‘What the NFL and world needs.’ Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott returns vs. Tom Brady’s Bucs
The moment is not lost on Dak Prescott.
All of the requisite elements seem to have aligned perfectly to set up his return to the football field after nearly 11 months away with the worst injury of his football life.
Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys open their 2021 season in a nationally-televised primetime extravaganza against Tom Brady and the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers Thursday night.
He makes his return after no preseason action. There won’t be any easing into to it either with a nondescript noon game against a low-profile opponent.
But Prescott has never played it safe and he’s always had more innate confidence oozing from deep within his soul than your average NFL quarterback. He was born for these types of games.
“I love it the way it is,” Prescott said to a large group of Cowboys media last week, his first media contact since Aug. 11. “Thursday night, night game, starting the season off, yeah I wouldn’t want it any other way, to be honest. I love night games. Love playing on primetime. I think it’s just set for the perfect stage. Them coming off the Super Bowl title and us, having fans back to full capacity, I think this is what the NFL and the world needs.”
Yeah, Prescott looks ready. Says he’s ready. Despite missing much of training camp with a sore throwing shoulder and before that, recovering from multiple surgeries to repair his mangled ankle that ended his 2020 season in Week 5. But even he acknowledges that it doesn’t truly get real until a Buccaneers defender breaks through his offensive and lowers the boom on his body.
“I’m just excited for that moment, just to get it out of the way, just after 11 months without getting hit,” he said. “I’m just excited for everything this game entails — from warmups, to pregame, to the first whistle to the last and everything in between.”
For Prescott, the excitement comes down to the love for the game and doing it with his teammates again. Yes, his personal struggles with rehabilitating from a serious ankle injury were extensive, and will make the moment even sweeter. The joy, he said, will come from being back on the field with his teammates.
“There is so much work I put into this I’m just excited to go out there and be a part of the full game,” said Prescott, who turned 28 on July 29. “Just being out there with my brothers and being able to do something I love.”
Facing Tom Brady, arguably the greatest quarterback the NFL has ever seen, is just another ember in the fire.
“I go in with the mindset that I need to be great and it’s straight business. But obviously, knowing what they have on the other side, it’s up to us quarterbacks to control the game with our offense and help the defense and the team out,” he said. “And so that’s where the battle comes. Obviously, I know how great he is, but as I’ve said, I’m confident in myself and everybody else around me.”
The test for Prescott and the Cowboys offense, of course, isn’t Brady. It’s the Bucs defense that returns everyone from a year ago when they held opponents to a league-low 1,289 yards rushing and forced 25 turnovers, fourth-most in the league.
“I’ve always been doubted. I’ve always been considered, as you said, the underdog, from being the little brother to now in the NFL people find ways to doubt me and I just think it’s fun and I embrace those challenges,” said Prescott, who threw for 1,856 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions in less than five full games last season before his ankle injury. “This is just the one at the present time. Yeah, from the shoulder to the leg to my mind, I’m ready to go.”
While the comeback from the ankle injury was tedious and at times arduous, the 11 months, Prescott said, have flown by in some regards.
“Time goes fast when you’re focused on all the small things and all the details,” said Prescott who had multiple surgeries to repair his right ankle.
“When I look back now, it’s kind of flown by. But it definitely wasn’t a blur because everything was very purposeful. Everything I was doing with the game, away from the game, just trying to make myself a better person, better player and it’s just exciting. I know everything’s cultivated for this moment.”
Prescott started the first 68 games of his NFL career and rarely missed a snap during his first four full seasons. He wasn’t oblivious to the precarious nature of his position or the tenuousness of his health. But the past 11 months have been another reminder.
“I wouldn’t say I ever thought I was invincible. Or didn’t realize how vulnerable I was or how precious life is,” he said. “I am thankful for every moment. When I talk about these small victories that is just me being thankful for every moment that I have, not taking anything for granted. Whether it’s waking up in the morning or walk-throughs with my teammates, to dinner tonight. That is part of my mindset that allows me to be here. It was a challenge. I answered it and now I am excited to be on the back side of that.”
