The Dallas Cowboys have pretty much rolled out the red carpet for rookie quarterback Dak Prescott, at least until Tony Romo returns to 100%. That’s not exactly bad news considering how well Prescott has exceeded expectations and performed on the field during the first three preseason games for the Cowboys.
There is still a lot of optimism surrounding this Cowboys team, even though their projected starter (Tony Romo) and backup (Kellen Moore) are both dealing with injuries causing them to be out for an unspecified amount of time.
Normally, we would hear a lot of talk about tanking the season in order to have a top draft pick, but things have changed. And that has everything to do with the belief Dak Prescott can keep this high-powered Cowboys offense firing on all cylinders.
Tony Romo is said to be out anywhere from 4-8 weeks to 6-10 weeks. Because of this I decided to breakdown the schedule with Prescott at the helm to determine what the record might look like heading into their Week 7 bye.
By then, we should know if Romo could possibly return after the Cowboys bye week, or if we will see more of Prescott.
Here is a quick look at the Dallas Cowboys’ opponents over the first six weeks of the 2016 season and my win/loss prediction.
| Opponent | Could Dak Prescott win? |
| New York Giants | No |
| @Washington | Yes |
| Chicago | Yes |
| @San Francisco | Yes |
| Cincinnati | No |
| @Green Bay | No |
| Bye Week |
Would you be satisfied at .500 heading into the bye?
Well, that’s how I see things possibly breaking down, as of right now, if Dak Prescott continues to play the way he has been.
It’s always tough to predict NFL matchups because there is so much turnover year after year; it’s really hard to figure out what the team will look like based on what they have been able to accomplish in the preseason.
Having said that, let me try to break this down a little further by examining each individual opponent.
New York Giants – Week 1
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When the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants face off against one another, you can pretty much guarantee that the outcome will come down to the final seconds on the clock. I don’t predict that to change any, not even with Dak Prescott leading the Cowboys’ offense.
The Giants used the offseason to try to upgrade their defense and spent heavily to bring in some of the top free agents to accomplish that. Whether it pays off or not is still the question, but I think they’ll throw everything (including the kitchen sink) at Prescott trying to confuse/harass him.
I do, however, think the Cowboys can win this game if they can find success in the running game and control the clock with Ezekiel Elliott.
Ultimately, I give a slight advantage to the Giants, which unfortunately means Dak Prescott loses his first regular-season game in the NFL.
@Washington Redskins – Week 2
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I don’t know who was in charge of coming up with the 2016 schedule, but they didn’t do the Dallas Cowboys any favors by scheduling back-to-back division opponents in the first two weeks of the season.
Fortunately, I think the Cowboys match up really well against the Redskins, and even though they’re playing their first away game of the season, I see them coming away with their first win in 2016.
Kirk Cousins played surprisingly well in 2015, but whether he can have a repeat performance has yet to be seen. Even the Redskins are waiting to see what he does before they offer him a long-term extension, so you can read whatever you want to into that.
This game will be particularly interesting because we’ll get to see Dez Bryant and Josh Norman face off against one another. I think the Cowboys will impose their will with their offensive line and running game.
Chicago Bears – Week 3
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The Dallas Cowboys will play their first non-division game at AT&T Stadium against the Chicago Bears in Week 3 of the 2016 season.
The Cowboys’ and Bears’ 2015 seasons were oddly similar and they both finished last in their respective divisions. But fortunately for the Cowboys, they aren’t really in a transitional phase like the Bears.
Head coach John Fox is entering his second year with the Bears and he is still transitioning his defense from the 4-3 to the 3-4. I think the high-powered Dallas Cowboys offense will be too much for the Bears’ defense, and quarterback Dak Prescott will have his best professional game in prime-time on Sunday night.
If there is a must-win game during the first six weeks of the season for the Cowboys, I believe this is the one. This game alone could have huge playoff implications and for that reason I think the Cowboys’ coaching staff will do everything in their power to ensure a W.
@San Francisco 49ers – Week 4
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There is absolutely nothing about the San Francisco 49ers that scares me, not one bit, and I think this could possibly be the safest bet for the Dallas Cowboys to win with Dak Prescott playing quarterback.
