Cowboys have Romo-Dak question looming if wins keep coming
DALLAS (AP) -- Dak Prescott never gets tricked by the question, no matter how someone asks what happens when Tony Romo returns from his latest back injury.
The answer will only get more complicated for the Cowboys if the rookie keeps playing this well in his record-setting debut.
With a victory at home against Cincinnati on Sunday, Dallas (3-1) will be guaranteed a winning record for the widely projected Romo return date of Oct. 30.
Then again, maybe it's not complicated if you listen to tight end Jason Witten, Romo's favorite target, close friend and teammate for all of their 14 seasons since they came into the NFL together with the Cowboys in 2003.
"I think it's really simple," Witten said Monday at an appearance with U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch at a Dallas high school to announce a funding initiative for police departments around the country.
"I said how I feel about Tony, and I think there's only a few people that are on this planet that can do the things at that position what he's done in his career. He'll continue to come back and play at a high level."
And Witten isn't trying to downgrade the performance of Prescott, who has an NFL rookie record of 131 pass attempts without an interception to start in his career.
He has essentially shared the mark with Philadelphia's Carson Wentz all season. Wentz, who is at 102, had last weekend off.
"To come in the situation and to play as well as he has, it's been remarkable to be a part of and to watch," said Witten, who played a big role while Prescott ran the two-minute offense on a tying touchdown drive in the final two minutes of the first half in Sunday's 24-17 win over San Francisco. "He's got a bright future ahead of him."
Prescott has led the Cowboys to three straight wins after a loss in the opener dropped them to 1-14 without Romo since the 2013 finale.
Dallas beat Washington with a fourth-quarter rally after giving up a 10-0 lead, took a big lead over Chicago in a comfortable win and came back from a 14-0 deficit in the second quarter against the 49ers.
The 23-year-old is a victory away from the franchise rookie record for victories in a season, and he's the first Dallas rookie with consecutive games of a 100-plus passer rating.
Every week, the questions for Jerry Jones get more direct over whether the owner and general manager is willing to let Prescott ride when Romo is ready.
"We know that we dream of having that kind of dilemma," Jones told reporters after the game in San Francisco.
"That is a good place to be as you look at the next 12 games in the NFL and playoffs is to be really sound at that position. I think we aren't out over our skis a little bit to think that way."
Yes, Jones said playoffs -- a year after the Cowboys slid from first to worst in the NFC East at 4-12 because they couldn't win without Romo and star receiver Dez Bryant, who has a hairline fracture in his right knee.
Dallas beat the 49ers without both , and without Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith, starting guard La'el Collins and stabilizing cornerback Orlando Scandrick.
Never mind the three suspended defensive players in pass rushers DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory and linebacker Rolando McClain.
Lawrence returns this week after a four-game suspension for a violation of the NFL's substance-abuse policy.
"I didn't expect it," Jones said. "They are not looking back. They are lining up with literally who we have at game time. I like that attitude. We learned a lot last year."
Prescott has repeatedly said the Cowboys are still Romo's team, and he didn't skip a beat when asked in a slightly different way after Sunday's game if it was becoming his team.
Either way, Witten says his relationship with Romo won't make his role as a leader more difficult.
"Our standards for what we want to accomplish (are) really high," Witten said.
"So you're always competing. The teams that create that usually play better. I think one of the things that we've seen with our team is that competition in camp and minicamps, I think you've seen the result pay off with the way we've played."
