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Cooper Rush steps up again just when you thought all Cowboys’ hope was lost: Morning After
By Bob Sturm
3h ago
You certainly didn’t see this coming, right?
It was a tough week around these parts. Gloom-and-doom season arrived early in Dallas in 2022. Usually, we reserve the right to the deep depression state of the season to hit after the bye week and a misleading start.
The prospect of staying in this season long enough to be relevant by the bye week was fleeting quickly. But, to the credit of the Dallas Cowboys — backup QB and all — they stayed in long enough to actually play the game against the Cincinnati Bengals rather than a full-fledged mid-week concession and surrender.
The beauty of this game is that it wasn’t a smash-and-grab heist. It may have felt that way to many because, for three hours, most observers might have felt the defending AFC champions were playing with their food before the ultimate conclusion of getting their win and getting out of town. But look at this contest from any angle you would like. Dallas outgained the Bengals comfortably. They outran the Bengals and outpassed them, too.
In fact, the Bengals’ day was supported by a number of very touchy penalties that kept drives alive. We now know, without any doubt, that touching the QB when he runs and attempts to get down is not allowed. Even when it looks pretty tame. Don’t do it. Also, don’t commit a penalty on a punt.
With all of that firepower, Cincinnati was able to get to 3.8 yards per play. If that number sounds familiar, it is because it is the precise number that the Dallas offense produced last week against Tampa Bay — 3.8 yards would easily be the worst in the league over any sample of time.
And yet, the Bengals, with a cast of characters that make most of the league envious, were unable to accomplish much of anything against Dan Quinn’s defense. In fact, if you take the soul-killing drive of the fourth quarter out of the mix, the entirety of the Bengals’ offensive day was easily the “best-case scenario” of what this defense can accomplish.
The pass rush was ferocious and it wasn’t all about Micah Parsons. Don’t be deceived, it was still plenty about Parsons, but full credit must go to his friends who also got into the mix. This was a full attack at impressive strength. The Cowboys were not willing to allow Joe Burrow to get comfortable all day.
Let’s circle back to that in just a moment.
Because, to be fair, I owe a very sizable “Mea Culpa” before we go on to the guy who was probably the top star of the show Sunday.
There is a reason that this game was thought to be very one-sided in the buildup and it basically came down to the quarterback. This space, like every space should, spends an awful lot of time discussing QB play because there is really nothing like it. On Sundays, we see how this position — when played well — can be the great equalizer for many other spots on the field. It is what separates the NFL from what college football is on Saturdays. College QBs, even the good ones, make the position look so difficult most of the time.
While I beg forgiveness for my very tepid reviews of the Cooper Rush catalog all of these years since he came into our lives in 2017, it is time to walk it back. The Cowboys have received amazing wins from Rush now in consecutive seasons which both required drives late in the game to go get a win. These are the standards placed on starting QBs who receive a few million dollars per start, so you can bet that is a high bar for a backup QB who is thought to have a limited skill set.
In both games — last year at Minnesota and Sunday — against teams that were favored, Rush made plays. He was decisive. He was composed. He showed poise and a fine understanding of what was expected of him. And when it was time to lock in and make a downfield throw, he put the ball on his guy. It wasn’t perfect and there were a few plays when he needed a friendly bounce or result. But, doggone, for the second time in two seasons, when called upon by his team in a bad spot, he delivered.
Both times, by the way, I had significant doubts and was upset that the team did not do more to address its backup QB spot. If we are going to bluster on that this team disagreed with our assessment and complain when something blows up in its face, I think the same should be true when the Cowboys appear to be smarter than your average guy with a laptop.
At worst, Rush is definitely a decent backup QB who has shown multiple times that he can put this team in a position to win in a short-term situation. That is a significant departure from me saying this team was ill-prepared to play without Dak Prescott. … especially in light of what I wrote one week ago about this team playing playoff teams at home and falling on its face offensively. That did not happen Sunday and we must credit Rush for being capable of far more than the bare minimum.
I would not sit here and suggest that he is likely to keep doing this over and over as teams get an understanding of what he can do and what he wants to accomplish, but two wins and two late game-winning drives should secure the place in Cowboys lore a bit and get many of us to pipe down as we complain about Dallas not doing anything to address backup QB. Dallas clearly values a guy who knows the offense as well as possible and can make plays at times. Rush appears to know what plays to avoid that lead to game-crushing results. These are two very important attributes of his position. Rush doing what he did to set up that game-winning field goal was absolutely season-altering. He needed to put a drive together at that moment of truth and he did. So, credit to all involved — specifically, the guy who had to look adversity in the face and deliver throws.
