Can backup quarterback Cooper Rush save the Dallas Cowboys’ season?
The Cowboys seem to be in a tailspin after a 3-5 start. To make matters worse for Dallas, executive vice president Stephen Jones said starting QB Dak Prescott (hamstring) may require surgery and is probably headed to injured reserve during a Thursday interview with KTFM in San Antonio.
In 2022, Rush filled in for Prescott when he broke his right thumb. Rush went 4-1 as a starter, and Dallas finished 12-5. Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb suggested he may step up again.
“We know what Coop can do,” Lamb said Thursday, per Ed Werder of WFAA-TV in Dallas. “The confidence is still there. Just stand in there and deliver.”
Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons agrees with Lamb.
“I still believe we can make a run,” Parsons told the media Wednesday. “I’ve seen what Cooper Rush can do. That’s a good boy right there. Cooper Rush has a lot of talent. He won games for us by just doing the basics, just playing good football. So it’s not like he can’t do it.”
However, Rush inherited a far better Cowboys team in 2022. That season, Dallas finished fourth in the league in points scored (27.5) and tied for fifth in points allowed (20.1) per game. This season, the Cowboys are 20th in the league in points scored (21.4) and second to last in points allowed (28.1).
Dallas may be entering the most challenging portion of its schedule. The Cowboys host the Philadelphia Eagles (6-2) in Week 10 and the Houston Texans (6-3) in Week 11. They then face the Washington Commanders (7-2) on the road in Week 12.
While Rush has proved he’s a dependable backup, don’t bank on him spurring an unlikely turnaround. As of Thursday, ESPN’s Football Power Index lists the Cowboys’ playoff chances at a meager 3.6 percent.
