Getty Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys.
Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss said he did not believe the Dallas Cowboys should even entertain the idea of starting Dak Prescott if Cooper Rush is able to lead them to a win against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Whether they like it or not, the Cowboys have a quarterback controversy on their hands, with Rush leading the squad to a 4-0 record as the starter. He’ll have his most significant challenge to date against the Eagles, who are the only remaining unbeaten squad in the NFL.
Moss sounded off on the Cowboys quarterback situation ahead of Sunday’s slate of games, firmly backing Rush for the starting gig if he can help Dallas to a victory.
“If you go into Philadelphia and beat the No. 1 team in the National Football League, man I don’t want to hear no Dak Prescott talk,” Moss said on ESPN’s NFL Countdown. “If Cooper Rush goes and wins this game tonight that means he will have shown this team he can handle on the road, at home, whatever. So why are we going to look at Dak? Don’t put out that fire.”
Cooper Rush’s success has the Sunday NFL Countdown crew heated on who should lead the Cowboys 👀
“If [Cooper Rush] goes and wins this game tonight … he can handle on the road, at home, whatever. Why are we gonna look at Dak?” —@RandyMoss
Mosss found some support for his argument from his fellow analysts Matt Hasselbeck and Tedy Bruschi. However, former NFL skipper Rex Ryan had a different — maybe more level-headed — take.
“If I’m the coach here, it ain’t close. I’m playing the best player,” Ryan said. “Dak Presscott is the best player.”
Dak Prescott Nearing Return But Won’t Play Against Eagles
Prescott was listed as questionable for the NFC East clash against the Eagles in prime time, but he’s not expected to be active for the game, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Prescott injured the thumb in the opener against the Bucs. He had surgery on September 12 and the original timeline had him missing six to eight weeks. While he won’t play against the Eagles, owner Jerry Jones expressed some optimism that Prescott will be ready to play against the Lions next week.
“I don’t want to say, but he has made a lot of progress,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. “Throwing the ball with zip and (that’s) very, very important. How he is healing is just great. So all systems on go there.”
Prescott signed a lucrative extension prior to last season worth $160 million over four years. He threw for 4,449 yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions last year and the Cowboys finished the regular season 12-5.
However, the most recent memory Cowboys fans have of Prescott is his miserable Week 1 performance against the Bucs, in which he threw for just 134 yards and an interception.
Prescott Has Supported Rush During Time Away
Rush has passed for 839 yards and four touchdowns over his four starts this season and has yet to turn the ball over. He’s also been helped big time by a stellar defense and solid run game.
While there has been plenty of chatter in the media about a controversy, Prescott has been helping out Rush behind the scenes during his starts.
“I’ve said before he’s helped tremendously with our room, myself, and everyone else on the sidelines,” Rush said of Prescott. “He’s bringing energy, that’s just who he is as a person or a leader.”
The “controversy” was first stoked by Jones, who welcomed the idea while speaking to reporters. He’s backtracked a bit since, making it clear that Prescott will be QB1 upon his return.
“Dak is the number one quarterback. Dak is our guy, but isn’t it great that somebody came in and played well enough so that we can ask that question?” Jones said after the Cowboys beat the Rams in Week 5. “That’s my point.”
The Cowboys are a 6.5-point underdog agains the Eagles.