Dak Prescott promises improvement from first five games

Five games. That how many games the Dallas Cowboys had their starting quarterback, Dak Prescott, under center for them during the 2020 NFL regular season. That was due to a devastating ankle injury Prescott suffered in Week Five that prematurely ended his season and required two surgeries to correct.

Realizing what the state of their franchise was without Prescott starting under center surely aided in the team finally deciding to ink the 27-year old passer to a massive four-year, $160 million contract extension earlier this year.

Now healthy and preparing for training camp next month in Oxnard, California, Prescott is excited to return to the field for what he believes will be a very special season for America’s Team.

Here’s what Prescott told Newy Scruggs of NBC DFW when asked about his expectations heading into the new season …

"“Improvement, a lot of improvement. Obviously from last year to this year, but deeper than that. From those first five games. Take those first five games and just say we’re going to be better than that … We’re excited for this year. It’s going to be very, very special for us and for Cowboys fans.”"

During the Cowboys’ first five games of last season with Prescott starting under center, the team posted a disappointing 2-3 record. Dallas lost their regular-season opener against the Los Angeles Rams on the road, 20-17.

Trailing 19 points at halftime, the Cowboys would defeat the Atlanta Falcons on a last-second field goal, 40-39, in their Week Two home opener in AT&T Stadium in the famous Watermelon Kick game.

The Cowboys would head back on the road in Week Three and fall to the Seattle Seahawks, 38-31. Then Dallas would travel back home only to get run over by the tune of 307 rushing yards by the Cleveland Browns in a blowout loss, 49-38.

In Prescott’s final game of 2020, Dallas was down 34-31 in the fourth quarter. And it required some last-second heroics from backup quarterback Andy Dalton and wide receiver Michael Gallup to give the Cowboys the 37-34 home victory over the New York Giants.

In those first five games, Prescott had some great performances. Against the Browns, he threw for 502 passing yards, four touchdowns, and only one interception. In three of those first four games, Dak passed for more than 400 yards. Unfortunately, only once did it translate to a victory.

With Dak Prescott under center, a healthy offensive line returning from various injuries, and a new coordinator in Dan Quinn leading the defense, the Dallas Cowboys are hoping their offseason changes will be enough for America’s Team to compete in a division that was won last season by a team with a 7-9 record.