Smoke was billowing out the proverbial chimney at The Star in Frisco, Texas on Tuesday as another sign emerged that the face of the franchise, Dak Prescott, is set to return to action in Week 7 against the Detroit Lions.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones seemingly confirmed his quarterback's plans to play this week on local station 105.3 The Fan.
"Let's just say this, he's [Prescott] determined to [play versus the Lions]," Jones said, via The Athletic. "We feel that physically, he's at a position that the risk/reward justifies him being out there, in terms of any recurrence of the injury. Set that off to the side, we don't have that to think about. So, it's a question of him getting ready, and he's going to be give every opportunity to this week to get ready to play. ... He had a very impressive throwing session before the game in Philadelphia. He just really [displayed] ball placement, throwing the ball with strength, spin, zip, really the whole repertoire of being able to throw that football. ...No one has spent more hours getting ready to play a football game than Dak."
Dallas has averaged 21.6 points per game with a 4-1 record during backup Cooper Rush's time at the controls of the Cowboys' offense since Week 2, ranking 19th in scoring in that span. However, Rush's limitations were showcased in the team's 26-17 loss at the Philadelphia Eagles, as he threw a career-high three interceptions and struggled to connect with No. 1 receiver CeeDee Lamb.
Cooper Rush’s 3rd interception of the night was such a gut punch. CeeDee Lamb was running wide open, but the Eagles’ pass rush prevented Rush from following through on his throw. From pay dirt to dagger in milliseconds. 🤬pic.twitter.com/BilwrbOlfZ
— Douglas Barricklow ✭ (@SirDouglas71) October 17, 2022
Cooper Rush's career stats as a starter
| First 5 Games | Week 6 at Eagles | |
|---|---|---|
W-L | 5-0 | L, 26-17 |
Pass Yards/Attempt | 7.6 | 4.8 |
TD-INT | 6-1 | 1-3 |
Passer Rating | 95.8 | 37.3 |
Even in practice a week ago, Lamb confirmed the progress Prescott has been making.
"Physically, he's got his power back," Lamb said on October 12th, via ESPN. "You feel it in every throw."
Dak's original timeline to return was a range of four-to-six weeks. Sunday will align with six weeks since he broke his thumb against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the season opener.
