Dak Prescott is and always has been the answer for the Cowboys
The return of Dak
Prescott has been one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL when healthy. He played his first game since Week 1 on Sunday against the Detroit Lions. While the offense was far from perfect, it tells us what we need to know.
He finished the game by completing 19 of 25 passes for 207 yards and one touchdown. That’s better than Rush’s average this season of going 15 of 26 for 170 yards and one touchdown. Dak’s 76 percent completion percentage on Sunday is also significantly higher than Rush’s 57.7 percent.
Cooper Rush did his job, which was enough to win games. His good games are equivalent to Prescott’s bad games. Rarely does he complete under 60 percent of his passes, and even less often does he throw for under 200 yards.
While yes, both happened in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he also left mid-game with an injury against a top defense. Last season, he completed under 60 percent of his passes twice and threw for under 200 yards only once.
Far from perfect, but Dak definitely had some great moments today… https://t.co/ochiXdDDZK
— Pat Doney (@PatDoneyNBC5) October 24, 2022
Sunday’s win against the Lions wasn’t a convincing one for the offense. That reflects the playcalling more than that of America’s Team’s quarterback. Despite those circumstances, he still performed very well.
Editor Lauren Barash said it best when explaining Rush supporters, “Winning feels good and you don’t want to remove the guy who is bringing in wins.” She blames the poor opposition as the main contributor to the success.
I also want to thank Dan Garazino for telling everyone why keeping Rush over Prescott is a huge mistake:
"Rush is a backup quarterback for a reason, and backup quarterbacks are, ideally, supposed to do exactly what Rush has done so far — give you a chance to win a handful of games if your starter has to miss time. A full season of Cooper Rush does not maximize the potential of the Cowboys’ offense, and, yes, that matters. No matter how good your defense is."
Once again, I do not mean to downplay what Rush has done in his career and this season. After all, he is the only quarterback in Cowboys history to start 4-0. That deserves some credit.
Cooper Rush can help the team win some games, but he is not good enough to have sustained success, especially in the playoffs. Fans and analysts should put any calls to have him lead the team to rest after the loss against the Philadelphia Eagles and the return of Prescott.