On both offense and defense, the 49ers really lack players that can make a big difference in the game. New head coach Chip Kelly has yet to make the kind of impact in the NFL that both he and everyone else might have expected.
The Dallas Cowboys know what to expect from Chip Kelly and should come out and completely dominate this game in all phases. I fully expect the Cowboys to have their highest scoring game of the season and come away with their third win of the year.
Cincinnati Bengals – Week 5
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The Cincinnati Bengals are perhaps one of the better balanced teams on both offense and defense in the entire NFL.
They are projected to make a strong push to make the playoffs in 2016 and could possibly be the toughest defense that Dak Prescott has faced to this point.
On offense, the Bengals have the play-makers to make the game miserable for the Cowboys defense. Andy Dalton throwing to AJ Green will really test the Cowboys secondary, but the Bengals also like to be physical at the point of attack, and will try to be dominate up front with the running game, led by Jeremy Hill.
This is going to be a really tough test for the Dallas Cowboys, in all phases of the game. Unfortunately, I don’t think Dak Prescott can do enough to come away with a victory at home.
@Green Bay Packers – Week 6
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Any team traveling to Lambeau Field and secure with the thought they can come away with a victory are either delusional or know something I don’t. Lambeau Field is arguably the toughest venue to play at and that doesn’t bode well for the Dallas Cowboys in their Week 6 matchup with the Green Bay Packers.
A Packer offense led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers is always dangerous, but after an injury-plagued 2015 season, Jordy Nelson should be back to 100% to pick up where he left off pre-injury. This should make the Packers’ offense one of the best in the NFL and is the sole reason why I think they beat the Dallas Cowboys.
As talented as I think Dak Prescott is, I don’t believe he can match Aaron Rodgers touchdown for touchdown. And I don’t even want to think about how the Cowboys defense will look against the Packers offense at home.
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Can Dak Prescott do better than 3-3 before the bye week?
Please take advantage of the comment section below and tell us your prediction of Dak Prescott’s win/loss record in the first six weeks of the 2016 season.
4-2
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I think 4-2 is a fairly realistic record heading into the bye. The only real loss that I see is against Green Bay. How ecstatic would Cowboys fans be if Prescott had a 5-1 record heading into the bye week?
Dak has inherited every starting position at every level of his football career because of injuries to named starters , which tells me that he may not have talents and measurables the eyes can see but there is something about his aura on a football field that just brings a calm and quiet confidence to those around him I have watched my Dallas Cowboys long enough to trust my gut and what I have seen so far excites me I do not put anything past him 5-1, 6-0 would not shock me until proven otherwise I am quite comfortable with Dak.
Billy, I think I pretty much agree with everything you said. I do however believe he has the talent to be successful in the NFL. I’ve been paying close attention throughout training camp practices and have noticed that Prescott doesn’t look very good in practices, but seems to excel when he’s in a game situation. And you’re right, he does have a commanding presence when on the field. I think the team will rally around that. I’m looking forward to seeing how he performs while Romo is hurt.
If dak is 5-1 and tony is health after the bye week does tony get his job back?
If that’s the scenario, I think the Dallas Cowboys would give Romo more time to recover from his back injury. I think they would continue to go with Prescott if he’s performing that well. Thanks for taking the time to leave, Joey.
Win all. Six
Tim, that would be absolutely amazing.
I say we go 4 -2 or maybe 5 – 1 this
Kid is going to be the real deal. Our offense is going to be deadly Go Cowboys Mingo Arizona.
Mingo, I think those are realistic expectations. Prescott has a lot of the intangibles you look for a QB, but he really hasn’t gone up against a defense that has tried to game plan for him yet. It is because of that alone I said 3-3. I think the only pretty much guaranteed loss would be playing Green Bay at home.
You really think the Dallas Secondary can guard all the passing weapons the Skins have at their disposal?
Yes, I think it’s possible. But I also think the Cowboys offense can put more points on the board than the Redskins. I think the Cowboys defense can do enough to keep the Redskins offense from outscoring the Cowboys offense. Sometimes that’s all it comes down to. Thanks for leaving a comment Vaughan.
I think Dak will be just fine with all the help he got I can see him goin 4-2 or maybe even 5-1 go cowboys
I agree Thomas, but at the same time I’m curbing my expectations until I see how Prescott performs against a defense that is actually game planning against him.
