The Dallas Cowboys are expected to have Dak Prescott back next Sunday versus the Detroit Lions. His return couldn't have happened at a more dramatic time as last weekend backup Cooper Rush had his first disaster start as he threw three interceptions.

The fact that it took Rush six career stats to get there is a merit in itself. But this is Prescott's team. Always was, still is, and get ready for a contract extension next year, too.

However, it's difficult to ignore what the Cowboys achieved with Rush during Dak's time away. Although the offense was highly limited and you don't want to walk with a similar game plan into NFL games week in and week out, Kellen Moore made life easier for Rush.

Pretty much, the Cowboys asked Rush to do one of three things over the last few weeks:

1. Hand the ball off OR
2. Throw easy, short completions out of play-action OR
3. Throw some BOMBS out of play-action, especially on first downs.

Teams work on game plans during the games that are not only a bunch opponent-specific plays stapled together but also have some sort of philosophy attached to the whole thing. If I had to guess, Rush's probably reads something like "DON'T BE A SUPERHERO."

Which brings me to my point. Before the Cowboys discovered they had themselves a legit defense in 2021, the game plan for Dak probably read "PLEASE, BE A SUPERHERO" just about every week. There's a reason why before his injuries in each of the last two seasons, the guy was among the league's passing leaders and even an MVP candidate.

Now that the Cowboys have seen the best (and worst) of both worlds, where do they go from here? Do they unleash the aggressive offense with Dak back? Or do they stick to a conservative gameplan like they did with Rush only run by a superior quarterback?

In a recent article for The Athletic, Mike Sando quoted an anonymous offensive coach that believes the Cowboys must keep doing things the way they have with Rush:

"What I think gets them over the top is consistently doing this when the quarterback comes back, which we will see if that happens"

In that same article, an AFC executive doubts Prescott's skills when given too much to handle: "I think from the quarterback position they are going to struggle there some when it is really crunch time. It’s like they try to give Dak too much leeway and it backfires."

How do the Cowboys feel?

"This is a defensive-first operation,” Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy said last week. "That’s mandated by the head coach, because that’s our strength. We identified that in the spring. I think (Kellen Moore) has done an excellent job adjusting to that.”

That fits what McCarthy said since Week 1's disastrous loss to Tampa Bay. That time, the Cowboys HC suggested Moore had to be less aggressive because that didn't fit the kind of team they had in Dallas.

Judging by McCarthy's quotes, the Cowboys could opt for a more conservative approach even with QB1 back on the field. But they should beware the obvious.

Teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills have some of the best passing offenses because they're always in attack-mode. So when it's crunch time, they're ready to execute an aggressive offense because they're always playing that way.

The same holds true the opposite way. If the Cowboys are never aggressive, they could struggle when it comes time be so.

Not to mention, when healthy, Prescott has proven he has the arm and coverage-reading skills to exploit defenses. In several deep routes, he's been among the most accurate quarterbacks in the league. Moore and a healthy Prescott have consistently ranked as one of the most efficient offenses in the league.

At the end of the day, it will be all about finding balance. How can the Cowboys make life easier on Prescott while not wasting his skill set just for the sake of doing so?

However the coaching staff handles this particular decision, it will have a season defining effect on the outcome of the 2022 Cowboys' season.

Featured image via Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports