Cowboys - Confidence is still there with QB Cooper Rush - ESPN

FRISCO, Texas — Once again, the Dallas Cowboys turn their hopes to Cooper Rush.

In 2022, Dak Prescott suffered a broken right thumb in a dispiriting opening day loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and all Rush did was help keep the Cowboys' season afloat, going 4-1 as the starter.

This time, Prescott is out for an extended period of time because of a partial avulsion of his right hamstring, but now Rush is needed to turn around a season that has been nothing short of a major disappointment with a 3-5 record, beginning Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium.

«I mean we're just trying to beat Philly.» Rush said. «That's kind of our approach this week. Got to take them one at a time. It's a cliché but it works. And so that's kind of the goal and you're really just taking it practice by practice, game by game and we'll see what happens.»

In six starts, Rush has seven touchdown passes and four interceptions. For his career, he has completed 165 of 275 passes for 1,786 yards with nine touchdowns and six interceptions.

He knows not to try to be Prescott.

«You play a ton of ball in college, it's stuff you've been doing your whole life, trust who you are and the system is the system,» Rush said. «You do what you're supposed to do. You do what you're coached to do.»

Throughout the week, teammates on both sides of the ball have expressed faith in Rush.

«I still believe we can make a run. I've seen what Cooper Rush can do,» said edge rusher Micah Parsons, who is expected to return from his monthlong absence due to a high left ankle sprain. «That's a good boy right there. Cooper Rush got a lot of talent. He won games for us by just doing the basics, just playing good football. So it's not like he can't do it.»

Said wide