Dak the man
We all hope so Deven
4-2 Dallas beats NewYork to open the season. New York has a new Head Coach.
James, Ben McAdoo is actually in his second season as head coach for the New York Giants. To me, the game against the Giants as a tossup. I can see it going either way.
I’m guessing 4-2, maybe even 5-1. The Giants game as you said is always a toss up but I think with scandrick back to hold ODB a little and with how bad that Giants line really is we take that one. Going to Lambeau is as tough a challenge as any so that’s an L. Other then that I think they are all very winnable games. The redskins are a good match up for us as are the bears, and I think my flag football team could give San fran a run this year. Bengals would be the only one I think could go either way.
Let’s not forget we drafted zeke over a CB for this exact reason to take the pressure off romo so we’re built to weather this scenario
Brian, I agree with everything you said. I took the cautious approach with 3-3 because we have yet to see Prescott in a game where a defense is actually game plans for him. I do however think that all of these games are winnable, with probably the exception of playing Green Bay at home.
The Cowboys will never lose another game. Ever.
James, I like your mindset LOL. I guess anything is possible
Yo the cowboys will get rolling after 4 games when our suspensions on defense are out and hopefully, Giants-Win with Eli throwing easy picks even though they have a huge recieving core but a vounerable offensive line, Redskins-Win dak can play agajnst that secondary like its nothing with a healthy line, zeke can kill and redzone will be easy with our recieving plus our backs of morris and zeke. Bears-Win because ya… Packers-Loss, at lambeau, we have had good history plus our away game winning percentage but aaron is too strong with reading the field and escaping our rush plus a healthy jordy Bengals-W honestly, bengals defense isnt as great as hype gives it plus they have lost some and they have a good runblocking scheme but i think this is a close one we could win and 49ers-Win i mean if blane gabert is a stater rolling into that game, you have a good chance plus a healthy hyde is rare and cowboys will win this in my opinion
-Mason, Frisco
Mason, I can’t disagree with anything you said. The Cowboys could be very well at 5-1 when they enter their bye week. I personally chose a side of caution because Prescott has yet to face a defense that has actually been game planned for him. I do agree however think that all of these games are winnable, with maybe the exception of playing Green Bay at Lambeau Field.
Seriously? Have you watched the Giant games in preseason? They are appallingly badly coached on the offensive side of the ball, and all that spending on the defense doesn’t make up for bad coaching there, either. I do not see the Cowboys losing this game to an Eli-led team: he has been dreadful in the first three preseason games.
Jim, I agree that the Giants have looked terrible in the preseason. However, they always seem to perform their best when they are playing against the Cowboys. I see this game as being a tossup.
I got 4-2 at its worst with losses to gb and maybe ny but if everyone else can stay healthy, if the defense bends but dont break and if we pound with the running game setting up many play action scenarios for Dak, then we will be ok!!!!
Trimaine, I truly believe that all of these games are winnable with the exception of maybe playing Green Bay at home. I’m just a little bit concerned that Prescott might just be a flash in the pan and may regress a little bit in his play once defenses start to actually game plan for him. That’s the only reason I went with 3-3. I could easily see them going 4-2 or 5-1.
I can see a 4-2 start from the boys I don’t think the Giants can get consistent pressure with the front 4 with our oline if zeke is as advertised I think we can play keep away and win not sure we can do that against gb or cinci
I think the Cowboys could be 5-0 with Prescott I know the Cowboys could beat the New York Giants Cincinnati Bengals the Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Redskins
David, I like your confidence. I hope you’re right.
I can see 4-2 at its worst and 5-1 at its best with the guaranteed loss to gb and possibly ny. As long as everyone else stays healthy, the defense bends but dont break and we pound em with the running game setting up alot of possible play action scenarios then we will be ok!!!! If we get to one of those records then i wouldn’t rush Tony back too fast
4 and 2 would be wonderful…as long as they let Dakota do his thing hell be ok
I agree Dave.
