ARLINGTON -- The plan all along was for the Cowboys to make a run at an NFC East championship, an NFC title and a Lombardi Trophy this season with Tony Romo at quarterback.

But plans can change. They changed in St. Louis, Baltimore, New England and San Francisco in recent seasons.

Now Dak Prescott is offering the Cowboys every reason to change their plan in 2016.

How do you sit a quarterback who doesn't make mistakes? A quarterback who doesn't turn the ball over? A quarterback who wins games and doesn't beat himself?

Prescott passed for one touchdown and ran for another Sunday to power the Cowboys to a four-game winning streak and first place in the NFC East. In dominating the Cincinnati Bengals, 28-14, Prescott finally beat a quality opponent with a quality defense. This is what we've been waiting to see from the rookie quarterback.

The Bengals are a perennial playoff contender with a string of five consecutive trips to the postseason. But Prescott outclassed Pro Bowl quarterback Andy Dalton, and the Cowboys outclassed the defending AFC North champions.

Prescott finally made a mistake Sunday -- after 18 quarters of turnover-free football. Late in the third quarter, nursing a 28-0 lead, Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap tomahawked Prescott's arm as he was attempting to throw from the pocket. The ball popped out of his hand for a fumble, which was recovered by the Bengals.

That turnover finally came on the 322nd snap of Prescott's brief career. There were no interceptions in his first 152 passes to that point of his career and no fumbles in his 15 rushes and six sacks. Through his first five starts, Prescott has thrown 155 consecutive passes without an interception. If he avoids an interception in his first eight throws Sunday in Green Bay, he will break Tom Brady's NFL record of 162 consecutive passes without an interception to start a career.

If Prescott is good enough to replace Brady in the record book, is he good enough to replace Romo on the field? The Cowboys owe it to their fan base to weigh this decision carefully. Who gives the Cowboys the best chance to play into February?

In 1999, the St. Louis Rams believed Trent Green gave them their best chance. But after he suffered a knee injury in August, the Rams reluctantly turned to their backup and Kurt Warner took them to their only Super Bowl championship.

In 2000, the Baltimore Ravens believed Tony Banks gave them their best chance at a championship. But the Ravens benched him in the ninth game, turned the position over to Trent Dilfer and wound up hoisting a Lombardi Trophy.

In 2001, the New England Patriots believed their freshly minted $100 million quarterback Drew Bledsoe gave them their best chance at a championship. But he left the field in the second game with an injury, and the Patriots turned the offense over to Brady. He never gave it back, leading the Patriots that season to the first of his four Super Bowls.

In 2012, the San Francisco 49ers believed Alex Smith gave them their best chance at a championship. But he suffered a concussion in the ninth game, and the 49ers replaced him with Colin Kaepernick. Smith was able to return the following week, but coach Jim Harbaugh stuck with Kaepernick and wound up winning an NFC championship with him.

Will the Cowboys allow Prescott to follow in the footsteps of Warner, Dilfer, Brady and Kaepernick?

Granted, this is only a five-game sampling for Prescott. But five games without an interception and 18 quarters without a turnover are impressive feats for any NFL quarterback, much less a rookie fourth-rounder. In his 10-year career as the Cowboys' starter, Romo has never had a five-game stretch without an interception and the longest he's gone without a turnover was 17 quarters.

There are reasons to return to Romo. The Cowboys still owe him almost $70 million on a contract that runs through 2019. And Jerry Jones has always been a guy who wants the most bang for his buck. Romo also has had some magical moments in the past, winning 60 percent of his career starts on his way to becoming the franchise's all-time leading passer. But he was younger and healthier in those days.

At 36 with recent back and shoulder woes, Romo is no longer a quarterback who will make plays with his legs. He still has some escapability in the pocket but lacks the explosion out of the pocket that Prescott provides. Romo has rushed for five touchdowns in his career. Prescott already has three in his first five NFL starts, including a 5-yard sprint off right end on a keeper Sunday against the Bengals.

Prescott makes plays with his arm and legs and doesn't make mistakes. That's what you want in a quarterback. But is that what the Cowboys want in their quarterback? A decision looms.

Prescott watch

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott still hasn't thrown an interception, closing in on Tom Brady's mark. Here's a look at the top five quarterbacks since 1991 for most pass attempts to begin an NFL career without an interception:

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