The Dallas Cowboys will host the Houston Texans tonight at 7:15 on Monday Night Football. The team will start quarterback Cooper Rush for the second consecutive week following Dak Prescott’s season-ending injury.
Dallas is coming off a 34-6 blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 10. In that game, the offense produced 49 passing yards and 97 rushing yards while converting only 11 first downs.
The Cowboys are now 3-6 this season and in third place in the NFC East division. This means America’s Team will likely have to finish with a record of 7-1 in the eight remaining games to have any hope of sneaking into the playoffs.
Despite the Cowboys’ playoff hopes dwindling with every passing week, Dallas is still opting to start Rush in favor of Trey Lance, who is just 24 years old and has played only 15 snaps this season.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has consistently applauded Rush for his ability to lead the team when Prescott cannot play, saying that his Week 10 performance was “really an out-of-character game for him.”
“Cooper has shown that he has the capability to compete and win in games,” Jones said during an interview on 105.3 The Fan, per USA Today. “He does give us our best chance.”
Despite Jones’ belief in Rush for the remainder of the season, Dallas should consider committing to playing Lance as many snaps as possible once the team is officially eliminated from playoff contention.
Although Lance is unlikely to play significant snaps for the Cowboys in the future due to Prescott signing a massive extension in the offseason, additional playing time for the fourth-year quarterback could help Dallas determine whether to bring him back on another contract.
Lance has put together a lackluster career since being selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the third pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, collecting just 818 passing yards and five passing touchdowns with four interceptions.
Dallas struck a midseason trade agreement with the 49ers during Lance’s third season in the league, sending a fourth-round draft selection to San Francisco in a trade that many questioned at the time.
Lance’s only snaps during the regular season came during the Cowboys’ most recent loss. In that game, he completed four out of six passing attempts for 21 yards, though he also threw one interception and took two sacks.
While the Cowboys have been able to evaluate Lance during practices and preseason games, the team has not had the chance to watch him play meaningful snaps during a regular season game.
Regular-season games are played at a much faster pace than practices or preseason games, which would drastically help the Cowboys decide whether to commit to the young quarterback as he continues to grow alongside Prescott.
Lance and Rush are also scheduled to be free agents after this season, meaning the Cowboys will have to decide whether to sign either player to a new contract.
Rush will turn 31 in a few days and is likely not the long-term solution for the Cowboys’ backup quarterback position. Therefore, Dallas must consider every potential option.
Allowing Lance, and essentially a fourth-round draft selection, to come and go without evaluating his performance on the field would be an irresponsible decision from the Cowboys during a season that will not result in a playoff appearance.