Rookie Success the Key for the Cowboys

The Cowboys may be entering the regular season a bit unhealthy, with quarterback Tony Romo out for what looks to be at least six games. But if a sign of a healthy franchise is how it does when drafting, the Cowboys may be one of the fittest teams in the league. Of course there has been the play of fourth round draft pick Dak Prescott, the quarterback out of Mississippi State who is now the starting quarterback in Romo’s absence. He has been without a doubt the breakout star of the preseason.

First round pick Ezekiel Elliott comes into the season carrying the weight of the hype that goes along with being the fourth overall pick in the draft. A hamstring injury hampered him early in the preseason, but we’ve finally seen him on the field, and the hype is real. As long as the Cowboys can keep him healthy and in shape as their season progresses, the Prescott-Elliott rookie combination will be the best in the league.

Third round pick Maliek Collins has also finally made it to the field, getting the start at defensive tackle against the Seahawks, the same game sixth round cornerback Anthony Brown started in the slot. Both players are expected to make significant contributions throughout the season, furthering the bonafides of the front office staff who made these picks at the draft.

So does this all mean that in the ultra-competitive NFC East the Cowboys can overcome the loss of their starting quarterback and still compete for the division title? The short answer is yes.

Dak Prescott is more than just physically gifted and unusually poised for a rookie quarterback. His NFL learning curve will be shorter than most rookies because of the kind of offense the Cowboys run. At Mississippi State he played in a spread offense that included a number of the same pass pattern elements that the Cowboys run, and with many of the same run/pass option reads that allowed him to excel in college.

Add in the fact that by using their top pick on Elliott–a tough bruising back who will only get stronger as the game goes on–the Cowboys have signaled that they plan to go back to the days of being a run-first team. That will limit the pressure on Dak, and what pressure he does get, so far he seems completely able to handle.

NFL betting experts did have the Cowboys as the favorites the win the NFC East prior to losing Romo to injury. Some of those experts have backtracked on that now, inserting the Giants as the new favorites. But the ‘Boys can give their answer to those doubters in the first week of the season.
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