescott joked earlier in the week that he’d like to have a few touchdown passes, but winning is the top priority. And that’s what Prescott has managed to do since taking over the starting job with injuries to starter Tony Romo and projected backup Kellen Moore.

Early in the second quarter, Prescott found an open Cole Beasley but he went down at the 1 for a 29-yard completion. Lance Dunbar finished that drive with a 1-yard run.

The important thing for Prescott and the Cowboys, though, were converting those red-zone trips into touchdowns. They had settled for too many field goals the first two games.

In eight trips to the red zone through the first two games, the Cowboys had scored just four touchdowns.

“We talked about that all week long. We have to start out fast and finish fast,” Prescott said. “Finishing is something that we have to work on now. We started off with consecutive scoring drives then got to the second half and hurt ourselves with turnovers and penalties. We are going to clean that up.”

Prescott continued to show that he has the ability to lead this team to wins until Romo is healthy. That is something that couldn’t be said a season ago.

Romo missed 12 games, fracturing his left collarbone twice, and Brandon Weeden, Matt Cassel and Moore went 1-11.

Prescott has proven to be a steal in the fourth round of this year’s draft, and is holding the offense together until Romo returns. Not even the prime-time lights seemed to bother him.

“Like I’ve said over and over, I expect to be here,” Prescott said. “I have high expectations for myself, I only want to get better and better. I’m going to keep working hard to get better every day and continue living in the moment.”

This story was originally published September 25, 2016 at 11:38 PM with the headline "Cowboys’ Dak Prescott surpasses last year’s backup quarterbacks."