Jackson Free Press

The next two weeks might be the last time Dak Prescott is on the field as the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys for a while. Multiple reports state that injured quarterback Tony Romo will take back the starting job in week eight if everything goes right with his rehab.

That means Prescott plays this week against the Cincinnati Bengals (week five) and next week against the Green Bay Packers (week six). Dallas has a bye week in week seven, and Romo would start in week eight against the Philadelphia Eagles.

If Prescott wins his next two starts to get the 3-1 Cowboys to 5-1 at the bye, should Dallas switch to Romo? Would it be better for the team to ride Prescott until he struggles and then have an ace in the hole with a healthy Romo ready to relieve him?

Prescott has won three straight games, something no Dallas Cowboys rookie quarterback has ever done. That means he has done something not even Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach could accomplish.

The only Cowboys rookie quarterback to win three games in season was Quincy Carter. Prescott should have four wins, but Dallas was too conservative in its 20-19 season-opening loss to the New York Giants.

Since that loss, Prescott notched his first NFL comeback against the Washington Redskins and his first comeback from two scores down against the San Francisco 49ers. Prescott led a beatdown of the Chicago Bears between those two comebacks.

Dallas is currently in second place behind Philadelphia in the NFC East standings. The Cowboys have a one-game lead over both the Giants and Redskins.

Even if Prescott splits his next two starts, 4-2 is something very few people thought would be possible when Romo went down in the preseason. You could make the argument that Prescott has earned the right to be a starter much like Tom Brady did years ago.

Even if Romo does return, will he come out healthy in a six-game stretch against Philadelphia, the Cleveland Browns, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Baltimore Ravens, Washington, the Minnesota Vikings and the Giants.

It would be surprising to see Romo make it out of the back-to-back games between the Steelers and the Ravens healthy. Over the last couple of years, Romo has been more brittle than plastic left in the Mississippi summer sun.

Sure, Romo has experience and abilities to make plays in the passing game, but Prescott has extended his NFL record 131 passes thrown by a rookie without an interception. He hasn’t fumbled either and has only been sacked six times.

Romo may have more experience, but that is what playing Prescott now will give him. He is going to struggle at some point. Every quarterback has a bad game during each NFL season.

Why not save Romo in case Prescott becomes injured or struggles? Last season, the Denver Broncos turned to Brock Osweiler when Peyton Manning was injured and …

Jerry Rice not only has greatness but the type of personality that lights up a room. Even coming down the stairs with Gov. Phil Bryant, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and several members of the Mississippi legislature including Sen. John Horhn, Rice commanded attention.

As the governor spoke at a press conference on Sept. 30, it was hard to keep your eyes off Rice as he stood waiting to receive a plaque that proclaimed that day as Jerry Rice Day. The former San Francisco 49ers receiver’s personality and greatness was worthy of his high standing.

Rice didn’t mind taking friendly jabs at both the governor and lieutenant governor. He took a good-natured jab at Bryant after he finished reading his list of accomplishments, telling Bryant that he got each one right.

He stopped Reeves twice, once to tell him how much he loved beating Reeves’ beloved Saints when both teams were in the same division and again to correct Reeves, saying that he wasn’t he just the greatest wide receiver in football but “the greatest football player of all-time.”

Rice can brag because he owns so many NFL records that the amount of records he owns is an NFL record in itself. But really, he was just joking with our state leaders and the fans and media in attendance.

Later that night, a crowd of people were waiting on Rice at the upper level of the Jackson Convention Center in a VIP room. People talked and visited as they waited the NFL Hall of Fame player to enter the room.

When he made his entrance, every person stopped their conversation, and all eyes fell on Rice as he strolled across the room. As he walked around, the fans looked like kids on Christmas morning, with wide eyes and surprise.

Those who wanted Rice’s picture, to shake his hand or just to talk with one of the best football players quickly mobbed him. Senator Horhn set up a line for everyone to get their picture taken with Rice, and he stood and talked with each person a bit before they took the picture.

Richard Schwartz, the title sponsor for the event said “it was a no-brainer when the opportunity arose to bring Rice back to Mississippi.”

“Jerry Rice is a hero and he inspires us with the way and the things he did as a football player,” Schwartz said.

Schwartz said he uses Rice as an example when speaking to high schools across the state. “I use Jerry Rice as a personal inspiration and to explain goal setting. (Rice) was the greatest natural athlete, but he worked hard and didn’t let anything stop him as he became the greatest athlete,” he said.

Rice signed jerseys, footballs, pictures and took more pictures as the night in the VIP lounge went along. He never stopped smiling or laughing with each person. It was amazing watching someone that famous so at ease with the throng of people …

Verbatim from the Mississippi State Department of Health:

JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) reports four new human case of West Nile virus (WNV), bringing the 2016 state total to 26. The reported cases are in Forrest, Hinds, Jackson and Lamar counties.

So far this year, human cases of WNV have been reported in Calhoun, Chickasaw, Copiah (2), Forrest, Hinds (7), Grenada, Jackson, Lamar (3), Lee, Leflore, Lincoln, Lowndes, Marion (2), Perry and Rankin (2) counties. There has been one WNV death reported in a Hinds County resident. The MSDH only reports laboratory-confirmed cases to the public. In 2015, Mississippi had 38 WNV cases and one death.

Symptoms of WNV infection are often mild and may include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, a rash, muscle weakness or swollen lymph nodes. In a small number of cases, infection can result in encephalitis or meningitis, which can lead to paralysis, coma and possibly death.

The MSDH suggests the following precautions to protect yourself and your environment from mosquito-borne illnesses: · Use a mosquito repellent with an EPA-registered ingredient such as DEET while you are outdoors. · Remove all sources of standing water around your home and yard to prevent mosquito breeding. · Wear loose, light-colored, long clothing to cover the arms and legs when outdoors. · Avoid areas where mosquitoes are prevalent.

For more information on mosquito-borne illnesses, visit the MSDH website at HealthyMS.com/westnile and HealthyMS.com/zika. Follow MSDH by email and social media at HealthyMS.com/connect.