Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was officially listed as questionable on Sunday against the Eagles, but team brass had made it clear that Cooper Rush would get the start until Prescott has been able to complete a full week of practice.
That step appears likely this week as the Cowboys gear up to face the Detroit Lions this coming Sunday.
“I thought Dak took the next step [in his recovery],” said head coach Mike McCarthy. “That’s what we were looking for.”
The coach said Prescott “had a good day in the Saturday practice – in two sequences and in the 7-on-7 down in the red zone.” Because of that, he said, “We’ll get him in on [Monday] and see about him and hopefully have a plan for him on Thursday.”
The Cowboys will have a walk-through practice on Wednesday before donning the pads on Thursday. Prescott will need to demonstrate that he has regained his grip strength and that he can complete passes without pain before he will be cleared to return.
“That’s my plan,” Prescott said. “Obviously, I gotta see the doc, gotta see them. But, yes, that’s my plan. I plan on getting in my full week of practice.”
If Prescott is able to go on Sunday, he will lead a 4-2 team that currently sits in third in the NFC East, which has become one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL this season. Rush performed well in his five starts, only failing to lead the Cowboys to victory once, the most recent game against the division-leading Philadelphia Eagles.
Rush threw three interceptions in the game Sunday after throwing none in the previous four games. One of the interceptions came on a deflection; something Rush couldn’t prevent. However, the other two picks were simply bad decisions.
The Eagles game was the first that saw the Dallas defense needing to play catchup when Philly got off to a 20-0 lead in the first half.
The loss to a division rival is the first the Cowboys have taken since 2020 after sweeping the NFC East last year and defeating both New York and Washington this season. The Cowboys will have a rematch with the Eagles on Christmas Eve, hopefully with Prescott under center.
Prescott fractured his throwing hand thumb during the Cowboys’ Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Initially, the injury was expected to keep him off the field for six to eight weeks, but following surgery, there was some hope that the quarterback could return as soon as four or five weeks.
The possibility was there for him to have been able to play against the Eagles. Instead, the organization played it safe with their franchise QB and let Rush take the reins against Philadelphia.
A number of factors led to the Eagles’ win — specifically, a game plan that neutralized the strongest aspects of the Cowboys’ defense. Little of the blame deserves to fall on Rush despite his three-turnover performance.
However, fans will be relieved when No.4 suits up again, whether against the Detroit Lions this Sunday or the Chicago Bears on the one following.
