Dak Prescott sets high standard for Thursday's opener vs. Tampa Bay

Dak Prescott will make his much-anticipated return in front of the Dallas Cowboys faithful in less than 48 hours. It’s been a little under a year for Prescott, but after a devastating ankle injury and a lingering shoulder strain throughout camp, the Cowboys signal caller says he feels better than he ever has.

“I plan to come out better than I was last year, to be honest,” The Cowboys franchise passer told NFL.com. “That’s just the work that I’ve put in going all the way back to February when I got back on the field. I’m excited for it.”

Dak Prescott’s approach and resilience are admirable to say the least. There’s an energy around this team and it’s warranted. CeeDee Lamb could be poised for a breakout season and Amari Cooper has already cemented himself as one of the top pass catchers and route runners in the league. Ezekiel Elliot looks to be back in great shape, and while they won’t have Zack Martin on Thursday, the offensive line is still filled with talent.

Prescott on starting fast, the right way

Many media outlets have pointed to Prescott’s record-breaking pace before last year’s injury. In less than five games, the Cowboys’ quarterback threw for 1,859 yards and nine touchdowns, for a staggering 371 yards per game. That pace would have put Prescott just under 6,000 passing yards for the year.

While their losses came to the Rams, Seahawks and Browns all playoff contenders a season ago, Dallas opened the year with a 1-3 record as Prescott shined. The win was a one-point victory in a 40-39 shootout against Atlanta.

“I plan to come out starting fast. I’ve said before, I don’t necessarily want the numbers that I had that early because we weren’t winning games and we weren’t being competitive early, and that’s why some of those numbers came about,” Dak Prescott said.

Many of those early losses were because of the Cowboys’ poor defense, one of the worst in the NFL in 2020.

The new additions on the defense including first-round linebacker Micah Parsons and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn — could help right away. Trevon Diggs had a breakout rookie season and could emerge as a top NFC corner. DeMarcus Lawrence can still wreak havoc in the backfield and Leighton Vander Esch is a top-tier linebacker.

Dak Prescott on expectations for Thursday

There are always high expectations for the Dallas Cowboys, but this year feels different. Plenty of national media outlets have them finishing atop of the NFC East.

For now, all eyes are on Thursday night’s opponent.

Tom Brady makes his way to AT&T Stadium coming off yet another Super Bowl victory. The best quarterback of all time will be joined by a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that didn’t lose a single starter from last year’s championship roster.

Dallas can’t afford setbacks or miscues.

When asked about that moment he’s undoubtedly dreamed about, where Prescott trots onto the field for the first time, with so much adversity leading up to this point. Prescott is excited, but not eager.

“I mean, I’m excited for when that moment comes, but I wouldn’t say I’m eager,” Dak Prescott said of the first time he’ll get hit since the injury. “I think it’d be great to come out of that game not touching the ground, but how realistic is that? Obviously, it doesn’t sound very realistic. But I’m just excited for that moment, just to get it out of the way, after 11 months without being hit. I’m just excited for everything this game entails, from warmups to pregame, to the first whistle to the last, and everything in between.”