As we are near the middle of the season for the Dallas Cowboys, it's time to take a look at what they have accomplished thus far. This year has already been a rollercoaster for the Cowboys as injuries, turn of events, and unlikely heroes have emerged. Let's “Rush” right into the main stats and storylines that have developed over the past few weeks.
The Cowboys started the year off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After Quarterback Tom Brady was having family issues, many fans predicted the Cowboys to lose this game. What many didn't predict, is that Cowboys Quarterback Dak Prescott would get injured. Once Dak walked off the field, fans marked this season to be officially over. All hope was lost.
As the next couple of days went by, the Cowboys remained quiet amongst the league. The reason is that Back-up Quarterback Cooper Rush would be taking over for at least 4-5 weeks. While Rush was 1-0 as a starter (due to last season's victory over the Vikings) not many fans expected him to win any of the upcoming games.
The schedule contains the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Giants, Washington Commanders, and Los Angeles Rams. While two of those teams went to the Super Bowl last year, the 0-1 Cowboys looked like ants compared to these teams.
Week two was here, time to see how many points the Cowboys lose by… 20-17, and Dallas Cowboys walk away with a win. As the “Runner Up” Super Bowl champ leaves the game with a loss, the Cowboys manage to win with their backup QB.
“Good win”, many fans said, but an arguably better team is still ahead, the 2-0 New York Giants. While the Giants have been poorly coached over the past 4-6 years, this season is looking different for them. That is until they played against Cooper Rush and the Cowboys' defense. The Cowboys won 23-16, and remain the only team to beat the New York Giants this year. (Giants are 6-1 as of now).
This win caused a disturbance in the force, as now fans are saying that Cooper Rush should be the new starter for the Cowboys! As the fan base was split, many fans took the side of Dak while some stated that Cooper was better. Another game grew closer, the Washington Commanders were here.
Nothing to worry about, as the Commanders were the weakest team among the four. The Cowboys cruised past them with a score of 25-10. This erupted a big argument within the NFL world. Is it time for Dallas to trust Cooper Rush, was a question lingering by fans.
Off the field, Dak Prescott's injury seemed to not be getting any better, as his thumb was still undergoing much rehab. It seemed that he would need another two weeks until a full recovery.
On the other end of the ball, the Cowboys defense was unstoppable throughout the weeks. They did not let a single team score above 20 points until week six. They still rank in the top three defenses in the NFL.
The next game was coming, the big test for Rush, the Rams. The Super Bowl defending champions would be playing at their stadium against Rush and the Cowboys. This was a game that seemed to be a sure loss for the Cowboys. Once again, the impossible happens as the Cowboys win again with an impressive defensive performance. 22-10 was the final score.
Cooper Rush was now 5-0 as a starting QB. Just 4 weeks ago Cowboy fans were saying that the season was over already, and yet here we are with a 4-1 record and mega wins against top opponents. The next game, however, will be an even bigger one than any other this year.
It's hard to top wins against the Bengals and Rams, but what about the 5-0 Eagles? This rivalry game was a battle throughout the whole game, while the Cowboys tried hard, Cooper Rush would walk away with his first loss as a starter. 26-17 was the final score and the Eagles remained a perfect team record.
As Dak now had a healthy thumb, Dallas had to make a decision. Bench Cooper and start Dak, or vice versa? While on one end you have a QB that is winning just because of his leadership and accuracy, you also have a QB with more experience and is getting paid more. Dallas concluded by starting Dak against the Detroit Lions. This made some fans mad but made some relieved that Dak would get his starting job back.
After this act, many people looked away from Cooper and started to focus back on Dak Prescott as the Lions came to town. While the first half was rough, Dak and the Cowboys came through with a 24-6 win against the Lions.
The Dallas Cowboys are now 5-2. After thinking the season was over, having a heroic backup step up, to now looking forward to a much easier schedule, the Cowboys have been on a rollercoaster of emotions. This year has been tough, but throughout it all, the Cowboys still have a decent shot at going to the Play-offs.
The next half of the season should be great for the Cowboys, as the schedule is much easier from here on out. An eventful and amazing start to the season for the Cowboys. Let's see what else they can do as the year goes on.
