FRISCO, Texas — Dak Prescott won’t take the field again for the Dallas Cowboys for quite some time, sidelined with a severe hamstring injury, and that means the keys to the driver's seat will be tossed to Cooper Rush for the first time he went 4-1 in the absence of Prescott in 2022.
The veteran quarterback has drawn plenty of praise from coaching staff and players alike for his consistent ability to step in and help deliver wins in the face of adversity, but it's also true that, this time around, he'll be tested like never before.
Forever the definition of even keel, however, Rush isn't changing his process.
"The time [I put in] is pretty much the same," he said ahead of his matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, the team that handed him the lone loss on his record. "The week-to-week process is pretty much the same. I mean, in practice, you're obviously getting more reps, doing more things, but it's exciting. This is why you work.
"This is why you prepare to go and start. … The more games you play, the more reps you bank, put in your library, you draw on those. So, I feel confident in that. Been around here for a while, and played with a lot of these guys before, which is huge when you're out there with live bullets.
"Trusting those guys and being out there before with them is big."
One of those guys is CeeDee Lamb and, for his part, there's an echoing of the confidence being heaped upon Rush by others.
The two have also begun doing work after work, despite the All-Pro receiver battling a sprained AC joint in his shoulder suffered during the Week 9 battle in Atlanta against the Falcons.
"Obviously, we've connected," Lamb said. "We've taken a lot of reps outside of practice — just talking, communicating, and getting on the same page. I feel like that's very important with the situation that's coming up. I'm happy for him.
"We know what Coop can do. The confidence is still there. Just stand in there and deliver."
What makes for an added challenge to what Rush will try and achieve over the next several weeks is the fact things in 2024 are not what they were when he took the reins in 2022, and that includes the fact the Cowboys currently have a 3-5 record and no wins at home entering their fourth matchup at home this coming Sunday against the high-powered Eagles.
So, to put it plainly, whereas Rush was tasked with keeping the 2022 season on the rails, he's now tasked with helping to put the 2024 season back on track, and before the tailspin becomes a crash.
His approach, as noted above, will remain the same, though.
Because, again, even keel.
"Yeah, I mean we're just trying to beat Philly," he said. "I mean it's kind of our approach this week. You've got to take 'em one at a time. It's a cliche, but it works. And, so, that's kind of the goal.
"You're just really taking it practice by practice, game by game and we'll see what happens."
