Dak dazzles with 403 yards, 3TDs in 1st game since ankle injury

Dak Prescott picked up where he left off.

In his first appearance since suffering a serious ankle injury last October, the Dallas Cowboys quarterback completed 42 of 58 passes for 403 yards and three touchdowns against one interception during Thursday's 31-29 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Prescott was only seconds away from being victorious in his return. He led an 11-play drive that finished with Greg Zuerlein kicking a 48-yard field goal to give Dallas the lead with 1:29 left in the fourth quarter. However, on the ensuing drive, Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady put kicker Ryan Succop in a position to nail the game-winning 36-yard field goal.

"It's a shame he had to play Brady," Bucs head coach Bruce Arians said of Prescott after praising the Cowboys passer, according to Jon Ledyard of Pewter Report.

Brady finished the night with 379 yards and four touchdowns against two interceptions.

Prescott, who didn't play during the preseason after battling a shoulder ailment, looked comfortable inside the pocket against the Buccaneers. The 28-year-old attempted a couple of deep throws in the first half that appeared off, but overall he managed to make plays all over the field.

The two-time Pro Bowler set career highs in 2019 with 4,902 yards and 30 touchdowns over 16 appearances. He was on pace for a career year before his ankle injury in 2020, completing 68% of his passes for 1,856 yards and nine touchdowns across five games. Prescott signed a four-year, $160-million extension in March.

"We played complementary football better than we have during my time ever," said Prescott, who was sacked once and hit seven times versus Tampa Bay, according to Matt Mosley of The Dallas Morning News.

Though the Cowboys' defense failed to pressure Brady for most of the game, it forced three turnovers, including a fumble off wideout Chris Godwin near the goal line in the fourth quarter.

Tampa Bay's special teams also strongly outplayed Dallas on Thursday, with Zuerlein missing two field goals and an extra point.

Prescott fully believes the Cowboys will bounce back, though. After the game, he was spotted on the field telling Brady, "We'll see you again."

"That's just the confidence I have in this group," Prescott said, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. "The expectations are high. This is a playoff team. We're gonna make a big push this year."