When Tony Romo went down with an injury early during the 2015 season, the wheels came right off the Dallas Cowboys’ organization.

After starting 2-0, Dallas lost seven consecutive games and took itself out of playoff contention by mid-November. Romo would briefly return for a two-game stretch (the Cowboys went 1-1) before spending the rest of the year on the IR as the Cowboys finished with a wildly disappointing record of 4-12. Quarterbacks with a name other than “Romo” on their jersey combined to throw 11 touchdowns with 15 interceptions.

Fast forward to 2016, and Romo continues to pace the sideline with an ailing back, but the situation is much, much different. Under the leadership of rookie quarterback Dak Prescott, the Cowboys have started 4-1 with four straight wins and are currently No. 1 in the NFC East.

Through his first five NFL games, the fourth-round draft pick has completed 69.0 percent of his pass attempts for 1,239 yards and four touchdowns, adding another three scores on the ground. He currently ranks 4th in the league in completion percentage, 7th in yards per attempt (7.99) and 8th in quarterback rating (101.5). He also sits pretty at 2nd overall with an 83.9 Total QBR.

That has earned Prescott a spot on the cover of Sports Illustrated, where he owns the spotlight for being ahead of schedule in his career while already “exceeding all expectations.” If you’re a Mississippi State fan, Dallas fan, or just a fan of the man in general, it’s definitely worth a read.