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It's dangerous to read too much into a preseason game ... but it's also hard not to get excited about Dak Prescott.

As recently as May, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones was lamenting the fact that he didn't overpay to trade up for Paxton Lynch, who was a late first-round pick of the Broncos. Instead, Dallas "settled" for Dak Prescott in Round 4, which only led to more questions about the backup quarterback situation behind 36-year-old Tony Romo. That invariably meant questions about whether Jones was going to sign Johnny Manziel.

But after two truly impressive preseason performances, Prescott seems to have assuaged any concerns about the job behind Romo. Last year served as a sobering reminder about what can happen when you lose your franchise quarterback; neither Brandon Weeden nor Matt Cassel were the answer, and Jones obviously didn't think Prescott was when the Cowboys drafted him.

But that's all changed.

Against the Rams last week, Prescott started his first-ever professional game and finished 10 of 12 with 139 yards and two touchdowns. Against the Dolphins on Friday night, he was even better.

Prescott relieved Romo after the second series. When it was over, the rookie was 12 of 15 for 199 yards with two more touchdown passes along with two rushing touchdowns.

The highlights were aplenty.

This is where we point out that Weeden had some fantastic preseasons with the Browns and, well, we all know how that turned out. Of course, the Cowboys don't need Prescott to start, just to serve as the "break in case of emergency" contingency plan behind Romo.

Viewed through that prism, thank goodness Jones didn't overpay for Lynch. And remember, it could always be worse:

1. Hey, Tony Romo played football!

Romo, 36 years young, took the field for the first time since Nov. 26, when he suffered his second shoulder injury of the 2015 season. And while he only played two series, he did connect with both Dez Bryant and Jason Witten, which if nothing else reinforced how important all three players are to the Cowboys' playoff hopes. Last year, Romo and Bryant were sidelined with injuries and Weeden, Matt Cassel and Kellen Moore limped the team to a 4-12 record.

And while Romo is quietly one of the league's best quarterbacks, it's somehow fitting that Prescott is playing out of his mind through two preseason games, which will only lead to the inevitable "Should the Cowboys bench Romo?!" #hottakes in the coming weeks.

So brace yourself for that. (And here, we'll help.)

2. Should we be cautiously optimistic about Ryan Tannehill?

Yes!

Tannehill's performance against the Cowboys was lost in the LOOK AT DAK PRESCOTT!! hysteria, but the fifth-year quarterback was consistent-if-not-spectacular on Friday night. He finished 12 of 20 for 162 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Kenny Stills also had a big night, hauling in three passes for 71 yards, including this 55-yard gem:

This is the same offense that couldn't get going last week, when it failed to pick up a single first down in two series of work. But the hope is that first-year coach Adam Gase will be able to work his quarterbackin' magic on Tannehill like he has done previously with Jay Cutler and Tim Tebow.

It certainly helps that Tannehill has playmakers like Stills, Jarvis Landry and 2015 first-rounder DeVante Parker as targets, though the running game will need to pick up the slack. Good news: Arian Foster returned to action against the Cowboys. Bad news: He had two first-team carries for ... negative-5 yards.

3. Which came first: Colt McCoy or the Jets defense?

This is one of life's great mysteries. Like many starting quarterbacks around the league -- including Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers and Teddy Bridgewater -- Kirk Cousins was relegated to clipboard duty against the Jets. This is perfectly reasonable, because there is little upside to trotting your starter out in a meaningless game only to see him get injured.

But one man's trash is another's treasure; McCoy took full advantage of the opportunity, starting the game against the Jets with seven straight completions before getting a paid vacation to Revis Island (translation: Darrelle Revis intercepted McCoy in the end zone).

But McCoy bounced back nicely and finished 13 for 16 for 159 with two touchdowns, including this gem to Rashad Ross:

Also, underestimate McCoy's escapability at your peril:

And while the Jets' defense didn't have a banner evening, they should be fine. Coach Todd Bowles molded them into one of the best units in the league a year ago, and there's no reason to think they can't replicate that success in 2016.

The quarterback situation, meanwhile, remains the wild card. Here's second-year backup Bryce Petty with a nice touchdown pass:

And here's to hoping this ridiculous Madden 17 scenario doesn't come true:

4. The Cardinals' quarterbacks struggled, but so what?

Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton combined to go 6 of 15 for 69 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. One was of the pick-six variety, though it sure seems like Chargers cornerback Brandon Flowers was wearing his cloak of invisibility right up until the moment he made the play:


Not to be outdone, Palmer's backup, Drew Stanton, hooked up with Chargers safety Jahleel Addae for an interception that resulted in a 61-yard return. (Silver lining: It wasn't a pick-six!)


In the grand scheme of things, this means nothing for the Cardinals, who remain favorites to return to the playoffs and battle the Seahawks for supremacy in the NFC West. (In fact, it might say more about an improving Chargers defense, which would be welcome news to Philip Rivers.)

5. Where is the Chargers running game?

It's certainly encouraging that San Diego's defense was able to share the scoring burden on Friday, but the running game has yet to get on track. Maybe that's a function of preseason -- Rivers has only played two series, and it's hard to develop consistency with the first team when virtually everyone on the roster gets to play -- but the reality is that Rivers will again be a sitting duck if the running game is neutralized.

There's no reason to panic yet, but it's worth noting that 2015 first-rounder pick Melvin Gordon had just 18 yards on six carries against the Cardinals (and 12 yards came on one carry). He was slightly better last week against the Titans in limited work, rushing for 12 yards on three carries, though he also hauled in a 44-yard pass that went for a touchdown.

After that game, Gordon admitted that he was more comfortable than at any point last season, and that remains the goal for 2016.

"I kind of just told myself last year that I was really just stressing over every little thing with the run," he told the team's website. "I calmed myself down, was focused on my reads, trusted (the line) and tried to make the best of what I can do. (Confidence) can help a lot. I won't get carried away because obviously it is the preseason and the first game. But I am excited to see what we can do."

Gordon isn't alone; CBSSports Fantasy expert Jamey Eisenberg has Gordon pegged as a breakout candidate for this season.

[Gordon] was awful last year with 184 carries for 641 yards (3.5 yards per carry) and 33 catches for 192 yards in 14 games, and he failed to score a touchdown. He also needed microfracture surgery on his knee after getting hurt toward the end of the season.

But all the reports this offseason have been positive and he looked solid in the preseason opener against the Titans... We hope more positive momentum continues to build over the next few weeks and you should feel confident drafting him in Round 5.

Continue to monitor his health and the offensive line, which used 24 different combinations in 2015 and was a big part of Gordon's failure. If the line stays intact, especially with Ken Whisenhunt back as the offensive coordinator, Gordon could be headed for a big year.

This must come as welcome news to Rivers, who has carried this offense in recent years.