You deserve my most sincere mea culpa and I will no longer suggest Dallas has made a terrible mistake not upgrading from you. Rush has made his point and then made it again to prove it wasn’t a fluke.
But, it took a village Sunday, and man there are some great things to discuss. First, to Kellen Moore and the coaching staff, we credit them for not allowing themselves to get too conservative for most of the game. They needed to put the risk slider a bit higher than most would want and that is why their trust in Rush is so vital. They went for it on fourth-and-2 from their own 44 in the first quarter. You may recall that first drive was when they tried a trick play last week and it backfired. To roll the dice early in the game would have been deemed foolish if this also blew up in their face. Instead, Rush delivered a strike to Noah Brown, who made a nice adjustment to grab the pass. Rush might have wanted a better throw, but DJ Reader had whooped Matt Farniok so badly that Rush had to make the throw while getting smacked by a defensive tackle on the move. Not easy, but both players who have not been credited much needed to make a play to alter the game. The coaching staff needs to be credited for empowering them to do so. If you coach scared there, that is an easy punt decision and it sets the tone for a game that you might not be able to win — unless you show courage in the face of adversity.
And that type of mindset is what probably put the Cowboys in a position to win the game.
For Brown to make plays as he has demonstrated that he is more than a blocking TE. He is a receiver who perhaps hasn’t been given enough chance to make plays on the field. Dallas stuck with him — just like Rush — and Sunday is probably not possible without Noah catching all five targets thrown his way for team-best 91 yards.
They aren’t alone. Let’s look at some other names that stepped up.
• Tony Pollard added that juice we knew he could and would. If the Cowboys are finally pushing his touches way up the board — nine rushes and seven targets is 16 plays when they wanted No. 20 to show his ability — then I think we will see more explosion. We know this has to be about him and CeeDee Lamb this year. Sunday showed why.
• KaVontae Turpin got his chance and was inserted into the offense mostly as a decoy. But, his job on two punt returns should not be undersold. Both times he returned a punt he did so with great intent and set up important drives with great starting field position. Once before halftime and once on the game-winning drive. To see a player even give you 10 more yards up the field when your offense is wobbly, means a lot.
• If we may go one play before Turpin’s big punt return to start the final drive, I may also point out that Trevon Diggs takes a lot of grief for what he can’t do. It seems like a habit to not focus on what he does very well because he is not the world-class (and willing) tackler some want in a corner. Again, my cup of tea wants more of an edge, but find a bigger tackle on Sunday than what he did to Tyler Boyd on a vital third-and-3 with 1:14 left in the game. When everyone expected another Burrow moment, Diggs stopped Boyd at the Bengals’ 16 and forced a punt with 1:09 left in the game.
• What about Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler getting to Burrow so much? What about Sam Williams and Quinton Bohanna? These four all made impressive plays against that Bengals offensive line that might get overshadowed because they play with the ridiculous Parsons, but let’s shout them out. This defensive line reminds me a bit of those Giants’ groups back in the day that had eight guys who could keep rotating for best results. The Cowboys have bodies and if they can all do a little, the group will do a lot.
• And Brett Maher. Wow. For Maher to hit a 54-yarder at the end of the half and a 50-yarder at the end of the game seems impossible if you recall how his career ended last time around with the Cowboys in 2019. The head shakes and puzzled reactions when Dallas decided to start 2022 with this previously failed kicker were everywhere. But, they believed this wasn’t the same guy they released and were proven right when he won this game from deep. It’s another great story.
We will evaluate the offensive line plenty Tuesday, but the general review was that the pass protection held up. Again, given how this all felt a week ago, the thrill of victory is an unexpected treat.
The conclusions we can draw from this game may also only last a week, but with each game played, it is clear that Parsons can be one of the best players in the NFL any given week. It is also clear that Dallas wants him playing edge all the time. That might cost him a few snaps, but there is no question where he can wreck games more. The Cowboys are pushing him into the backfield with regularity that just makes sense. With him, we are getting close to “I have never seen anything like this guy” territory. It is a pleasure to watch him work.
This was a total team effort and the margins were slim. It was far from perfect, but it was the type of win where you appreciate how many players it takes to get it done. Even then, with all of that working, it was a game of inches.
This is what we wanted from this team and coaching staff. Be courageous and be ready to take advantage of any opportunity to steal some wins and buy your guys time to heal.
