Cowboys: 3 games Dak Prescott will have to win with his arm

1. Week 1: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Sunday, Sept. 11)

Without debate, this is the ultimate tone-setter game for the Cowboys this season. It may be at home vs. Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but who cares? Dallas has all offseason to prepare for this marquee game in Week 1. It is at their place vs. a team they played a year ago. Brady may be The GOAT, but if Dallas wants to be the best, the Cowboys have to beat the best.

Win or lose, this is a game where the Cowboys cannot be timid and unsure of themselves. They cannot dip their toes into the water, they must jump into the pool. This will require Prescott to be an elite field general from opening kickoff. He must play with a boulder-sized chip on his shoulder of if not now, when? Super Bowl windows are only open for so long. Dallas must take advantage.

With the defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals coming to town the following week, Dallas has to be the aggressor in the early part of the year. Otherwise, the narrative of being nothing more than a glorified football hype machine will rear its ugly head again. Splitting the pair would be great. Even if they drop both, Dallas and Prescott must play with the mindset of hungry dogs.

If the Cowboys want to hit all of their goals this season, it starts with a step-up game in Week 1.