Stop it! Cooper Rush isn’t challenging Dak Prescott as Cowboys QB1
By Reid Hanson
When Jerry Jones candidly chewed the fat with reporters this week, he flippantly said he welcomed the idea of a QB controversy on the Dallas Cowboys. That’s all local and national media needed to take a non-story and spin it into the headline of the day.
Immediately, the clip circulated around social media, creating buzz and sparking debate, in an otherwise undebatable situation.
Nobody in their right mind is predicting a QB controversy for the Dallas Cowboys, not even Jerry Jones.
Jerry Jones has a knack for keeping the Dallas Cowboys in the news, doesn’t he? But often times, the ears, not the mouth, is to blame for creating something out of nothing, which seems to be the case here…
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones entertained idea Cooper Rush could play well enough, team could win enough to force decision at QB when Dak Prescott able to return. “Wouldn’t it be something if you had a dilemma as to which way to go?” You’d want that controversy? “Of course I would.” pic.twitter.com/oSXzHAMabk
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) September 22, 2022
Jerry wasn’t predicting a thing. He was waxing philosophic about how if there somehow was a controversy, it would only be because Cooper Rush went on a tear as the QB. It would mean the Dallas Cowboys were on a winning streak and survived the loss of their MVP. It would mean great things happened.
the chasm between the play of Cooper Rush and Dak Prescott is enormous and even a winning streak can’t change that
After seeing reporters salivate over the sound bite he just offered up, Jerry did little to squash the headline he just created. He’s a headline producing savant after all. So what if people took it all completely out of context? He was clear what he meant, if people believed he was saying something else, that’s on them. He’s happy to dominate the topics of the NFL for another week.
All too often the Dallas Cowboys fanbase and the national media make things into something they are not. It’s either to bolster ratings or back up something they personally want to believe. Jerry shouldn’t have to spell this out on a second grade reading level, but alas, to some he does.
Cooper Rush performed admirably in Dak Prescott’s stead on Sunday, but let’s not forget he threw two “interception worthy” balls, according to PFF, that could have shifted the balance considerably if defenders only could have caught relatively easy balls.
Let’s also keep in mind, Cooper Rush’s success largely comes on scripted plays (something we will discuss tomorrow more) indicating it’s Kellen Moore the OC doing the heavy lifting, and not the signal caller.
With a strong defense and early leads, the Dallas Cowboys absolutely could find success the next few weeks. A flawless winning streak? Probably not, but even so, Cooper Rush can play the best ball of his life and he still wouldn’t approach the level Dak Prescott has been at.
Dak’s not flawless. In fact, he was downright terrible in Week 1. But that’s not the Dak we’ve seen over the years and that’s unlikely the guy we see when he gets medically cleared to play football again.
Jerry Jones knows that. The local media knows that. The national media…well, they are entertainers more than analysts so who knows what they believe. The point is, the chasm between the play of Cooper Rush and Dak Prescott is enormous and even a winning streak can’t change that.
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But it’s the winning streak Jerry wants. It’s a winning streak the media wants. It’s a winning streak the haters want. It’s a winning streak you and I should want. Heck, it’s a winning streak Dak wants. There’s no controversy brewing. Let’s just win some more games and be happy about it, alright?