Getty Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones surveys the field before an NFL game.
The Dallas Cowboys will have to roll with Cooper Rush against the defending Super Bowl champions Los Angeles Rams as Dak Prescott recovers from his fractured hand.
Dallas is already 3-0 with Rush starting, as the 28-year-old backup has gone far beyond expectations with his clean performances. There was hope that Prescott would recover in time for the Rams game, but that seems highly unlikely based on recent reports.
Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken first broke the news that Prescott will not play, and that the team is promoting quarterback Will Grier to the 53-man roster once again for this weekend.
“Cowboys are signing QB Will Grier from practice squad to 53-man roster, person familiar with situation said,” Gehlken Tweeted on October 4. “He will be No. 2 quarterback this Sunday at Rams behind Cooper Rush with Dak Prescott (thumb) missing a fourth straight game. Grier was out of standard elevations.”
It’s unfortunate for Dak that his recovery is taking at least another week, but the Cowboys can’t be too upset as a unit: Dallas is winning with Rush running the show, and that gives Prescott all the time needed to properly recover.
Rush Ignoring the QB ‘Controversy’ Noise
Recent comments from owner Jerry Jones and the rest of the NFL universe have created buzz around Rush and Prescott, with many wondering: should Rush take the starting job even after Prescott recovers?
The answers from the Cowboys has been a resounding “no,” and they’ve committed to Prescott upon his return. While that may seem unfortunate for Rush, the quarterback is not sweating it according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.
“I spoke to him [Rush] after the game. He said he thinks he’s proven he can be a starter in the NFL elsewhere and he’s ignoring any noise about a potential controversy in Dallas – even if some if it is coming from Jerry Jones himself,” Florio explained on October 2 for NBC’s “Football Night in America.”
Dallas may not be where Rush can nail down a long-term starting job, but he is showing that he deserves to be in consideration for a starting NFL QB job. Besides racking up wins for the Cowboys, his stats have been consistent, clean and solid.
Cowboys QB’s Performance Over Three Weeks
Rush didn’t rally the Cowboys to a comeback after stepping in for Prescott in Week 1, but going undefeated as a starter speaks for itself. What also has helped is the lack of mistakes.
Pro Football Reference shows that Rush is averaging 224 passing yards a game, completing a respectable 62.5% of his passes in the process. More importantly, he hasn’t thrown an interception this season and has taken just four sacks total.
Negative plays are what kill an offense, and right now, Rush has kept those to an absolute minimum. The team has enough talent on offense to produce with a QB like Rush, evidenced by his four touchdowns and the team scoring over 20 points in each of Dallas’ last three games. That’s all translated to a 95.9 quarterback rating, which the Cowboys should be thrilled about.