Dak Prescott is and always has been the answer for the Cowboys

Backup QB Cooper Rush exceeded all expectations, but Dak Prescott is the answer for the Cowboys

Having your starting quarterback go down is never a good thing. Unfortunately, Dallas Cowboys fans have fallen victim to that issue far too many times lately. A replacement-level player at a position that controls the entire game leaves everyone on edge.

Luckily, America’s Team had a quarterback in Cooper Rush, who did his job and gave the team some wins. I am throwing no shade at Rush when I say this because what he did is far more demanding than it seems; however, if the team is to make a run in the playoffs, they need Dak Prescott.

We’ve seen an explosive offense anchored down by a lousy defense for many years. Now, the defense is running the show, at least for now. We only had Week 1 with Dak (eventually returning in Week 7) and multiple offensive starters missing due to injuries.

After the injury to Prescott, many people, including myself, wrote the team off from doing anything meaningful this season. The hope was only to stay afloat during his absence. Never in anyone’s mind did they believe the team would have a winning record.

A weird debate about whether Rush should continue playing even with Dak healthy emerged throughout a four-game win streak. This occurred even though Prescott threw for 37 touchdowns and under 4,500 yards last year.

I understand we all want the team to win, but some people got carried away through the surprising performances. Let’s look at what transpired in the lead-up to Dak’s eventual return in the Week 7 matchup against the Detroit Lions.

State of the Cowboys heading into Week 7

The Cowboys’ defense, led by the DPOY favorite Micah Parsons, had been among the best in the NFL. They gave up 20+ points and more than one touchdown in only one of their first six games this season. That, combined with Rush’s game management, led the team to their 4-2 record.

The impressive performance caught the attention of contributor Randy Gurzi, who marked Rush as a pleasant surprise. A surprise indeed, since backups don’t usually have as much success as he has.

Rush’s one poor game came in the Week 6 loss against the league-leading Philadelphia Eagles. All three of his interceptions this season came in that game (even though penalties saved him a couple of times). That’s also the only game that another team figured out the defense.

Some people, like LeSean McCoy, got too ahead of themselves after Dallas was winning without Dak. Please listen and remember where we came from in the debate of Dak vs. Rush. As a side note, watch David Helman’s reaction for a good laugh.

It’s terrible to say, but the loss to the Eagles made me happy. That is for the simple reason of not having to hear the Rush over Dak slander anymore. But Cooper did bring out something that seemed to fade away from the Cowboys’ offense under Prescott.

The rushing attack is rejuvenated, with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard combining for 678 rushing yards and 4.5 yards per run. They have been a crucial part of the offense while Rush was under center and would ensure the unit remains dynamic with the return of Dak.

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.

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.

This Cooper Rush stat proves why Cowboys need Dak Prescott back

Cooper Rush did a lot for the Cowboys, but the reality is that the offense wasn't that successful. This stat proves Rush's struggles on the field.