The Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott are hoping Week 1 of the 2022 season will be different from Week 1 of the 2021 season. The Cowboys came up short against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to open the previous season, and drew them as their opponent to kickoff their 2022 campaign for the second straight season. With the Cowboys looking for revenge, let's take a look at our Dak Prescott Week 1 bold predictions for his contest against Tampa Bay.

After getting his 2020 season cut short due to a gruesome right ankle injury, Prescott made a triumphant return to the field last season and led the Cowboys to the playoffs. Dallas couldn't make much noise in the postseason, though, and they have been hoping that the 2022 season will be different for them.

That starts with their season opener against the Buccaneers. Prescott nearly led Dallas to an upset victory over Tampa Bay to open the 2021 season, but ended up getting thwarted at the last second by Tom Brady. But the 2022 season is a whole new ballgame, so let's take a look at three bold predictions for Prescott in his Week 1 contest against the Buccaneers.

3. Dak Prescott will throw an interception on his first drive of the game

Prescott had one of his best games of the season against Tampa Bay last year, in which he threw for 403 yards and three touchdowns. He was hot from the get go, which was a big reason Dallas almost ended up winning. That won't be the case this time around, though.

Prescott's opening drive on offense will end with him throwing an interception to Mike Edwards. Prescott will try to sneak a ball into tight coverage to tight end Dalton Schultz, but he misses his target by a pretty small margin and ends up hitting Edwards in the numbers instead.

This obviously won't be an ideal start for Prescott and the Cowboys offense. The good news is that Dallas' defense will hold up well and prevent the Bucs from scoring on the other end of things, meaning this error won't come back to hurt Prescott. But it's clear off the bat that he's going to need to be sharper if the Cowboys intend on winning this game.

2. Dak Prescott throws two touchdown passes to CeeDee Lamb in the first half

After his interception, Prescott begins to get in a rhythm. He looks better on the Cowboys next drive, but can't connect with Tony Pollard on a third-and-five inside Tampa's red zone, and has to settle for a field goal. The good news is that Prescott finds CeeDee Lamb for the first time to convert a third-and-long earlier in the drive, and it ends up being a crucial play, as Prescott and Lamb cannot be stopped afterwards.

The Buccaneers will score a touchdown on their next drive, but Prescott and Lamb will connect in the end zone on their next drive to put Dallas back ahead. Lamb gets single coverage against Carlton Davis III from inside the five yard line, and creates just enough separation on a fade route for Prescott to find him in the back left corner of the end zone.

Prescott will find Lamb on a 35 yard crossing route later on in the second quarter to give the Cowboys some more breathing room over the Bucs. It will result in the Cowboys taking a surprising 17-7 lead into halftime over Tampa Bay, setting the stage for a captivating second half of football.

1. Dak Prescott will struggle in the second half, but come alive when he needs to

The Buccaneers respond to the Prescott and Lamb connection by throwing more attention at Lamb, making life for Prescott much more difficult. He struggles to find other players to hit in the air, and Tampa Bay slowly works their way back into the game. Brady will get a field goal midway through the third quarter and find Leonard Fournette in the flat for a game-tying touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

Both teams struggle to find a way to take the lead back in the fourth quarter, and it results in Prescott and the offense getting the ball back at their own 32 yard line with just over 90 seconds left. It seems like the Buccaneers offense will get the ball back when the Cowboys are faced with a third-and-ten on their opening series, but Prescott connects with Schultz on a seam route to pick up a 17 yard gain and put Dallas at midfield.

Prescott will face another third-and-long on the next series, but manages to hit Jalen Tolbert for the first big play of his career. Prescott gets a quick play to Lamb, who manages to get out of bounds at the 35 yard line with seven seconds left on the clock.

Brett Maher will be faced with a 52 yard field goal to win the game, and nails it to win Dallas the game by a score of 20-17. Prescott gets revenge for the tough loss he underwent last season, and the Cowboys prove they mean business in the NFC East yet again.