Dallas Cowboys Week 8: The good, the bad, and the ugly

With the addition of a seventeenth game, we are now as close to halfway done with the 2021 season as possible without going over. Week 8 has commenced and the Dallas Cowboys are as hot as anyone.

Six straight wins? No problem. Win a game on the road with your backup quarterback? Easy peasy. The Cowboys’ current win streak is bested only by the Green Bay Packers after a thrilling 20-16 victory over Minnesota.

For even better news, even with the Philadelphia Eagles winning, the Cowboys still own a 3.5 game lead within the NFC East. Things are looking pretty positive as we hit the midway point of the year.

Before we look forward to a Week 9 showdown with the Denver Broncos, however, let’s take one last look back and review the good, bad, and ugly from a dramatic win over the Vikings.

Dallas Cowboys Week 8: The Good

There are so many options from which to choose here. The defense more than did their part, holding Minnesota to only 16 points at home. Running back Ezekiel Elliott and receiver Amari Cooper made huge plays on the final drive to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Ultimately, there is just no way that we cannot recognize the job that backup quarterback Cooper Rush did to keep the good times rolling. Whenever a backup quarterback is called upon, the expectation of a win is rare.

There are barely 32 quarterbacks qualified to be starters, let alone many backups trusted to lead a team to a W. Things did not start out well for Rush, further making that possibility unlikely.

On his first drive, Rush took a critical sack on a 3rd & 7 which not only ended the drive but also made the field goal attempt longer which ended up being missed. The next drive ended with a bad interception, once again killing any chance at putting points on the board.

Two other drives before the half resulted in just three points. Thankfully, the defense kept things close and Rush came into his own in the second half. Rush hit receiver Cedrick Wilson for a 73-yard touchdown to start the third quarter which gave this team a huge boost.

Three drives later, Rush led the team to a field goal to keep the game tied. Then, after a fumble on a sack, Rush led a game-winning eight-play, 75-yard drive leaving just 51 seconds on the clock which culminated in an absolute dime to Cooper for the go-ahead touchdown. Rush ended with 325 yards passing, two touchdowns, a 60% completion rate, and one massive, possibly career-saving win.