Brian: I am surprised by all the optimism. I think your 3-3 prediction is just about right. Dak has played outstanding but it is too early and too few games to judge too much about his abilities/skills. He is a rookie and greenhorn who has a lot to learn/develop. I haven’t seen him receive a lot of pressure yet, many receivers have seemed to be pretty open and I assume the play calling was simplified for Dak until he gets more experience/reps. He also seemed to be lucky on a couple of throws such as the touchdown in Seattle. I fully expect him to come back down to earth during season games and with defensive game planning for him as you said. The outstanding offensive line and running game should allow for a certain amount of offensive success especially if Dak can avoid too many mistakes and the coaches develop a game plan that fits his strengths and weaknesses. My guess is the real determination of wins and losses will more likely be how well the Dallas defense does. If the Dallas defense is not very good it will be hard to win even three games out of the first six.
George, that’s pretty much the way I see things as well.
could the Giants create a in depth gameplay against a QB who’s only tape is on 3 half preseason games? I feel the giants will not fully know what they have to deal with until they play against Dak which should give him a slight advantage.
The Giants don’t have to create a really in-depth game plan for Prescott. So far, Prescott has only seen vanilla defenses in the preseason. He hasn’t really seen teams disguising their coverages or blitzes. I think that’s what might give him the most trouble.
I know the Cowboys to be 6-0 the Cowboys can beat the New York Giants Washington Redskins Cincinnati Bengals San Francisco 49ers Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers Prescott is a good quarterback then when Romo comes back we will win the rest
The Green Bay game is the one that worries me the most. It’s really tough to go into Lambeau Field and come away with a victory.
5-1 ZEKE will run for 195 and 3tds in LAMBEU field Demarco Murray shoulda ran for 250 plus yards in two games against GREENBAY if we ain’t abandon run game
Laquan, I can definitely see 5-1 entering the Cowboys bye week. Ezekiel Elliott will definitely be a major reason why the Cowboys are successful in 2016. I don’t know if he’ll be able to run for nearly 200 yards against Green Bay if the Packers are able to jump out to an early lead though.
I have looked at the first 6 games and I don’t know the giants aren’t relevant 200 million dollar mistake doesn’t make them any better I see 6-0 actually I don’t see cowboys losing any of the first nine games I cant figure out how any team is going to bet them thru 9 green bay I believe is on a slide with or without Jordy. personal opinion. don’t hate. manning has been horrible in preseason odell if he was a game changer why haven’t they made a play off since he been there they got worse. giants are horrible Washington is good not good enough philly , where do I begin the cleaning up after hurricane chip. dallas goes 12-4 wins the east and the conference and surprise faces either titans or jags in the superbowl again people don’t hate I respect all comments please respect mine
Scott, you definitely make very valid points. I think if Dak Prescott continues to play like he’s played in preseason, then I would absolutely agree with you. I however am taking the kind the of wait-and-see approach. I want to see Prescott perform like he has been against defenses that are actually game planning for him. If he can do that I think the Cowboys are a playoff team, with or without the return of Romo. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I really enjoy hearing everyone’s opinions.
I understand why you are sceptical and can see 2 of the losses you have predicted. However I don’t believe NY will be as hard of a test as you think. I know the games are always won or lost in the fourth quarter against them but I think we will pull out the win. The only major obstical I see is Greenbay. It is very difficult to go into Lambeau field and beat them. I’m gonna predict either a 4-2 or 5-1 record. I have to agree that the Bengals are a pretty complete team but I don’t think their defense is as good as it’s made out to be. I’m hoping for the best for the Boyz….
Thanks for commenting Kenneth. My reasoning for predicting 3-3 is mostly based on the fact that we really haven’t seen Prescott play when opposing defenses are actually game planning for him. If he continues to play like he has been I can absolutely see them going 4-2 or 5-1.
I say we start 4-0 then lose to CIN and GB…Dak is gonna struggle against CIN defense and Lambo is a tough place to play…however…this will be Dez’s chance to exact revenge for “The Catch”…last season he wasn’t healthy enough and didn’t have a decent QB…so he might be a man possessed in the GB game…also Dak has told him if he’s single covered he’s gonna throw it to him…so we have a slight chance at 5-1…but 4-2 is more likely…3-3 if Dak doesn’t do as well as we hope
Jerry I like your predictions for Prescott for the first six games of the season. I think it’s very reasonable to think he can go 4-2 or 5-1. I just took the side of caution predicting 3-3. I’m hoping that I’m wrong and Prescott can come out and completely dominate.