The Dallas Cowboys started the season on the wrong foot, losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 19-3 in the Sunday night showdown. It was a poor offensive showing for a team that was the top offense in the NFL a season ago.

Now, things are even worse for the outlook of the Dallas Cowboys. Dak Prescott injured his hand late in the season-opener, and he is set to miss extended time. That is a tough blow for a team looking to repeat as divisional champions.

NFL reporter Adam Schefter and Cowboys insider Todd Archer are reporting that Dak Prescott will miss the next six-to-eight weeks. According to Archer, Prescott will have a pin and plate inserted in his hand to "stabilize the joint."

Dak Prescott is expected to have surgery Monday on a right thumb injury and miss 6-8 weeks, according to multiple sources. He will meet with the team’s hand specialist on Monday, but sources said he will have a pin and plate inserted to stabilize the joint.

— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) September 12, 2022

Prescott will likely be placed on IR with the opportunity to return to action later in the season. For the time being, Dallas is forced to navigate a difficult early schedule without their franchise signal caller.

“Obviously it’s not what you want to hear. It’s not the worse thing that’s happened to me," Prescott told the media following the game. "It’s just another bump in the road.”

The six-to-eight week timeline means that that Prescott will likely return when the Cowboys host the Chicago Bears in late October. Or when the team travels to play the Green Bay Packers in early November.

Either way, the Dallas Cowboys will be without Prescott for a good chunk of the schedule.

“The way I see it, it’s just a storm. You got two choices. You can either run away from the storm or you can run right into it," Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz said about the situation. "I know myself included, and everybody in this locker room, is running right into that mother f**ker.”

A tough start to the 2022 NFL season has just gotten much worse for the Dallas Cowboys.

Featured image via Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports