For any NFL fan, the sight of seeing your franchise quarterback go down with an injury is horrible.
So, when Cowboys QB Dak Prescott went down with a thumb injury last week, I was like any fan—and felt the season was over.
But I'm here today to provide some hope. Well, maybe.
Although the odds will be heavily stacked against the Cowboys with QB Cooper Rush at the helm, there are still ways the team can snag victories.
Whether it's the offense going run-heavy to take the pressure off Rush, the defense carrying the team, or Rush having those games where you are like: “Who is this guy, and why hasn't he played more?”—they can sneak a couple of victories.
So with that in mind, I'm looking at their next four-to-six games that Prescott is expected to be out—and predicting their record.
Enjoy.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cowboys host QB Joe Burrow and the Bengals in their first game without Prescott. Both teams are coming off losses, and I expect them to come out with energy.
On the Bengals side, they are coming off a head-scratcher loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. While Burrow did turn the ball over several times in Week One, I expect a different type of QB.
Their offense will be clicking on cylinders—and you could argue they're better than Tampa.
Their goal will be to take away the run game from the Boys and force Rush to beat them, so it will be interesting to see if the Boys can adjust.
Fans can expect them to score against the Bengals, but I don't see them beating a team who was just in the Super Bowl.
The team visits the Giants in Week Three, and they will be eager to get their first victory. On the Giants side, they may be entering this game 2-0, as they beat the Tennessee Titans in Week One and should knock off the lousy Carolina Panthers.
Before Prescott's injury, this was a game you would circle as a win. However, with a new face, there could be trouble.
But before fans freak out, I'm confident the team will find a way to get their first win, as the Giants still have QB Daniel Jones; and the Cowboys defense will take over this game.
It may be an ugly game—as most of their past division matchups have been wonky over the years—but the team feels good heading into Week Four.
Fresh off their first victory, the Boys return home to play another NFC East foe, the Washington Commanders.
Before this season, I picked the Commanders to finish 3rd in the NFC East, as they got an upgrade at QB, and their defense still has some talented guys.
One of the issues that could likely linger for the Cowboys into Week Four is the offensive line. And with the amount of talent the Commanders have on their defensive line—it could be a long game of three and outs.
In the end, the Cowboys score a bit, but they drop another against the Commanders. The drop-off between Rush and Prescott is evident, and until he comes back, some games won't be winnable.
Man, those pesky Rams. If you're like me every time you think of the Rams and Cowboys, the PI call between CB Jalen Ramsey and WR Michael Gallup replays in your mind.
While those two are likely to see each other again at some point during this game, the Rams will be highly favored with Prescott still out.
In the Rams first game, the whole world saw them look like a complete mess, but that was the first game; and against the Bills.
In this Week Five matchup, the Rams will likely be rolling and their high-powered offense may be too much for the Boys. Add-in the line has to somehow contain DT Aaron Donald, I think the main thing that will be entertaining to watch is Donald vs Micah Parsons.
To some, Parsons is on a path towards Donald stardom, so watching two elite defenders will be fun.
Even if Prescott was playing, this matchup doesn't bode well for the Boys. I'm going with another loss for the books and praying he can return against Philly.
While doctors said Prescott's timeline was likely six-to-eight weeks, according to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, he could play against the Eagles.
Based on my predictions for their record, they would be 1-4 entering this game, so this matchup will be crucial—as they would also be 1-1 in the division.
Although some fans won't admit it, the Eagles have a lot more talent on paper, and that's not being a Debbie-downer on the Cowboys.
The whole NFL world saw the Eagles front office make several moves to improve their team and now some people see them as SB contenders.
However, these games are always close every season, and I wouldn't expect anything different. To me, one of the biggest problems for the Eagles is QB Jalen Hurts.
A talented QB, but he hasn't shown defenses he can air it out, and his limited passing can affect their offense.
But with Prescott barely returning from injury, it's going to be hard for him to get back into rhythm, and enter an SNF game on the road.
It's a down-to-the-wire game, but the Cowboys end up pulling out a victory somehow, and head into the bye with a 2-4 record.
While 2-4 may not be nice and pretty, it's clear the team has holes, and they got to fix them if they want to make a playoff run.
And, if you try to convince me that the front office will make an effort to address those holes, I got some beach property to sell you in Idaho.
