Earlier this week, Mike McCarthy officially ruled Dak Prescott out for the Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles game on Sunday Night Football.
Some may view this as a negative, but Cooper Rush gives the Cowboys the best chance to win in Week 6.
On Wednesday, McCarthy told the media that Prescott was evaluated by doctors and his fractured thumb is healing as expected. McCarthy said QB1 is still in the rehab phase of his recovery process.
This means Cowboys fans will be treated to at least one more game with Rush under center.
Cooper Rush is the best option at QB vs. the Eagles
Rush starting at QB gives Dallas the best shot to win in Philadelphia on Sunday night. That doesn’t mean Rush should be QB1 when Prescott is healthy, or that Rush is a more talented passer.
Prescott still hasn’t been a full participant in practice since his Week 1 injury. Many fans have clamored for Prescott to return this week despite his limited status in practice. But that would be a recipe for disaster.
The Eagles defensive unit is one of the best in the NFL. Philadelphia allows an average of 189 passing yards per game, ranking fifth. In terms of points allowed per game, the Eagles rank seventh at 17.6.
The Eagles defensive success stems from its ability to rush the passer. Philadelphia’s 17 sacks is tied for fourth in the NFL. Leading the way is Haason Reddick with 4.5 sacks, followed by Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham who each have three sacks.
This is the best defense the Cowboys will face this season. Even better than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense Dallas squared off against in the season opener.
Benching Prescott this week is the right call. In Week 7, the Cowboys have a matchup with the Detroit Lions, which has ranked as the worst defense in the NFL through five games. Detroit allows a league-worst 34 points per game.
Prescott is going to need time to shake the rust off whenever he makes his return. It’s better to have that come against the Lions (1-4), rather than the Eagles (5-0) in a ruckus environment like Philadelphia.
Dak Prescott vs. Cooper Rush is no debate
There’s been debate about whether Rush should retain the starting QB job even when Prescott is ready to return. Earlier this week, Troy Aikman went on 96.7 The Ticket and said this:
“If the (Cowboys beat the Eagles), you start asking the question, ‘Do we put Dak back in?’ Considering what they’ve been able to do and how they’ve been able to win games with Cooper Rush, I think that becomes a real question the organization has to answer.”
In reality, the Cowboys offense has been less than stellar over the course of the four-game winning streak. Dallas has scored 22 points per game when Rush starts. That ranks 17th in the NFL, so just about average.
Last season with Prescott under center, the Cowboys 31 points per game led the NFL. With Prescott starting, the ceiling rises exponentially for this Cowboys team.
Match that with a dominant defense, and you have the makings of a Super Bowl contender.
