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Andy Dalton isn’t interested in lowering expectations for Cowboys after Dak Prescott’s injury

While Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has said “we should adjust expectations,” Dalton still has something to prove.

Jerry Jones has lost quarterbacks to injury during his time as owner and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys.

It’s just part of the deal when it comes to running a football franchise: Players get hurt, you adjust and move forward.

Jones said the expectations of his 2020 Cowboys will change with the absence of quarterback Dak Prescott because of a season-ending ankle injury. Yet don’t blame Prescott’s replacement, Andy Dalton, for any future problems.

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“We should adjust expectations, different than optimism,” Jones said Friday morning on KRLD-FM. “But [we] should adjust our expectation. Dak is a very, very integral part of the success of this football team. On the other hand, if we don’t reach where we want to go ultimately, and the ultimate success is to win the championship, it will not be because of Andy Dalton.”

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The confidence level the Cowboys have in Dalton, who makes his debut as QB1A Monday night against Arizona, remains high.

Dalton has the experience, 10 seasons, nine with Cincinnati; winning record, 70-61-2; and confidence.

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And Dalton isn’t acting like a man who believes expectations should be lowered. If anything, Dalton is embracing it.

With Prescott, the Cowboys produced the second most points (163) and total offensive yards (2,440) in the NFL through five weeks. The passing offense averaged an NFL-high 381.4 yards per game, more than 100 yards over the league average (249.1). Dalton sees the numbers and the offensive weapons and is ready to use them.

“It’s easy,” Dalton said Friday of expectations. “We have high expectations for ourselves. The expectation is to be a really good offense and win each week, so I don’t feel like there’s any other expectations we have to worry about except the ones we have for ourselves.”

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The Cowboys signed Dalton as insurance if one of their more durable players went down. When Prescott was carted off, Dalton stepped in as if he’s been here before, because to be honest, he had been.

Last week he commanded the huddle in that emotional third quarter against the Giants, when Prescott was hurt, like he’s supposed to. This week, he’s taken over practices and meetings with a quiet presence. He speaks when needed and makes sure his words are direct.

“It’s a good situation for us,” Stephen Jones, the Cowboys executive vice president, said in an interview on KRLD-FM. “He’s not unlike Dak. He’s a special guy off the field and obviously has the skill set to play in this league.”

Dalton, who turns 33 Oct. 29, hasn’t produced a winning record since 2015. His final year in Cincinnati was a nightmare. He won just two of 13 starts for a Bengals team that gave him running back Joe Mixon, tight end Tyler Eifert and receivers Alex Erickson, Tyler Boyd and John Ross. The Bengals were gearing up for the Joe Burrow sweepstakes and yeah, Dalton would have been a great mentor. Let’s be clear that wasn’t going to happen.

So Dalton is here now, just keeping the same chip on his shoulder he played with at Katy High School and TCU.

If you don’t believe Dalton has that fight or skill set, check out that comeback against Arizona last year. Dalton led the Bengals from a 23-9 deficit with 14 fourth-quarter points, only for his team to lose the game on a field goal at the end.

Expectations changing? Not for Dalton, who still has something to prove.

“That’s part of it,” he said. "I feel like I’ve had some really good years and been on some really good teams and have had some success in this league. And so my goal moving forward is just to keep proving that. Just doing whatever I can to help this team win.

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“That’s my whole mind-set — make sure that I’m doing everything possible on my end that’s going to allow us a chance to win these games and to win each week moving forward. That’s all I’m worried about.”

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