The Cowboys did that. Now, let’s see if they can do it again in New York.
By Bob Sturm
3h ago
You certainly didn’t see this coming, right?
It was a tough week around these parts. Gloom-and-doom season arrived early in Dallas in 2022. Usually, we reserve the right to the deep depression state of the season to hit after the bye week and a misleading start.
The prospect of staying in this season long enough to be relevant by the bye week was fleeting quickly. But, to the credit of the Dallas Cowboys — backup QB and all — they stayed in long enough to actually play the game against the Cincinnati Bengals rather than a full-fledged mid-week concession and surrender.
The beauty of this game is that it wasn’t a smash-and-grab heist. It may have felt that way to many because, for three hours, most observers might have felt the defending AFC champions were playing with their food before the ultimate conclusion of getting their win and getting out of town. But look at this contest from any angle you would like. Dallas outgained the Bengals comfortably. They outran the Bengals and outpassed them, too.
In fact, the Bengals’ day was supported by a number of very touchy penalties that kept drives alive. We now know, without any doubt, that touching the QB when he runs and attempts to get down is not allowed. Even when it looks pretty tame. Don’t do it. Also, don’t commit a penalty on a punt.
With all of that firepower, Cincinnati was able to get to 3.8 yards per play. If that number sounds familiar, it is because it is the precise number that the Dallas offense produced last week against Tampa Bay — 3.8 yards would easily be the worst in the league over any sample of time.
And yet, the Bengals, with a cast of characters that make most of the league envious, were unable to accomplish much of anything against Dan Quinn’s defense. In fact, if you take the soul-killing drive of the fourth quarter out of the mix, the entirety of the Bengals’ offensive day was easily the “best-case scenario” of what this defense can accomplish.
The pass rush was ferocious and it wasn’t all about Micah Parsons. Don’t be deceived, it was still plenty about Parsons, but full credit must go to his friends who also got into the mix. This was a full attack at impressive strength. The Cowboys were not willing to allow Joe Burrow to get comfortable all day.
Let’s circle back to that in just a moment.
Because, to be fair, I owe a very sizable “Mea Culpa” before we go on to the guy who was probably the top star of the show Sunday.
There is a reason that this game was thought to be very one-sided in the buildup and it basically came down to the quarterback. This space, like every space should, spends an awful lot of time discussing QB play because there is really nothing like it. On Sundays, we see how this position — when played well — can be the great equalizer for many other spots on the field. It is what separates the NFL from what college football is on Saturdays. College QBs, even the good ones, make the position look so difficult most of the time.
While I beg forgiveness for my very tepid reviews of the Cooper Rush catalog all of these years since he came into our lives in 2017, it is time to walk it back. The Cowboys have received amazing wins from Rush now in consecutive seasons which both required drives late in the game to go get a win. These are the standards placed on starting QBs who receive a few million dollars per start, so you can bet that is a high bar for a backup QB who is thought to have a limited skill set.
In both games — last year at Minnesota and Sunday — against teams that were favored, Rush made plays. He was decisive. He was composed. He showed poise and a fine understanding of what was expected of him. And when it was time to lock in and make a downfield throw, he put the ball on his guy. It wasn’t perfect and there were a few plays when he needed a friendly bounce or result. But, doggone, for the second time in two seasons, when called upon by his team in a bad spot, he delivered.
Both times, by the way, I had significant doubts and was upset that the team did not do more to address its backup QB spot. If we are going to bluster on that this team disagreed with our assessment and complain when something blows up in its face, I think the same should be true when the Cowboys appear to be smarter than your average guy with a laptop.
At worst, Rush is definitely a decent backup QB who has shown multiple times that he can put this team in a position to win in a short-term situation. That is a significant departure from me saying this team was ill-prepared to play without Dak Prescott. … especially in light of what I wrote one week ago about this team playing playoff teams at home and falling on its face offensively. That did not happen Sunday and we must credit Rush for being capable of far more than the bare minimum.
I would not sit here and suggest that he is likely to keep doing this over and over as teams get an understanding of what he can do and what he wants to accomplish, but two wins and two late game-winning drives should secure the place in Cowboys lore a bit and get many of us to pipe down as we complain about Dallas not doing anything to address backup QB. Dallas clearly values a guy who knows the offense as well as possible and can make plays at times. Rush appears to know what plays to avoid that lead to game-crushing results. These are two very important attributes of his position. Rush doing what he did to set up that game-winning field goal was absolutely season-altering. He needed to put a drive together at that moment of truth and he did. So, credit to all involved — specifically, the guy who had to look adversity in the face and deliver throws.
