Why Dak Prescott will be under intense scrutiny in 2017

After enjoying a wildly successful rookie campaign, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott will be under intense scrutiny in his sophomore season.

I wonder if there are private times in which Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott must wonder what else he has to do.

Starting with his junior season at Mississippi State, all Dak has done is take his teams to highs that were unexpected.

Prior to 2014, the Bulldogs had never won nine or more games in back-to-back seasons. Enter Dak Prescott and Mississippi State goes 19-7, including their first ever number one ranking.

Playing in the SEC, without question the best conference in college football, all he did was produce and play big. Fifty-six touchdowns passing, another 24 rushing with almost 9,000 combined passing and rushing yards is phenomenal. Doing so against the Alabama’s, LSU’s and Florida’s of the world is ridiculous.

One would think such results would wind up earning Prescott a high draft selection in the 2016 NFL Draft. Instead, seven other quarterbacks were selected before him.

Finally, in the fourth round, the Dallas Cowboys made him their choice which, at the time, made sense from a fit standpoint. The thought process was that Dak could hone his skills for a couple more years. Serving as an understudy to Tony Romo could not possibly be a bad thing, right?

Then August 25th occurred.

As Romo suffers yet another back injury, all of sudden, it becomes Prescott’s time in the prominent role of starting quarterback.

No big deal, all he does is have one of the most prolific rookie seasons for a quarterback in recent memory. Not only did he produce amazing numbers, he also led the Dallas Cowboys to 13 wins. A plateau of which was only accomplished two other times in franchise history.

One would think such results would have the focus squarely on Prescott enters his sophomore season in the NFL. Instead, Romo’s retirement and a wave of fondness and adulation seem to have put Dak in am awkward space.

In some weird way, the retirement of Romo will be just one reason Dak Prescott will be under intense scrutiny in 2017.

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Had Romo went on to a new team and got injured again or underperformed, there would be no question that Prescott’s presence would be more appreciated. Instead, fans lusting for days of Romo past will be in full throat the first time Prescott makes a mistake or possibly costs the Cowboys a game.

Being the type of guy that he is, I’m sure Prescott will handle this just fine. Still, with so many irrational fans having access to social media, this is sure to be a topic. Let’s not forget your trash shows featuring Stephen A. Smith or Skip Bayless either. It’s almost a matter of when, not if.

Another area of scrutiny will be how Prescott handles the increased difficulty of the Cowboys schedule. Last season, the Cowboys faced only four teams that made the playoffs. This season, that number increases to five.

It also includes the two teams that played for the NFC championship as well as three Super Bowl winning quarterbacks. Three of the toughest defenses in the league appear on the docket on the docket as well.

Lastly, there is the matter of his divisional performances.

Not counting his brief appearance in the last game of the season, Prescott’s three worst performances in 2016 all came against divisional opponents.

In three games, two versus the New York Giants and his first against Philadelphia, Prescott never had a passer rating higher than 80.0.

Against New York, he completed 42 of 82 passes for a mere 392 total yards. He tossed just one touchdown and threw half of his total interceptions on the year in these games. As for the Eagles, they were able to keep him under a 50% completion percentage in their first meeting.

Can Dak handle the intensified microscope?

I believe he can. Prescott has proven time after time that he is ready for any challenge. He has responded well to both personal and professional challenges.

Next: Ranking every top-10 pick in Dallas Cowboys’ history

The future of the Dallas Cowboys is in great hands. That future begins this September. Something tells me the kid can’t wait to show us. I know I can’t wait to watch.

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