Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman hasn't met rookie quarterback Dak Prescott but told Newsday he's heard the ex-Mississippi State star is a "very mature, meticulous guy."

Despite that, Aikman is surprised Cowboys Nation does not appear to be in a panic about the injury to Tony Romo (which is expected to sideline him six to 10 weeks) ... a confidence that seems to stem from Prescott's outstanding performance in the preseason.

"I wouldn't necessarily say I've got my finger on the pulse here in Dallas,"Aikman told Newsday. "But basically what I hear and what I'm reading and watching on TV around town is there's not the sky-is-falling attitude about Romo going down.

"And that's crazy, because this team was terrible last year without him. People are really excited about the kid and looking forward to watching him play. Is it unrealistic? I don't know. But he played so well in the preseason that he's kind of captured the city a little bit."

Aikman, a former No. 1 draft choice (Prescott was drafted in the fourth round), is in a good position to speak about the difficulties a rookie faces trying to play quarterback in the NFL. Aikman did not win a game as a rookie in 1989, when the Cowboys finished 1-15.

"I think there are some learning curves certainly in the NFL, but I've just seen too many guys come in and have success at the level you never would have expected at one time. So, yeah, he's going to have some bumps in the road, more than most quarterbacks because he's a rookie. I mean, all quarterbacks have them. But he will have a few more than most quarterbacks in general. But I expect him to play pretty well."

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