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Todd Archer, ESPN writer
FRISCO, Texas — Once again, the Dallas Cowboys are pinning their hopes on Cooper Rush.
In 2022, Dak Prescott suffered a broken right thumb in a disheartening opening day loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and all Rush did was help keep the Cowboys’ 4-1 season afloat. as owner.
This time, Prescott will be out for an extended period due to a partial avulsion of his right hamstring, but Rush is now needed to turn around a season that has been nothing short of a major disappointment with a 3-5 record, which It started on Sunday. against the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium.
“I mean we’re just trying to beat Philadelphia.” Rush said. “That’s our approach this week. We have to take them one at a time. It’s cliché, but it works. And that’s the goal and we’re really taking it practice by practice, game by game and we’re taking it practice by practice, game by game and we’re taking it practice by practice and game by game.” We’ll see what happens.”
In six starts, Rush has seven touchdown passes and four interceptions. Over his career, he has completed 165 of 275 passes for 1,786 yards with nine touchdowns and six interceptions.
He knows better than to try to be Prescott.
“You play a ton in college, it’s stuff you’ve been doing your whole life, trust who you are and the system is the system,” Rush said. “You do what you’re supposed to do. You do what you’re trained to do.”
Throughout the week, teammates on both sides of the ball have expressed their faith in Rush.
“I still think we can make a run. I’ve seen what Cooper Rush can do,” said running back Micah Parsons, who is expected to return from his month-long absence due to a sprained left ankle. “That’s a good kid. Cooper Rush has a lot of talent. He won games for us just doing the basics, just playing good football. So it’s not like he can’t do it.”
Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb said, “We know what Coop can do. The confidence is still there. Stay there and deliver.”
Much of the confidence is tied to the success they had in 2022. In his first start, he won against the defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals, who went 12-4 and made the playoffs that season. This was followed by wins against the New York Giants, another playoff team, and the Washington Commanders, who finished 8-8-1. The fourth victory was against the Los Angeles Rams.
The loss came against the Eagles before Prescott’s return.
Rush said he takes great advantage of the success of 2022.
“The more games you play, the more reps you accumulate, put them in your library and take advantage of,” Rush said. “So [I] Be confident in that. I’ve been here for a while. I’ve played with a lot of these guys before, which is huge when you’re out there with real bullets, trusting them. “Being there with them is great.”
As for Prescott, he’s been in meetings this week, working with Rush. Coach Mike McCarthy said Prescott is still receiving opinions on the hamstring injury. While the Cowboys have not yet placed him on injured reserve, multiple sources said he would need more than four weeks to recover.
“I think that would be his goal. [to play again this season]”McCarthy said. “I know he wants to keep playing, but I think it’s important to go through the process and gather all the information. “It’s obviously a serious injury.”
