Dallas Cowboys defender Duck Prescott injured his thumb during the team’s loss to Tampa Bay Buccaneers and missed three games. Dallas went 3-0 in his absence Cooper Rush starting with quarterback.
Prescott is confident he could return for the Cowboys’ Week 5 road game vs Los Angeles Rams. But even if Prescott is healthy, should he be the starter?
Shannon Sharpco-host”Indisputable” said Monday that Prescott should start if — and only if — he can perform at his highest level.
“Yes, if he’s ready,” Sharpe said of whether a healthy Prescott should start. “And that means he’s ready. He’s able to do all the things he would normally do if he didn’t have his thumb. I’ve got to see him handle the ball. I’ve got to see him spin the ball. I’ve got to look to make sure he’s able to protect not only himself but the football, and if he can do that, I think Dak gives them a better chance to win big long-term.”
Should a healthy Dak Prescott start for the Cowboys over Cooper Rush?
Skip Bayless explains why the Cowboys should continue with Cooper Rush at quarterback even if Dak Prescott is ready to play against the Rams.
Prescott had 4,449 passing yards, 37 touchdown passes, 10 interceptions and a 104.2 quarterback rating while completing 68.8% of his passes in 2021. Dallas lost San Francisco 49ers in the NFC wild-card round and is 1-3 in the postseason with Prescott. The 29-year-old defenseman is in the second season of a four-year, $160 million contract.
Skip Bayless disagreed with Sharpe, arguing that Rush has been more consistent than Prescott since 2021.
“[Rush] has consistently played at a more consistent level than Dak Prescott since last season’s Thursday night opener at Tampa Bay. Although it was a sensational night [Prescott] got ‘GOATed’ at the end and lost 31-29 thanks Tom Brady doing what he always does,” Bayless said. – The thing is, those four games, to me, have shown a consistently higher level of performance than I’ve seen in any single game that Dak Prescott has played since Thursday’s opening night two years ago.
“If you had told me it was just one game, I would have said, ‘Fluke.’ If you told me two games, “It’s a match.” Three, I’m starting to wonder. Four are perfectly legal.”
Rush has passed for 673 yards, four touchdowns, zero interceptions and a 100.1 quarterback rating while completing 61.8% of his throws in three starts this season. These were victories against Cincinnati Bengals (20-17) and division opponents New York Giants (23-16) and Commanders of Washington (25-10).
The rush has begun for the Cowboys Minnesota Vikings in 2021 when Prescott was sidelined with a shoulder injury. Dallas won 20-16.
The Cowboys’ 3-0 record with Rush as the starting quarterback this season is at left tackle Tyrone Smith (hamstring), wide receiver Michael Gallup (knee) and tight end Dalton Schultz (knee) missed at least one game due to injury.
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