Written by Jarrett Bell at USAToday.com
Nearly an hour after Dak Prescott added to his budding legend with a touchdown in overtime that ignited a mob scene of a celebration for the Dallas Cowboys, the vibe was still flowing upstairs in the owner’s suite.
Jerry Jones grinned, pretty much ear to ear, as guests showered him with congratulations.
It must have felt like old times – and sure enough, Jones posed for a snapshot with the wives of two players from the Cowboys teams that won three Super Bowls during the 1990s – as the winning streak hit six games.
Of course, there was an elephant in the room, too.
While Tony Romo took another step in his recovery by returning to practice last week, his rookie replacement added more fuel to the notion that he should keep the job as he hung tough and sparked the rally from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit that beat the Philadelphia Eagles.
“How would you like to be in my shoes?” Jones said to USA TODAY Sports. “Give me this decision every day of my life.”
The decision – which Jones maintains will be an organizational one with heavy influence from coach Jason Garrett and coordinator Scott Linehan — is undoubtedly on hold while Prescott continues to dazzle and momentum builds.
Jones has already said Romo, more than two months since suffered a transverse process fracture in his back, won’t be ready for Sunday’s game at the Cleveland Browns.
Beyond that, the Cowboys owner wouldn’t project a timeline. That’s because unlike last year – when the Cowboys were 1-11 without Romo, knocked out by a twice-fractured collarbone – they have a viable alternative in Prescott.
“There’s just no reason for us to walk on eggshells and send Tony out earlier,” Jones said.
Prescott just added another historical distinction to his resume. He’s the second rookie quarterback in NFL history to lead his team to a 6-1 start. And you’d have to go way back to 1948 to find the first one, Johnny Lujack of the Chicago Bears.
Even so, listen to Jones closely, and it appears that despite mounting sentiment for Prescott to stay in the starting role – and the weekly check of the tea leaves — the plan remains to ultimately reinsert Romo as the starter at some point this season.
“Now he has a great chance, when he does come in, to have a record and have a team that’s got a chance to win a Super Bowl,” Jones said. “I look at it that way. I don’t look at it that he’s not coming in, I look at it that when he does come in, we’re going to have a better team and obviously, a better chance than we had last year.”
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