Time has a way of turning the page in life no matter how forcefully one clamps the page.
In 2016, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo wasn't going to let his career go out with the whimper of two broken collarbones sustained the year prior. The 36-year-old knew there were more games behind him than in front him at this stage of his 14-year career, but his ability to process the game at an intellectual level was impressive.
If only Romo's body could cooperate, then the Cowboys could have had a banner year with rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott, wideout Dez Bryant, and being protected by the second Great Wall of Dallas.
The Cowboys knew the Romo days weren't going to last forever and took a flier on a fourth-round quarterback that April. Dak Prescott from Mississippi State was an intriguing prospect that needed a little more development, but he had a knack for getting guys to rally around him.
Leadership came naturally to Prescott, who was wise beyond his years in part because of his mother's death from cancer in college. The rookie, who initially struggled while holding onto the ball too long in training camp, was catching attention in his first two preseason games.
In his debut at the Los Angeles Rams, Prescott posted a 154.5 passer rating and then followed it up a week later against the Miami Dolphins with a perfect 158.3 performance.
Dallas would face the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on Aug. 25, 2016, for the third preseason game of the season. Fans were anxious to see how the Cowboys would fare in their "dress rehearsal" for the regular season against the Legion of Boom.
The Cowboys got the ball first and it looked like old times with Romo connecting with receiver Terrance Williams for an 11-yard pickup. On first-and-10 from their own 36-yard line, Elliott introduced himself to the NFL with a forceful 3-yard gain.
On second-and-7 from the 39-yard line, Romo rolled out to his left, waiting for the play to develop instead of scrambling for an easy pickup. Defensive end Cliff Avril clobbered the four-time Pro Bowler from behind. Romo jerked his back after the impact with the artificial turf in a manner that took the breath away of millions of Cowboys fans.
Everyone knew Romo got hurt on that play. The only question was how long would he be out.
It was time to turn the page.
Prescott immediately filled in for the third-and-8 and scrambled for a 12-yard gain. Elliott gained only five more yards thereafter before Dallas punted from their own 45-yard line.
After forcing Seattle to punt, the Cowboys would mount a seven-play, 81-yard drive with Prescott finding tight end Jason Witten for a 17-yard touchdown to take a 7-0 lead. The rookie field general finished the game going 17-of-23 for 116 yards and rushed twice for 12 yards.
The first-team held their own against Seattle as they finished with a 10-10 score at the end of the first quarter. By that point, given the attrition the Cowboys had sustained with Romo going down, the coaching staff didn't want to chance it any further and played the second-team offense. Prescott would remain in the game until the last 27 seconds of the third quarter.
The Romo era was effectively over. Even though it was an injury that would have kept him out six to 10 weeks, meaning he could have returned by the Week 5 encounter with the Cincinnati Bengals or the Week 9 visit to the Cleveland Browns.
However, Dallas was seven games into an 11-game winning streak by the time Romo was cleared to return. There was no way Dallas was going to change course when their rookie quarterback and rookie running back were the catalyst for their 35-30 fourth-quarter comeback at the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 10. Prescott was the hot hand, and the Cowboys never budged as they finished 13-3 and earned home-field advantage in the playoffs.
Even though the coach is new with Mike McCarthy entering his first year, it still is the Prescott era. Four years ago, the page turned, and even on a one-year franchise tag, the page may stay to keep sharing the story of Prescott's tenure as the Cowboys' quarterback.
What are your favorite memories from the 2016 season? Share ‘em with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.
