The Dallas Cowboys entered Sunday’s clash with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers facing the harsh reality that their playoff aspirations were on life support. But somebody forgot to tell backup quarterback Cooper Rush, who came out firing and staked the ‘Boys to an early 10-0 lead courtesy of a picture-perfect 11-yard touchdown toss to rookie wide receiver Jalen Tolbert.
Rush, fresh off the first three-TD performance of his NFL career in last week’s win over the Carolina Panthers, picked up right where he left off. After the Dallas defense forced a quick three-and-out, Rush engineered an impressive 52-yard scoring drive that featured some creative play-calling and ended with the type of precision throw that’s quickly becoming his trademark.
Rush Hour in Dallas
The key play saw the Cowboys empty the backfield and spread Tampa’s defense thin. With the Bucs keying on star wideout CeeDee Lamb, Rush exploited the mismatch of Tolbert on linebacker Lavonte David. Rush lofted a beautiful touch pass over David’s shoulder and Tolbert did the rest, tap-dancing his feet in the back of the end zone for the score.
Cooper Rush throws an absolute DIME to Jalen Tolbert, who gets the feet in for the TD!
– NFL Twitter account on the scoring play
It was Tolbert’s team-leading sixth receiving touchdown on the season, an impressive feat for the third-round pick out of South Alabama. More importantly, it gave Dallas the early lead and a jolt of momentum in a game they desperately need to keep their fading playoff hopes alive.
Rush to Judgment
The strong start was a carryover from Rush’s stellar outing against the Panthers, which seemingly solidified his grip on the QB1 job for the remainder of the season. The undrafted veteran has performed admirably in place of the injured Dak Prescott, compiling a 6-1 record as the starter dating back to last season.
On the opening touchdown march, Rush completed eight of his nine attempts for 60 yards. The one misfire was a well-diagnosed screen pass he alertly threw away under duress. It’s that type of heady decision-making and accuracy that has endeared him to Cowboys fans and the coaching staff alike.
Playoff Implications Abound
Still, even with a victory over the Bucs, the Cowboys will need a lot of help to sneak into the postseason. The Washington Commanders’ upset of the Philadelphia Eagles earlier in the day dropped Dallas’ playoff odds to a meager 7% according to live projections.
- Current NFC East Standings
- Eagles: 14-3 (clinched division)
- Commanders: 8-8-1
- Giants: 8-8-1
- Cowboys: 7-9 (entering SNF)
As daunting as the odds might be, the Cowboys have no choice but to handle their own business and hope for a few holiday miracles. If they can take care of the GOAT Tom Brady and the Bucs on Sunday Night Football, Dallas would then need the following help in Week 18:
- A Commanders loss vs the Browns
- A Giants loss or tie vs the Vikings
- A Seahawks win vs the Jets
It’s a tall task to be sure, but crazier things have happened in the parity-driven NFL. And with Cooper Rush at the helm slinging darts, the Cowboys seem intent on riding this surge as far as it will take them. Next stop, the playoffs – if they can get there.
