The Dallas Cowboys are expressing some regrets about the way they handled the quarterback situation on Monday at AT&T Stadium as they fell 34-10 to the Houston Texans.
The loss marked the Cowboys’ fifth straight home defeat, each by 20 or more points, setting a woeful NFL record. Struggles in the red zone and costly errors plagued Dallas throughout the game, extending their difficult season. … and of course, part of the problem is the injury absence of MVP quaterback Dak Prescott, who is out for the year.
In his place, Dallas started veteran journeyman Cooper Rush and had unproven third-stringer Trey Lance behind him. After the game, coach Mike McCarthy said his one regret was failing to insert Lance into the game at the end for some mop-up duty.
“I think the one thing I should have done at the end that I didn’t do was put Trey in there,” McCarthy said. “I could have got him a series. That’s one thing I second-guess myself on.”
But on Tuesday, with an opportunity to consider a change of direction for this 3-7 team going nowhere, the Cowboys passed … with McCarthy announcing that Rush will again be the No. 1 guy this Sunday at Washington. (Lance will have a “package” of plays, the coach said … which is the same line the team has been spewing since Dak got hurt.)
Anybody disputing that decision isn’t necessarily “blaming” Rush … though he himself is giving himself a rough grade for his work.
Indeed, the night’s low point came in the fourth quarter. With the Cowboys trailing 27-10, quarterback Rush fumbled under pressure, and rookie lineman Tyler Guyton attempted to recover but also lost the ball. The Texans scooped it up and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown, sealing Dallas’ fate.
Rush, who finished the game 32-of-55 for 354 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, didn’t shy away from taking accountability after the game.
“We got to get the ball in the end zone. We keep shooting ourselves in the foot,” Rush said. “I had a couple of chances there in the second half especially that we just didn’t punch it in. Starts with me. I missed a couple of throws, dropped a snap. Opportunities like that versus a good football team, you can’t blow it like that.”
Rush will get another opportunity against another good football team on Sunday as the Commanders await at 7-4.
