The calls are coming in. Cooper Rush should be the Cowboys backup quarterback.
The undrafted rookie out of Central Michigan is definitely making a case for that spot on the roster. He was 9-of-11 with a touchdown pass in the Cowboys 13-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams Saturday night. Despite the loss, he outshined the current backup quarterback, Kellen Moore.
While the stock continues to rise for Rush, Moore did not have a great showing against the Rams. He played the entire first half, passing for 69 yards with his longest completion being 15 yards. In the previous week against the Arizona Cardinals in the Hall of Fame game, Moore was 12-of-17 for 182 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
With the Cowboys trailing the Rams 7-3 at the half, it soon became time for Rush. The undrafted quarterback completed his first eight passes in the second half and led the touchdown drive. In the Hall of Fame game against the Cardinals, he threw for 87 yards in 18 pass attempts and a touchdown.
Now before everyone jumps on the Cooper Rush bandwagon, keep in mind that he’s facing anywhere from second to fourth string defenses in these preseason games, so let’s hold off on the Ring of Honor ceremony for right now. But Rush has shown he has the poise to an NFL quarterback.
“Cooper does a nice job when he goes in there,” head coach Jason Garrett said after the game. “He understands what we’re asking him to do, makes good decisions and made some good throws tonight.”
A very impressive moment for Rush was the touchdown pass to Rico Gathers against the Rams. You can’t throw the ball any better than that, leading the big tight end in stride and not giving the defense a chance to disrupt.
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Around this time last year, the Cowboys had another third-string quarterback walk into the L.A. Coliseum and put on a show. That quarterback was named Dak Prescott. The combination of Prescott with Rush as the backup is sounding pretty sweet to Cowboys nation.
So the million dollar question is – should Rush be the No. 2 quarterback behind Prescott? The chances are highly unlikely, at least for right now. Moore was expected to be the backup last year to Tony Romo before a leg injury during training camp canceled out his season. The Cowboys have confidence in Moore for that role, despite what the fans might think, and thank hasn’t appeared to change in management’s eyes.
Of course, things can always change in a moment’s notice, as we witnessed a year ago when the Period of Prescott began to develop. Rush will continue to have his chance to make a case to be the next in line as training camp roles on. You never know what tomorrow might bring.
“I just think the biggest thing for these guys is that they have an opportunity each and every day,” Garrett said. “
