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FRISCO, Texas — When it Raynes, it pours. Already struggling to score touchdowns in 2024, and owners of a 3-5 record, the Dallas Cowboys find themselves facing the reality that All-Pro quarterback Dak Prescott will likely miss a significant amount of time going forward with a severe hamstring injury — thrusting Cooper Rush and Trey Lance onto center stage.
And possibly for far longer than four weeks.
It's a team averaging only 21.4 points per game (20th in the NFL) and a chunk of those belong to All-Pro kicker Brandon Aubrey, and not the offense itself. Adding insult to literal injury is the fact CeeDee Lamb is now trying to manage what's described as a sprained AC joint in his shoulder going forward, meaning one of the best in the league at his position is less than 100 percent.
With the Philadelphia Eagles bearing down on the Cowboys with the goal of breaking their will permanently, it's time for Dallas to batten down the hatches.
But what exactly does that mean?
In my opinion, it means it's time to unleash Lance in this offense.
Hear me out on this, if you would.
Rush has more than proven capable of keeping the Cowboys in games, evidenced by his 5-1 record in the previous two stretches wherein Prescott was sidelined by injury. Hell, his 2022 stretch was so impressive in proving people wrong and helping to keep the season on the rails that it led me to dedicate an entire Science Lab column to him as a "thank you" for his service.
You can read that by tapping this blue line.
So when it comes to my belief in Rush, just know it's stratospherically high. And yet, that being said, I'm having a difficult time — nearly impossible, actually — fathoming his ability solely being enough to carry the Cowboys out of their tailspin during the back end of this season, because things are markedly different in 2024 than they were in 2022.
Two seasons ago, Rush didn't have to take a bunch of risks with his arm because he had an offensive line in front of him that didn't consistently allow a lot of pressure and a defensive counterpart that led the league in takeaways and in pass rush disruptions.
Neither of those things are true through eight games this season.
Even when Prescott and Lamb were fully healthy, present and accounted for, it's an offense that has ranked at or near the bottom of the league's barrel in several key categories and consistently struggled to produce touchdowns in the red zone. The offense is also ranked 32nd in the league in rushing yards (656) and 31st in rushing yards per attempt (3.8).
You know who can help in that regard?
Say it with me: Trey Lance.
To that point, Lance has more rushing yards in his three preseason outings than every single running back on the roster has through eight regular season games, save for Rico Dowdle, who has been the one lighthouse in an otherwise dark storm of unproductivity. Operating behind a struggling offensive line could spell disaster for Rush, as it often did for Prescott, the latter having been sacked a total of 21 times through Week 9.
For contrast, Prescott was sacked only 20 times over the entire 2022 season, and Rush was sacked just seven times in his five games that year — an average of 1.4 times per contest.
As it stands, the Cowboys' offensive line is allowing nearly three sacks per game.
Three.
Using Lance in certain packages will ensure the Eagles' defensive front, one of the most visceral in the NFL and that excels at getting pressure from every spot on their defensive line, avoids pinning its ears back to swoop in every other play for the killshot. Visions of Lance in read options that must be honored because of his speed dance in my head and along with some designed runs, could send a surge of electricity into the Cowboys' offense.
This would be especially true in the red zone, where the woes are many.
Pass me the canvas and brushes for a moment and allow me to paint a picture for you.
Imagine a red zone play that sees Lance run an option play on one visit, making the linebacker (Nolan Smith, Nakobe Dean) honor him with indecisiveness and, in that split second, a first down or touchdown is delivered.
Now imagine a subsequent visit with an option play but, this time, Lance tucks it and runs himself; or he tucks it and, once the linebackers and defensive backs crash down to stop him, Lance throws it to a wide open Jake Ferguson (or any of his likely options in that scenario).
Do you smelllllllllll what The Rock is cooking?
Granted, what you're gaining with those packages, you're losing by way of downfield accuracy and the "I've seen it all before" veteran IQ that Rush possesses, but that's football. And going solely with Rush, with zero packages for Lance, carries an insanely high level of risk as well — e.g., less mobile in a pocket that has been a danger zone when Prescott was standing in it.
It's risk versus reward, at all times.
Mitigating the risk by combining the talents of both Rush and Lance feels like the perfect medicine here to try and climb to a 4-5 record and maybe, just maybe, give themselves a fighting chance at backing their way into the playoffs where, maybe, just maybe, Prescott will be available and (even then) I'd say keep the Lance variable alive and well.
And do I need to remind you that the Cowboys are eating a cap hit for Lance of $5.3 million ($311,764 per game in 2024) and still have no clue if he's a viable QB2 candidate in Dallas for the 2025 season? Lest ye forget, they also gave up a fourth-round pick for him, one that might've turned into an impact rookie running back if it were still in their pocket this past April.
Playing him now, when the opportunity has finally presented itself, feels like a no-brainer for as many reasons as you and I could possibly conjure.
Lastly, McCarthy continues to say it's reps he needs to take the next step in his development.
Well, give him some, and before it's too late — in all the ways.
