Dallas Cowboys are now in the perfect spot to help out the rest of the NFL but it won't do much for them
A lot has been made about who's starting at quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the absence of Dak Prescott, who is now set to miss the remainder of the regular season as he'll go through surgery to repair a partially torn hamstring. For the Cowboys' first and second game without Prescott, the coaching staff has […]
A lot has been made about who's starting at quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the absence of Dak Prescott, who is now set to miss the remainder of the regular season as he'll go through surgery to repair a partially torn hamstring.
For the Cowboys' first and second game without Prescott, the coaching staff has elected to go with Cooper Rush over Trey Lance. Last Sunday, Rush struggled to find a rhythm as he completed 56.5% of his passes for a mediocre 45 yards, averaging two yards per attempt. He was benched in the second half of the game.
Despite this, head coach Mike McCarthy confirmed Rush would continue to be the starter ahead of Week 11's Monday Night Football against the Houston Texans.
This is where things get interesting, as I believe if you randomly asked fans and media members who they'd rather watch between Rush and Lance, 100% of the answers would support the latter. That's not necessarily because people believe he'll be better, but because he'll sure as heck be more exciting. He's a dual-threat quarterback and make something out of nothing, plus the upside is there if he gets past the mistakes of an inexperienced player.
The biggest problem holding back the former No. 3 overall pick is his lack of reps dating back to his high school days. Even Mike McCarthy said it in the preseason: Lance is a great athlete but needs the work.
The problem he's been forced to deal with though is where exactly is he supposed to get those reps? Teams are in the winning business and Lance isn't ready to win yet. It's not easy to get him on the field. His situation as a "project" caused some experts, such as Cowboys columnist Bob Sturm to suggest the league should find a way to loan projects like Lance to the UFL so they can actually develop their play.
That obviously won't be happening any time soon, even if it's a great idea.
That brings us to this: With the 2024 season essentially over for them, the Cowboys could simply play Trey Lance and see what he can do. It would be a big favor to every other NFL team out there as they'd get much more film on the youngster. What do they have to lose?
The answer is nothing. However, the problem is they don't stand to gain anything either. At best, a compensatory draft pick if Lance signs elsewhere in 2025 or the conviction to re-sign him as the team's backup of the future. But since they don't control him beyond 2024, there's no possibility of trading him or getting anything in return for him. It's too late for that.
Thus, the Cowboys' quarterback decision comes down simply to who do they think gives them a chance to win a ballgame. Before last Sunday, that seemed to be Rush, who had a 5-1 record entering the game versus the Philadelphia Eagles. However, if he plays like he did last weekend, that won't be the case for long.
