Cooper Rush gives Cowboys something to think about with Dak Prescott

Cooper Rush improved to 3-0 as the Dallas Cowboys’ starting quarterback, creating at least a minor dilemma for the franchise.

Most NFL pundits and Dallas Cowboys fans were proclaiming doom and gloom after Dak Prescott suffered a thumb injury in Week 1 that required surgery. Things have gone just fine for the Cowboys, however, thanks to the steadying presence of backup Cooper Rush.

Today’s 25-10 win over the Commanders means Dallas is now 3-0 with Rush under center, putting them right behind the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East. Rush’s run included a pair of divisional victories, including a key road win over the New York Giants on Monday night in Week 3 that has given them a tiebreaker over Big Blue for now.

Why Cooper Rush’s performance should give the Cowboys something to think about

Prescott is working hard to come back and has reportedly targeted Week 5’s showdown with the Los Angeles Rams for a potential return to action. That course of action may have been wise if the Cowboys found themselves in a big hole but the fact that Rush has gone 3-0 in Prescott’s absence could give Dallas something to think about here.

While the Rams game is huge, Dallas has an even bigger game coming up in Week 6 as they head to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles on Sunday Night Football. Having a fully healthy Prescott for that game is vital so it may make some sense for the Cowboys to hold him out for another week if the thumb isn’t deemed to be 100 percent.

Rush hasn’t lit the world on fire offensively but he has been efficient with the football and avoided the big mistakes to help Dallas pick up three wins. The worst case scenario for the Cowboys would be to rush Prescott back and have him re-injure the thumb, costing him significantly more time, so rolling with Rush for another week may be the smart long-term play.