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Dak Prescott vs. Eli Manning: Round 1

By Josh Barnhill

Aug 25, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) scrambles away from pressure against the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 25, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) scrambles away from pressure against the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys will take on Eli Manning and the New York Giants in Week 1 of the 2016 NFL season.

Could you write this script any better? There were no bigger critics of Dak Prescott than Ole Miss fans about his NFL future, and now he’ll face one of their own right out of the gate in the pros.

Related Story: Prescott vs. Manning: stat comparison as college QBs

It’s been quite an adventure for Dak up to this point. He came into the 2016 training camp as the 3rd string QB only to have a couple of injuries ahead of him and play his way into becoming the first 4th round QB to start Week 1 since 1977.

So here we are: Prescott is the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys who host the New York Giants this Sunday at 3:25 Central. The game will be televised on FOX, and you better believe every sports fan in Mississippi will be tuned into this one. Some have called it the Egg Bowl of the NFL.

By no means will this game determine the direction of Dak Prescott’s NFL career. Nor should Eli Manning leading the Giants to victory give Ole Miss fans any more bragging rights than they already have.

Aug 27, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) warms up before a preseason game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 27, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) warms up before a preseason game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports /

Manning is entering his 13th year in the NFL, and he’s won two Superbowls. Prescott is not only a rookie, but a 4th round pick who was expected to be groomed for this rather than thrown into the fire based on his lack of any drop back passes in college.

Taking snaps under center and dropping back for a pass is still something Dak has not done yet with the Cowboys. He’s taken snaps from under center and handed the ball off or thrown a screen on a boot leg but he has not taken a three, five or seven step drop and thrown the ball. But that’s okay.

The Cowboys don’t necessarily have to have Dak dropping back in the pocket to pass in order to win. And they won’t ask him to. He’ll be taking a lot of snaps out of the shotgun and throwing from there where he is more comfortable. It’s not that Dak can’t do it yet, it’s that it would be foolish to call those plays in his first NFL game with bullets flying. Let him get his feet wet before trying to execute new things.

Hopefully this will be an excellent game to watch. I know many MSU fans will be nervous about it including myself. This is uncharted territory for us, we’ve never had a quarterback starting in the NFL. Now our greatest player ever is about to start for “America’s team” in the first game of his career. It’s pretty exciting, and we’re all hoping Dak shows out.

Good luck to Dak! Go Cowboys and Hail State.

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