Cooper Rush is the rare backup quarterback who plays better in the regular season than in the preseason.
As a preseason NFL quarterback, Rush plays like the guy you think should be cut before the game ends.
As a regular-season NFL quarterback, Rush plays like a decent backup who can win you a game or two.
Rush improved to 2-0 as a starting NFL quarterback, and both the Dallas Cowboys and their offensive coordinator are saved for another week.
The Dallas Cowboys upset the defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at AT&T Stadium, 20-17.
Cowboys kicker Brett “Money” Maher hit a walk off, 55-yard game winning field goal, into the sun.
No one on the Cowboys needed this more than offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, whose status as a promising future NFL head coach has been replaced by a man who looked like he would be a quarterbacks coach in the Sun Belt.
No disrespect to the Sun Belt. Appalachian State of the Sun Belt beat Texas A&M in Kyle Field two weeks ago.
On Sunday, the Cowboys were 7.5 point underdogs, and their defense emasculated a terrible Bengals offensive line that will soon send star quarterback Joe Burrow to the injured reserve if they’re not careful.
This isn’t about the Bengals.
This is about what the Cowboys did to the Bengals.
With starting quarterback Dak Prescott out for several more games, depending on what Jones you believe, they will ride with Rush.
The Cowboys didn’t bother to look on the streets for a veteran.
Rush knows the Cowboys, their offense. The Cowboys know Rush.
Specifically, Kellen Moore knows Rush. What he can do. And more specifically what he can’t do.
This week, head coach Mike McCarthy politely called out his offensive coordinator. Said his OC had to be a little bit more conservative with his play calling.
You can interpret this however you want; that McCarthy is putting the blame on Moore for the Cowboys’ pathetic season-opening performance against Tampa.
The one where they were the only team in the NFL’s opening weekend not to score a touchdown.
The Cowboys hit a field goal on their opening possession against Tampa, and never did reach the red zone.
Or, you can interpret McCarthy’s comments as a head coach who really doesn’t want to call plays. Maybe because he doesn’t want the extra burden, or to neuter his top assistant.
Or, you can interpret McCarthy’s comments as a head coach who doesn’t know the plays well enough to call them.
Whatever the case, Moore didn’t try to be the adorable, genius offensive mind against the Bengals.
The first 10 to 15 plays against the Bengals, which are scripted, were ideal for the backup quarterback. Maybe a starting quarterback, too.
Nothing was too sophisticated, or demanding.
“Kellen was on it tonight,” Rush said after the game. “He got us into a rythym.”
There was the early decision to go for it on 4th-and-2 from their own side of the field, and it worked.
“We felt good about it and it was a very easy decision,” McCarthy said.
Moore involved running back Tony Pollard, who caught four passes for 55 yards, and ran it nine times for 43 yards with a touchdown.
CeeDee Lamb caught seven passes for 75 yards.
Rush finished 19 of 31 passing for 235 yards with a touchdown. Now, he did have three passes in there that could have been intercepted, but it didn’t happen.
The Cowboys took a 17-3 halftime lead, and then basically hung on.
“The second half was a different story,” McCarthy said. “This was an excellent win for us.”
It can’t be said strongly enough how much the Cowboys defense, and specifically an awful Bengals offensive line, played in the Cowboys building this lead. The Cowboys sacked Burrow six times.
The Bengals tied it late, but the Cowboys won this game.
Cooper Rush won this game.
Kellen Moore won this game.
They all needed it, none more than the offensive coordinator who had been called out.
