Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has been out of action since suffering a fractured right thumb on opening night against the Bucs on September 11.
Wednesday and Thursday marked the first time he was able to throw to his receivers since the injury.
He did not officially participate in practice and was labeled as a DNP (did not practice) on Wednesday but was upgraded to limited for the first time since thumb surgery Thursday.
That doesn’t mean he took team snaps; he was in individual drills and threw passes for the second straight day.
He threw to receivers once practice concluded. CeeDee Lamb said Prescott got his power back, physically. “You could feel it in every throw.”
“I think so. … He’s shaking back, looking better than ever,” Lamb said when asked if he thought Prescott was close to returning.
Although a step in the right direction, Prescott is expected to miss his fifth straight game Sunday against Philadelphia; he was listed as questionable on Friday for the game this week.
Even with the status update, Head Coach Mike McCarthy told reporters he wants Prescott to have a whole week of practice before returning.
“We are preparing for Cooper Rush to start against the Eagles,” McCarthy said Wednesday.
Rush has performed well in place of Prescott, completing 61.9 percent of his passes for 775 yards, four touchdowns, and a 97.1 passer rating. Dallas is undefeated with Rush as its starting QB, avoiding the write-off everyone put upon them after Prescott got hurt in week one.
A big reason for Dallas’ success without Prescott has been its defense. The Cowboys allowed 14.4 points per game in their first five games, the team’s lowest mark through the first five weeks since 1994.
It would benefit everyone involved if they gave him a week to prep anyway. The Cowboys have had success with Rush starting in his absence, but make no mistake; the offense will probably need to be a bit better this week against Philly.
A nice setup is sitting for Prescott if he returns to action after this Sunday Night. The Cowboys’ next two games are at home against the two worst teams in the NFC North, the Lions, and the Bears.
Detroit is giving up a league-worst 34 PPG. While the Bears are averaging 135.8 passing yards this season, which is on pace to be the lowest by any team since 1980, the passing attack is 32nd in completions, 31st in pass yards, and 29th in touchdowns.
I like the Cowboys’ chances to be, at worst, 6-2 when they reach the bye in week 9; I expect Prescott to play in one of those last two games before the bye.
Dallas has been able to ride the wave without Prescott behind center, and I am hoping for nothing different when he returns. Run the football with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, and let the defense be great.
I commend Rush for his great job stepping in, but drives need to end in touchdowns at some point.
Time will tell when we see Prescott back on the field, but if I had to guess, it would come next week.