Yeah, I know, another Dak thread but I have been squarely on that fence with him for quite some time and was 50/50 on whether to keep him or go shopping but I underestimated one element of his game, the one that can't be argued here regardless of your opinion of him as a passer.
I've watched him since he was a junior and the one thing that was apparent was his leadership which is impressive when you consider he didn't win that job, he won the backup job. Then he comes to Dallas and becomes the starter form the 3rd QB position and immediately takes over as if he belonged there. Because in his mind, he has always belonged there. He accepts and fulfills the role of leadership as well as any player in the NFL.
My problem has been underestimating the value of leadership, I want that guy with the big arm too or a QB that plays like Mahomes, Rodgers or Wilson and I guess I can add Burrow, Herbert and Murray to that list.
But if I ever got a lesson on the real value of leadership, I had to look no further than the Cowboys when the heart, soul and fight of this team went down. The team went on life support when their leader went down.
I didn't get pushed off that fence, Dak pulled me off of it. That shot of him, tears in his eyes, about to lose it wasn't for himself, it was for the team that he would not be there to lead. He knew he was the only one to lead them back from deficits at half time and I have seen something I didn't think I would see since he retired. The Staubach Effect.
Roger had the Captain Comeback title because of a unique skill he had, he could make others believe. He didn't make those comebacks on his own, he lifted his team and they lifted him because of one simple fact, they believed. Dak Prescott has that.
I think the difference he makes is evident and easily identifiable. Gallup doesn't drop that pass if it's from Dak, Lamb doesn't have those drops if those passes are from him and even the defense plays harder because they believe he will not give up or give in.......as they unfortunately did, I don't think this talk of unrest even starts up if he is there.
Want to really appreciate someone or some thing? Lose them, even for a short period of time because only then do you see the picture without them in it. And this wasn't a really pretty picture with him in it but it is downright ugly now.
There is no longer any doubt about Dak Prescott in my mind, he is the man and I've never seen one team miss one player like this in all my years. He is worth whatever they have to pay him. What an oddity, Dak has increased his value through his absence.