Can Dak Prescott be for the 2016 Cowboys what Russell Wilson was for the 2012 Seahawks?
Hint: He might be better
With all of the hype surrounding the 2016 Dallas Cowboys impressive 6-1 start, many have asked the question, should Dak Prescott remain as the team’s starter for the rest of the season, regardless of the health of veteran Tony Romo? Others have suggested that the Cowboys should trade Romo to free up salary cap space, drawing comparisons to Russell Wilson in Seattle, who forced assumed starter Matt Flynn to the bench and later out of town. After winning the starting job out of training camp in 2012, Wilson essentially gave the team a free starting quarterback for 3 years, considering his selection in the third round of the draft under the new rookie wage scale. Given Prescott’s fourth round selection and comparable salary to Wilson’s rookie deal, along with a run-first offense and better than anticipated defense, is it reasonable to believe that Prescott can lead the Cowboys to dominate the NFC in the way Wilson’s Seahawks did? The early numbers suggest Dak’s ceiling may be even higher.
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Wins: Though his first seven games as starter, Prescott has guided the Cowboys to a 6-1 record. Wilson’s 2012 Seahawks started 4-3. Both posted impressive wins over top tier quarterbacks, with Prescott beating Aaron Rodgers at Lambeau Field and Wilson besting Tom Brady and the Patriots.
TD/INT: Through seven games, Prescott has thrown 9 TDs to only 2 INTs, and has tacked on 4 additional rushing touchdowns. Russell Wilson threw 8 TDs to 7 INTs through his first seven games and didn’t find the endzone on the ground until Week 15.
Passing Statistics: For those who want to knock Prescott for taking the short simple throws, he has amassed 1773 yards through the air, averaging 8.3 yds/att, compared to Wilson’s 1230 yards and 7.0 yds/att. Prescott also has an edge is completion percentage 65.2% to Wilson’s 59.4%, and has reached 225 yards passing in every game, something Wilson only did once during his first seven starts. The argument can be made that the Cowboys offensive line affords Prescott better protection than Wilson enjoyed early in his career. However, Prescott’s 11 sacks taken through 7 games trail Wilson by only 3, and each lost 2 fumbles through 7 games. With a trip to Cleveland today to face the Browns, Dak will have another chance to pad his numbers.
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Rushing Statistics: As mentioned earlier, Dak Prescott already has an many rushing touchdowns (4) as Russell Wilson did his entire rookie season. Through his first 7 games, Prescott has rushed for 105 yards on 27 carries, averaging 3.9 yards per carry. Wilson had a slight edge in yards, 119, albeit on 35 carries for a lower 2.9 yard per carry average.
Clutch: Perhaps the most important and hardest to measure, Prescott’s early success is eerily similar to Wilson’s “Clutch Gene”. Dak’s 62.7% completion rate when trailing is identical to Wilson’s rookie season, and Prescott enjoys a slight edge in tie games, 69.8% to 69.7%. Prescott’s 99.6 QB rating in the 4th quarter and 81.9 rating in the final 2 minutes of the half also exceed Wilson’s rookie numbers, 97.7 and 80.3, respectively.
It remains to be seen if Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys will be able to continue the impressive start to their 2016 season and make a push into the postseason. Perhaps more uncertain is whether Prescott’s early success is merely a “product of the system” or a sign of future greatness. However, given that Dallas Cowboys starters were a combined 1-11 without Tony Romo in the same “system” in 2015, the early returns suggest Prescott may not just be a flash in the pan. When compared to the 2012 Seattle Seahawks, a young team built around controlling the clock and dictating pace of play with a punishing run game, there is reason to believe that these Cowboys may be for real. The real test will be whether Dak can deliver in the playoffs and lead his team to a Super Bowl title the way Wilson already has. Certainly, Dak does not enjoy the benefit of having perhaps the greatest defense since the ‘85 Bears playing opposite him, however, if Prescott’s numbers continue to match or exceed the numbers of another mid round rookie named Russell Wilson, Cowboys fans may not need to fear life after Romo after all.
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