The San Francisco 49ers face the Denver Broncos Saturday evening, and the quarterback competition will be high on the list of things to watch. But speaking of quarterbacks, it is hard to not be impressed by Dallas Cowboys rookie QB Dak Prescott. He was a guy some 49ers fans were pining after in the 2016 NFL Draft, but he ended up going to Dallas in the fourth round. And he has been wildly impressive in his first two preseason games.
In Week 1, against the Los Angeles Rams, Prescott was 10-of-12 for 139 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed three times for 13 yards. Last night, against the Miami Dolphins, he was 12-of-15 for 199 yards and two touchdowns. He rushed three times for 28 yards and two touchdowns. He also had an interception called back due to a penalty.
Prescott benefits from playing behind a strong Cowboys offensive line, and he is likely facing some fairly vanilla game-planning. That being said, he’s executed in the opportunities presented to him, which includes first-team work, so he deserves credit. Tony Romo will remain the Cowboys starting quarterback, but Dallas has to be pleased to have potentially found a good backup option. It’s only two preseason games, but considering the follow-up performance, the Cowboys might not have to worry about adding a veteran backup if and when Romo gets hurt again. It will be interesting to see if Prescott can finish the preseason with two more strong performances.
The 49ers host the Cowboys in Week 4. Romo likely will be starting, but if he gets hurt, the team would likely see Prescott in his place. Normally I would not think about that kind of hypothetical, but given Romo’s history, it’s a reasonable consideration. It makes Prescott one to watch closely over the next two weeks.