The news of Tony Romo's broken bone in his back and that he'd once again miss an extended period of time -- six to 10 weeks -- sent shock waves through the NFL on Saturday. Naturally, all the Romo talk has fans (and Fantasy football owners) talking about Romo's understudy, rookie Dak Prescott.

And, in case you've been living under a rock this preseason, Prescott has been the darling of August football. In limited action through three games, Prescott has completed 39 of 50 passes (78 percent) for 454 yards, tossed five touchdowns and thrown zero picks. Oh, he's also rushed seven times for 53 yards and two scores.

In short, Dak has been lights out. And he's not only been good, he's been lucky, too. Want proof? Watch this 17-yard touchdown pass to Jason Witten against a pretty good Seahawks defense.


But, as we all keep pointing out, this is the preseason. There's no way he can keep this up, right? For one, teams are using vanilla schemes and, two, they aren't game-planning to stop Prescott.

The Cowboys have a few options. They can sign a free agent quarterback, trade for a veteran quarterback or they can trot their rookie quarterback out for their Week 1 matchup against the Giants. Chances are they'll choose the latter.

So what's the scouting report on Prescott, a fourth-round pick out of Mississippi State? For one, he has been compared to ... ahem ... Tim Tebow.

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Prescott holds 38 school records (15 career) at Mississippi State. USATSI

Here is what our NFL Draft insiders Rob Rang and Dane Brugler wrote in their scouting report on Prescott prior to the 2016 NFL Draft:

STRENGTHS: Scouts are most impressed with his development above the neck, showing above average awareness as a passer, recognizing things quickly and working through his progressions to easily load and fire.

Displays an ability to use his eyes and hold defenders and has a quick memory to move on from mistakes and not let the negative plays linger. Overall, he has a much more natural feel in the passing game than in 2013 and appears in complete control of that offense.

When he does step into his throws, Prescott can deliver strikes. He's a very dangerous runner, combining aggression, agility and the power to break arm tackles.

Those notes, especially the first one about Prescott's "development above the neck" is one that's stood out this preseason. For the most part, Prescott has looked poised, composed and comfortable in the pocket.

As far as weaknesses listed by Rang and Brugler, there are some expected ones -- like a "work in progress" -- and some concerning ones, especially the one where he "tends to predetermine some throws."

WEAKNESSES: Work in progress as a passer but has a live arm and good field vision. His footwork is inconsistent and he loses accuracy when his feet are not set.

Tends to predetermine some throws and relies on a lot of back shoulder patterns, something that got him in trouble against Auburn and Alabama. Has not shown the consistency to lead his team through the air in tough road environments when the ground game is shut down.

But the biggest note that stands out in Prescott's scouting report might be his NFL comparison.

COMPARES TO: Tim Tebow, ex-Broncos, Jets, Patriots - It is the natural comparison, beyond just the connection to Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen, who was Florida's offensive coordinator when Tebow was in Gainesville. Although Prescott has a slightly better arm and more consistent mechanics, he and Tebow grade similar in several categories, including composure, mobility, power and leadership.

As noted above, the Cowboys have some options. But there's a very good chance that the Dak Show will premiere at AT&T Stadium on Sept. 11. Let's just hope for the Cowboys' sake that the Tebow comparison is, well, wrong.

Prescott will rely on that Cowboys offensive line, a strong running game and some help from above. USATSI