Dak Prescott handles relief role well following Tony Romo's injury

Dak Prescott continued to ease any nerves the Dallas Cowboys may have of opening the season with a rookie backup quarterback.

Thursday would be a worst-case scenario in the regular season – Tony Romo exiting with a back injury just three plays into the game. And Prescott entered with the same poise he’s shown the first two preseason games.

He finished 17 of 23 passing for 116 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. For the preseason, Prescott is now 39 of 50 passing for 454 yards, five TDs and no interceptions.

“I just go out there and execute the game plan as much as I can and get the ball to some of these playmakers,” Prescott said.

Prescott, a fourth-round pick out of Mississippi State, said he felt no pressure entering the game earlier than expected. He prepares as though he is going to start and it showed.

On the drive after he replaced Romo, Prescott led the team on an 81-yard scoring drive. He connected with tight end Jason Witten for a 17-yard TD pass, a catch in which Witten reached over linebacker K.J. Wright to make the play.

“I give him all the credit. He had a tough defender on him,” Prescott said. “I told him, ‘I love you.’ Thank you for catching that. I needed that.”

Said Witten: “It was a good throw. That’s where you want. That’s the coverage they play. I expect those out of myself and I appreciate him having confidence to let it go. It’s a big time play by a young player. He’s done that all camp, all preseason.”

The praise continued throughout the locker room for Prescott, as it has all offseason.

The Cowboys are less and less inclined to pursue a veteran option to backup Romo when they have Prescott waiting in the wings. Prescott had a standout drive to end the first half, too, leading a field goal drive to tie the game at 10-10 going into the break.

This only furthers that narrative with how well Prescott has played in game situations.

“I’m just amazed at the numbers of snaps and the quality snaps and against the varied situations that he’s getting it against,” owner Jerry Jones said. “He got it　in two minute　there right before the half. It’s just amazing that he’s going to get to come in here and finish up here next week and get those kinds of snaps.

“He’s going to end up with more snaps than Romo had his entire play time before he was the starting quarterback. I mean, he’s by any rational thinking he should be getting better every situation and so we’ve got him on what I have thought would’ve been two or three times as many snaps over a two-three year period of ideal situations for a young quarterback getting in position to be a player.”

The only change that may happen with Romo being so susceptible to injuries is the Cowboys carrying three quarterbacks instead of two. But Prescott has established himself as much as anyone could have imagined as a No. 2 option.

“This is a very serious reminder where we are and what we are dealing with here in terms of our game and you are a play away,” Jones said.

For now, the Cowboys feel good about Prescott. Experience doesn’t seem to faze him so far.

As Witten put it, “He’s a rookie, but he doesn’t act like one. More importantly, he doesn’t play like one.”

This story was originally published August 26, 2016 at 3:09 AM with the headline "Dak Prescott handles relief role well following Tony Romo's injury."