The Dallas Cowboys had a phenomenal 2016 season but quarterback Dak Prescott thinks the best is yet to come.
There is no denying how magnificent of a first NFL season quarterback Dak Prescott had for the Dallas Cowboys. From being a fourth-round pick out of Mississippi State to leading the Cowboys to the best record in the NFC, Prescott has quickly become of the biggest stars in Dallas.
As a rookie, he went 13-3 as a starter, completing 67.8 percent of his passes for 3,667 yards, 20 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He did play behind the best offensive line in football and had an elite running back behind him in Ezekiel Elliott. However, Prescott should feel pretty good about himself and where the Cowboys are going heading into 2017.
He spoke to the Dallas Morning News on Friday, “In year one, we just scratched the surface. We’re just getting started. I know we’ve been hitting these [offseason] workouts, and we’re just excited for what we can be as a team.”
It seems that Prescott is displaying everything a playoff-caliber team will want out of its franchise quarterback. His leadership on and off the field could eventually set him apart, but 2017 will be a much tougher route for the Cowboys than last year.
Though Dallas will be presumably the favorite to win the NFC East, its 2017 season schedule is absolutely brutal. Dallas draws the toughest division in football in the AFC West in the inter-conference rotation. All four of those teams could vie for playoff spots in the AFC.
While the NFC West looks to be the weakest of the four divisions in the NFC, Dallas does have to navigate a first-place schedule this upcoming season. Though the Cowboys draw the Green Bay Packers early in the year, on the road against the Atlanta Falcons looks to be challenging.
Throw in the annual six games in the NFC East and easy wins for the Cowboys might be hard to come by. Dallas will have to play 11 games against quarterbacks that have made it to at least one Pro Bowl, including two in divisional play against Kirk Cousins and Eli Manning.
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Prescott is a Pro Bowler himself, but a 13-3 record on that Dallas slate is just not reasonable. If the Cowboys go 11-5 and win the NFC East, that would be incredible. The Cowboys defense will have to improve and there mustn’t be any regression whatsoever on offense. If Prescott is up for the challenge, more power to him. However, he could be looking at a very real sophomore slump in 2017.