What is it about the Cowboys that drives otherwise smart analysts to paralysis by analysis? Before the fourth-round QB out of Mississippi State had even played a meaningful regular season down in the NFL, TV analysts were practically declaring him the next Troy Aikman. 

It was not enough to say that Prescott is a good-looking young QB. Or that’s he’s the likely successor to injured Tony Romo. Nope, they had to throw themselves over the TV cliff by declaring the arrival of Prescott meant Romo was finished and done with the Cowboys.

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ESPN’s Trent Dilfer’s led the way by declaring we may “never see Tony Romo play quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys again” on “Sunday NFL Countdown.”

“If there was a Tony Romo fan club I’d be the leader of it. He’s one of the great players in the league. Unfortunately he’s hurt. And he’s old. When you’re old and hurt you keep getting hurt,” said Dilfer.

Not to be outdone, Marshall Faulk said this was “it” for Romo if Prescott plays well.

“Once you go Dak, you don’t go back,” said Faulk on NFL Network’s “NFL Gameday.”

Prescott looked solid in the Cowboys 20-19 loss to the Giants.

But for analysts to say he has taken Romo’s job before he played a down in the regular season is crazy. Especially with the Cowboys saying Romo is expected back sooner rather than later.

Thankfully, there were more level-headed analysts who kept it real.

Michael Irvin flatly declared that “Dak Prescott is not taking Tony Romo’s job this year.”

Ex-coach Steve Mariucci said the Cowboys are “Tony Romo’s team.” Said the ex-coach: “When he’s healthy he plays.”

Boomer Esiason of CBS Sports’ “The NFL Today” also looked prescient on Sunday. 

“I’ll tell you what, Dak Prescott really impressed this preseason. But he’s still a rookie much like Carson Wentz up in Philadelphia. I never trust rookies, especially on Opening Day,” said Esiason. 

Some other thoughts on a sensational NFL Sunday:

Best Lines:

NFL Network’s Deion Sanders on the dynamic between Giants receivers Victor Cruz and Odell Beckham Jr.: “(Cruz) left Batman but he came back Robin. For real. And that’s not easy to handle.”

ESPN’s Dilfer on peripatetic Vikings QB Sam Bradford: “Sam Bradford is a driving range quarterback. He’s great on the driving range. It is pure. It is pretty. There’s not a throw he can’t make. Unfortunately that doesn’t always translate between the lines.”

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ESPN’s Randy Moss on the Cowboys 320-pound left tackle Tyron Smith: “He’s a hotel with shoulder pads.”

Best Side-Eye:

Speaking of Moss and Dilfer, Moss gave Dilfer a great side-eye while listening to his colleague’s comments about Colin Kaepernick:

Best media burn:

Raiders coach Jack Del Rio wins the week with this shot at ESPN:

To kneel or not to kneel: I thought there was some really thoughtful commentary Sunday on whether NFL players should follow the lead of quarterback Colin Kaepernick of the 49ers and take a knee during the 15th anniversary of the 09/11 terror attacks that murdered 2,996 Americans.

On “The NFL Today,” Esiason noted the American flag and “Star-Spangled Banner” are “sacred” to many Americans. And they shouldn’t be disrespected on 9/11 of all days. 

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To kneel or sit for the “anthem on a day like today — 9/11 — is downright heartless and hopefully it won’t happen,” Esiason said.

Sorry Boomer.

Dolphins running back Arian Foster and teammates Jelani Jenkins, Kenny Stills, and Michael Thomas took a knee before kickoff of their game against the Seattle Seahawks.

That led to this great exchange between Super Bowl winning coach Tony Dungy and Dan Patrick on “Football Night in America.”

Tell us how you really feel Bruce: NBC’s Bob Costas had a funny, revealing sit-down with Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians, who’s become one of the best interviews in the league.

Arians was brutally honest when recalling the Cardinals’ 49-15 loss to the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Championship Game 

“I never expected us to play so poorly, or coach so poorly. It wasn’t just Carson (Palmer), it was 53 players and 25 coaches who stunk that night – myself included," said Arians.

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Like many coaches, Arians dismissed the idea of a moral victory by falling one game short of Super Bowl 50.

“There’s only ever one goal. That was a tremendous season. I think we grew as a football team and an organization," he said. “But unless you’re getting the ring and the confetti is falling on you, it’s a bad year.”

Arian’s Cardinals lost 23-21 to the Tom Brady-less Patriots on Sunday Night Football.

Chris Berman quietly loses it when ESPN audio cuts out  

This is likely to be Chris Berman’s last season at the helm of ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” pregame show. You can’t blame Boomer for wanting things to go letter-perfect in his last-round-up on the show.

When Berman threw it to new reporter Jeff Darlington in the field, the audio went completely out. You had to be a lip-reader to understand Darlington, who joined ESPN from NFL Network this season.

When the ESPN camera turned back to Berman in Bristol, viewers were treated to a rare behind-the-scenes look at a frustrated Berman. He chopped his hand down as if to say, ‘Cut that s— off!”

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Like the old pro that he is, Berman quickly recovered. He came back to Darlington later in the show. And this time the audio was working. 

“Boomer, we’ll try this again,” said Darlington.