Getty Tom Brady believes Dak Prescott is back.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is not counting on Dallas Cowboys star Dak Prescott to show any signs of rust when the two teams kickoff the regular season at Raymond James Stadium. Prescott will take his first snap since last October, and the quarterback is coming off multiple ankle surgeries as well as a recent ankle injury. Days before the Bucs square off with the Cowboys, Brady emphasized the team is “expecting him to play like Dak Prescott does.”
“Mine [injury] was in 2008, I was injured and I missed a whole year,” Brady told reporters on September 7th, per Buccaneers.com. “Dak played a little more than I did. Last year, he played I don’t know four or five games and had a great four or five games. He’s a really talented player. Really since the day he came into the league, he’s shown to be a great leader for the team. We’re just expecting him to play like Dak Prescott does – very talented, loose in the pocket, throws a good ball, they have a lot talented skills players.”
Brady Described the Cowboys as Having ‘One of the Best Offenses’ in the NFL
Brady labeled the Cowboys as having one of the best offenses in the NFL. The Bucs quarterback added that facing the Cowboys is a “big challenge for our team.”
“They do a good job – good running backs, good receivers, great offensive line, Dak’s a great player,” Brady added. “They have one of the best offenses and a very talented defense, they’re very deep at linebacker, they have a good push up front and I think they have a very talented secondary. It’s a big challenge for our team.”
The Bucs Are More Than a Touchdown Favorite Over the Cowboys
The Buccaneers are heavy favorites heading into the season opener as the Cowboys are 7.5-point underdogs, per DraftKings. Dallas will likely be without starting guard Zack Martin, leaving the Cowboys particularly vulnerable against the vaunted Bucs pass rush.
During an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio, Brady discussed the value of playing in the preseason despite quarterbacks like Prescott sitting out the exhibition contests. Brady referenced his own 2008 ACL injury noting it could take Prescott a few games to get comfortable again.
“I know for me it took a little bit of time to get back into that feeling that I was really playing at the same speed as everyone else,” Brady noted, per The Athletic’s Jon Machota. “I’m sure that’ll be part of it for Dak. Dak’s one of the really talented quarterbacks in the NFL, he’s had some great success. But, you know, I can also understand that it’s not like he’s had a full training camp or preseason games.
“I always like to play in those preseason games. I feel like it prepares me for the regular season. Everybody’s a little bit different, and I see a lot of quarterbacks now that don’t even play in preseason games. Aaron Rodgers doesn’t play any, some of the other guys don’t play any. I’ve always felt, for me, it’s a benefit to play just so I can really see where I’m at in terms of where my competition is, so that when the games do start for real, I can be executing as best as I possibly can.”