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Tom Brady and Dak Prescott will be the superstars of the NFL Kickoff Game as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys face each other.
Brady and the Buccaneers are the big favorites to win the game, as they return all their 22 starters from the Super Bowl and have no major injury concerns apart from safety Jordan Whiteside. On the other hand, the Cowboys have Prescott less than 100% with his shoulder injury and will miss star guard Zack Martin for the contest.
Brady knows that this Cowboys' offense, who's full of stars and couldn't perform at its best last year because of Dak's injury, is no joke. He made it clear to some Buccaneers beat writers during a press conference on Wednesday:
He’s a really talented player. Really since the day he came into the league, he’s shown to be a great leader for the team. We’re just expecting him to play like Dak Prescott does – very talented, loose in the pocket, throws a good ball, they have a lot talented skills players.
They do a good job – good running backs, good receivers, great offensive line, Dak’s a great player. They have one of the best offenses and a very talented defense, they’re very deep at linebacker, they have a good push up front and I think they have a very talented secondary. It’s a big challenge for our team.”
Now that's some respect to gather from the best player of all-time.
Prescott is returning from a long-term injury just as Brady did in 2009
During Brady's incredible career, the saddest moment happened during the first week of the 2008 season, when he tore his ACL during the season-opener against the Kansas City Chiefs following a hit by safety Bernard Pollard.
Just as Brady returned to the field in a successful manner, winning the AFC East that year, the expectation is that Prescott will be able to return to his best form following his ankle surgery in 2020.
The Cowboys are the main favorites to win the NFC East because of the strength of their offense. Not only is Prescott there, but the offensive line remains one of the best in the league and the wide receiver trio composed of Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup is as strong as any other in the NFL.