You deserve my most sincere mea culpa and I will no longer suggest Dallas has made a terrible mistake not upgrading from you. Rush has made his point and then made it again to prove it wasn’t a fluke.
But, it took a village Sunday, and man there are some great things to discuss. First, to Kellen Moore and the coaching staff, we credit them for not allowing themselves to get too conservative for most of the game. They needed to put the risk slider a bit higher than most would want and that is why their trust in Rush is so vital. They went for it on fourth-and-2 from their own 44 in the first quarter. You may recall that first drive was when they tried a trick play last week and it backfired. To roll the dice early in the game would have been deemed foolish if this also blew up in their face. Instead, Rush delivered a strike to Noah Brown, who made a nice adjustment to grab the pass. Rush might have wanted a better throw, but DJ Reader had whooped Matt Farniok so badly that Rush had to make the throw while getting smacked by a defensive tackle on the move. Not easy, but both players who have not been credited much needed to make a play to alter the game. The coaching staff needs to be credited for empowering them to do so. If you coach scared there, that is an easy punt decision and it sets the tone for a game that you might not be able to win — unless you show courage in the face of adversity.
And that type of mindset is what probably put the Cowboys in a position to win the game.
For Brown to make plays as he has demonstrated that he is more than a blocking TE. He is a receiver who perhaps hasn’t been given enough chance to make plays on the field. Dallas stuck with him — just like Rush — and Sunday is probably not possible without Noah catching all five targets thrown his way for team-best 91 yards.
They aren’t alone. Let’s look at some other names that stepped up.
• Tony Pollard added that juice we knew he could and would. If the Cowboys are finally pushing his touches way up the board — nine rushes and seven targets is 16 plays when they wanted No. 20 to show his ability — then I think we will see more explosion. We know this has to be about him and CeeDee Lamb this year. Sunday showed why.
• KaVontae Turpin got his chance and was inserted into the offense mostly as a decoy. But, his job on two punt returns should not be undersold. Both times he returned a punt he did so with great intent and set up important drives with great starting field position. Once before halftime and once on the game-winning drive. To see a player even give you 10 more yards up the field when your offense is wobbly, means a lot.
• If we may go one play before Turpin’s big punt return to start the final drive, I may also point out that Trevon Diggs takes a lot of grief for what he can’t do. It seems like a habit to not focus on what he does very well because he is not the world-class (and willing) tackler some want in a corner. Again, my cup of tea wants more of an edge, but find a bigger tackle on Sunday than what he did to Tyler Boyd on a vital third-and-3 with 1:14 left in the game. When everyone expected another Burrow moment, Diggs stopped Boyd at the Bengals’ 16 and forced a punt with 1:09 left in the game.
• What about Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler getting to Burrow so much? What about Sam Williams and Quinton Bohanna? These four all made impressive plays against that Bengals offensive line that might get overshadowed because they play with the ridiculous Parsons, but let’s shout them out. This defensive line reminds me a bit of those Giants’ groups back in the day that had eight guys who could keep rotating for best results. The Cowboys have bodies and if they can all do a little, the group will do a lot.
• And Brett Maher. Wow. For Maher to hit a 54-yarder at the end of the half and a 50-yarder at the end of the game seems impossible if you recall how his career ended last time around with the Cowboys in 2019. The head shakes and puzzled reactions when Dallas decided to start 2022 with this previously failed kicker were everywhere. But, they believed this wasn’t the same guy they released and were proven right when he won this game from deep. It’s another great story.
We will evaluate the offensive line plenty Tuesday, but the general review was that the pass protection held up. Again, given how this all felt a week ago, the thrill of victory is an unexpected treat.
The conclusions we can draw from this game may also only last a week, but with each game played, it is clear that Parsons can be one of the best players in the NFL any given week. It is also clear that Dallas wants him playing edge all the time. That might cost him a few snaps, but there is no question where he can wreck games more. The Cowboys are pushing him into the backfield with regularity that just makes sense. With him, we are getting close to “I have never seen anything like this guy” territory. It is a pleasure to watch him work.
This was a total team effort and the margins were slim. It was far from perfect, but it was the type of win where you appreciate how many players it takes to get it done. Even then, with all of that working, it was a game of inches.
This is what we wanted from this team and coaching staff. Be courageous and be ready to take advantage of any opportunity to steal some wins and buy your guys time to heal.
The Cowboys did that. Now, let’s see if they can do it again in New York.
