NFC East

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones expressed confidence quarterback Cooper Rush can keep the team's offense afloat while Dak Prescott recovers from a thumb injury.

Jones discussed his expectations for the Cowboys following the QB change during an appearance Friday on KRLD's K&C Masterpiece (via the Dallas Morning News).

"First of all, I think Rush is up to the task of winning ball games for us, and I think he certainly has had a lot of experience in this offense," Jones said. "He and [offensive coordinator] Kellen Moore have been joined at the hip for a long time. So, I like who we're lining up out there to give us a start right there."

ESPN's Todd Archer reported the initial return timetable for Prescott, who underwent surgery Monday, was six to eight weeks, but Dallas hasn't placed him on injured reserve with hope he could return at some point within the next four games.

Jones reiterated Friday the Cowboys are focused on internal improvement while their franchise quarterback is sidelined. He explained that stance was solidified during a conversation with an unnamed NFL coach, who told him the "answer is from within."

"You got to do a little bit better," Jones said. "Everybody steps up and is a little bit better, and you realize at the end of the day that this was a team game and that everybody, all 40 of them, had to go out there and step their game up."

Rush has made 11 NFL appearances (one start) since the Cowboys signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He spent his first three years in Dallas (2017-19) before getting claimed off waivers by the New York Giants in May 2020. He returned to America's Team in October 2020.

The 28-year-old Michigan native has completed 38 of his 63 throws (60.3 percent) for 488 yards with three touchdowns and one interception in the NFL.

His only start came in Week 8 last season, when he threw for 325 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 20-16 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Rush said Thursday he thinks the unit is prepared for Sunday's home game against the reigning AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals.

"I think it's more about the teammates. All you do every day is want to earn their respect," Rush told reporters. "To go out there on Sunday, that's the best way to do it. Go play well. They have my respect. I think they respect me. I think we've got a good group. I think we're ready to roll."

The Cowboys and Bengals each lost in Week 1, so there's pressure on both sides to get back on the right track before digging too much of an early-season hole.

Dallas' hopes will rest heavily on Rush building off his strong performance last season, especially if Prescott ends up missing around two months.

Cincinnati Bengals star Ja'Marr Chase offered a scouting report for Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs ahead of Sunday's game between the two teams.

Speaking to reporters, Chase praised Diggs for having "great ball skills in the air" but noted "he's a little hit or miss" with technique.

Diggs was a breakout star last season because of his ability to get after the football. The 23-year-old led the league with 11 interceptions, tied for the most by any player in a single season since 1981 (Everson Walls).

All of those turnovers led to Diggs being named to the Pro Bowl and All-Pro first team, but there were reasons opposing quarterbacks kept attacking him.

Per ProFootballReference.com, Diggs was charged with allowing 907 yards and 16.8 yards per reception in coverage. He had a missed tackle rate of 16.1 percent.

Pro Football Focus (h/t K.D. Drummond of USA Today) ranked Diggs as the No. 36 overall cornerback by its grading metrics in 2021.

Things did look better for Diggs in the Cowboys' first game this season. He only allowed three catches for 33 yards on six targets. The Alabama alum was in coverage on Mike Evans' touchdown catch in the third quarter that gave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a 19-3 lead.

It's a small sample size that's hard to draw any big conclusions from, but Diggs certainly has tremendous skills that make him one of the most unique players in the NFL. He's got elite upside when everything is going right.

Sunday figures to be an excellent test of where Diggs' game is at right now, particularly when he's matched up with Chase. The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year had 129 yards and one touchdown on 10 catches in Week 1.

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters offensive coordinator Kellen Moore needs to be "smarter" with his play-calling.

McCarthy said he spent additional time with Moore this week following an abysmal outing in last week's 19-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Cowboys offense compiled just 244 yards of total offense and seemed out of sync from the opening snap. Moore strangely abandoned an effective Ezekiel Elliott, giving him just 10 carries, in favor of 42 pass attempts from Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush. While Rush's passes came with the Cowboys desperately trying to work their way back in the ballgame, the abandonment of the run happened well before the game was out of reach.

Moore, 33, is in his fourth season as offensive coordinator. He spent only one year as a quarterbacks coach under Jason Garrett before earning a promotion, and he has not done much to prove himself as an offensive innovator.

McCarthy's harsh public comments may indicate Moore is on a short leash as a play-caller. The veteran head coach called plays during his tenure with the Green Bay Packers but ceded those duties when he took over in Dallas.

This will mark the second time in three seasons the Cowboys will have to spend an extended period playing without Prescott, who fractured his thumb in the fourth quarter of Sunday's loss. Rush, an unproven former undrafted free agent, will be tasked with leading the offense in the interim.

With McCarthy's seat simmering this offseason thanks to the rise of defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, it stands to reason that he might take a more hands-on approach with his preferred side of the ball if the struggles continue.

Fantasy managers were not the only people frustrated with CeeDee Lamb's lack of production in Week 1.

The Dallas Cowboys wide receiver said he was "pissed off" after finishing with two catches for 29 yards in a 19-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"Having three No. 1s out there, it makes a difference," Lamb told Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. "You know what I'm saying? You got Coop [Amari Cooper] on the outside, killing. You got MG [Michael Gallup] in the slot, killing. And I'm killing it in the slot. It puts people in a funk. Now, when you have just me (of those three) right now, it's easy. …Throughout the game, I was so pissed like, 'What is going on?' I had to have a flashback. 'Yeah, you're going to get all the attention now. This is what they were talking about.'"

Lamb is alone as the Cowboys' top wideout with Amari Cooper plying his trade in Cleveland and Michael Gallup recovering from an ACL tear. The increased attention led to one of the worst games of Lamb's career Sunday, as he reeled in only two of his 11 targets and seemed out of sorts.

