In the absence of Tony Romo, former Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott has exceeded all expectations in Dallas, leading the Cowboys to a 7-1 start.

Romo, who has been the Dallas starter since 2006, was cleared to practice Wednesday for the first time since injuring his back in preseason. Prescott said that doesn’t change anything for him.

“Nothing changes for me,” Prescott told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I’m the same guy no matter from now to the point I was a third-string guy coming in in OTAs. Nothing changes. Nothing’s going to be different from the way I approach the game. … I’m not going to change what the situation is. It’s my love and my passion for this game. The way that I approach it, I don’t care who’s the other guy or what’s going on around me, what the record is, what my last performance was, it’s all about how I can get better in my next play.”

In eight starts, Prescott has posted a statline of 165-of-248, 2,020 yards, 12 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. The low interception number has earned the rookie praise for playing smart and avoiding mistakes.