GettyCowboys QB Trey Lance

The Cowboys are now 3-7 following the Monday night blowout loss at the hands of the Houston Texans. They are tied for 14th in the 16-team NFC, with only the 2-8 New York Giants below them. A seven-game winning streak to close out the 2024 season could, technically, rescue their playoff hopes, but that is a pretty big pipe dream.

According to NFL.com, they have the second-worst odds at earning a playoff spot in the conference, and even if they beat the Commanders on the road on Sunday, their postseason odds would sit at just 4%. A loss knocks them to well below 1%.

And yet, Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy keeps plugging along as though there is no choice in Dallas but to try to win out and get to the playoffs. Or, at least, to win out and spare his reputation, should he go seeking another job. Remember, McCarthy is in the final year of his contract and while it might make sense for Dallas to lose some games and boost the team’s draft spot for next April, that matters little to McCarthy.

He’s not going to be in Dallas in April. The Cowboys are all but certain to have a new coach then. So, expect McCarthy to be gung-ho about winning all he can before he gets the boot.

Cooper Rush Back as Cowboys Starter

With that in mind, it makes sense that McCarthy will turn back yet again to veteran Cooper Rush at quarterback, despite the fact that it makes oodles of sense for him to put untested 2021 No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance on the field. Star QB1 Dak Prescott is out for the year with a hamstring injury.

The Athletic reporter Jon Machota wrote on Twitter/X this week: “Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said Cooper Rush will again be the starter this week. But there will be a package for Trey Lance.”

Lance was acquired before the 2023 season for a fourth-round pick, but has made only one garbage-time appearance in two seasons for Dallas.

Cowboys ‘Deserve to Win’: Mike McCarthy

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, McCarthy was clearly trying to rally his troops, though the question of whether the troops want to be rallied is a valid one.

“This is it, man,” McCarthy said, via ESPN. “We’ve got seven losses. We gotta go. Backs against the wall. Gotta fight, claw, scratch. Gotta do everything we can to go win the next game. That’s where my mind’s at. That’s the way we coach and that’s the expectation.

“We gotta win. We deserve to win. We deserve the opportunity to win and that’s about putting the best people out there. Right now they’re young. Those guys, our young guys are getting a lot of experience. But we need to do whatever the [expletive] we need to do to win.”