Things won't get easier in the immediate future. Gallup remains on the mend and likely won't make his season debut for at least another week or two. The Cowboys also lost Dak Prescott to a fractured thumb, leaving Cooper Rush as the team's starting quarterback for the next several weeks.

Lamb is coming off a 79-catch, 1,102-yard season and was expected to take a major leap in 2022. The Oklahoma product was coming off the board in the second round in nearly every fantasy format, and odds are that selection leaves managers heading into Week 2 at 0-1.

With the unproven Rush taking snaps, it's anyone's guess what type of production Lamb will have.

New York Giants rookie defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux was forced to sit out the 2022 season opener against the Tennessee Titans because of a sprained MCL suffered in the second preseason game, but it sounds like he's nearly ready to return to the field.

Thibodeaux told reporters Thursday he believes he'll have the chance to make his Giants debut this Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.

"Getting close," Thibodeaux said. "Like I said, trying not to look too far—what is today? Today is Thursday—still have Friday, Saturday. I'm really confident in this Sunday."

Giants head coach Brian Daboll said Thibodeaux participated in team drills Wednesday. During the portion of Thursday's practice that was open to the media, the rookie was reportedly seen working on the side with a trainer and riding a stationary bike.

The No. 5 pick in this year's draft, Thibodeaux has high expectations to be the type of edge-rusher New York has needed. Fellow starting defensive end Azeez Ojulari also missed the opener after suffering a calf injury over the summer, and he was limited in Thursday's practice.

The Giants are hoping to have both their edge-rushers ready in time to face a Panthers offense led by quarterback Baker Mayfield and running back Christian McCaffrey.

"Well, you're talking about two first-round[-level talents], so it's a huge benefit," Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale said about the prospects of Thibodeaux and Ojulari returning. "But no matter what, that game's going to get kicked off."

When Thibodeaux suffered the injury, it was expected that his recovery would take three to four weeks. The Giants only plan on playing him if he's fully healthy.

The 21-year-old knows he's not completely out of the woods, but he's staying positive ahead of Sunday.

"If I'm on the field, I'll be 100 percent," Thibodeaux said. "Right now, I'd say it's day-to-day. ... I'm very optimistic."

Dallas Cowboys receiver Michael Gallup participated in seven-on-seven drills for the first time Wednesday as he rehabs from his torn ACL, per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News.

Head coach Mike McCarthy said the wideout had no setbacks from the activity and will participate in padded practice on Thursday.

Gallup avoided the physically unable to perform list to start the season, allowing him to return before Week 5, but he was inactive for last Sunday's Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The latest news puts him closer to the field, although ESPN's Todd Archer previously reported Gallup will likely need at least another week to get into a game.

Fantasy managers who drafted Gallup must be patient, however, with the 26-year-old likely not hitting his true value until later in the season. Not only does he need to work his way back to full strength and shake off the rust, but the entire Cowboys offense could struggle with Dak Prescott sidelined.

The quarterback underwent thumb surgery after suffering the injury in Week 1, and he is expected to be sidelined for six-to-eight weeks, per Archer.

Considering Cooper Rush has made just one NFL start in his career, there is too much uncertainty to put Gallup in lineups even if he is active.

It's still worth holding onto Gallup as a long-term investment for fantasy teams.

The fifth-year player tallied 1,107 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 2019, which was the last time he was a top-two receiver in the Cowboys' offense. With Amari Cooper gone, Gallup should be the No. 2 option behind CeeDee Lamb and see a lot of targets in a high-powered attack.

Gallup might be clogging up your bench now, but he could be a league-winner in the second half of 2022.

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy doesn't anticipate the offense changing with Cooper Rush at quarterback.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, McCarthy said Rush is "as rehearsed in this offense as anybody" and there are no schematic limitations with Dak Prescott unavailable because of an injury.

Prescott had surgery Monday to repair a thumb injury he suffered in the fourth quarter of Dallas' season-opening loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Initial reports had Prescott missing six to eight weeks, but Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on 105.3 The Fan (h/t ESPN's Todd Archer) the two-time Pro Bowler won't be placed on injured reserve.

"We want him to be a consideration for playing for us within the next four games," Jones said.

Rush does have extensive experience in the Cowboys offense. He has spent his entire five-year career with the organization after being signed as an undrafted free agent in 2017.

Last season saw Rush make his first career start when Prescott was out with a strained calf. The Central Michigan alum went 24-of-40 for 325 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in a 20-16 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

After taking over for Prescott against the Bucs, Rush went 7-of-13 for 64 yards. He was also sacked twice for a loss of 12 yards.

The Cowboys offense was a huge disappointment in Week 1. They were the only team that didn't score a touchdown and were held to 244 yards. It marked their lowest yardage total in a single game since Week 7 of the 2020 season (142 yards).

Rush will look to lead the Cowboys to their first victory of the season Sunday when they host the defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals at AT&T Stadium.

Kadarius Toney fantasy managers may have been apoplectic about his lack of playing time in Week 1, but the second-year wideout doesn't appear worried.

"I get paid to play, not coach," he told reporters Wednesday. "I don't know what the plan was. At the end of the day, I have to prepare as if I was going and playing every play. I don't know what else to say."

Toney was on the field for just seven snaps in the New York Giants' 21-20 win over the Tennessee Titans despite being fully healthy. He recorded two rushing attempts for 23 yards and did not catch a pass.

The Florida product has been riddled with injuries over his brief NFL career. He missed seven games last season with various ailments and then was out for nearly the entire offseason program, first after undergoing knee surgery this spring and then after suffering a hamstring injury in training camp.

In the interim, Toney was seemingly passed up on the depth chart by nearly every receiver on the roster. Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard, Richie James, David Sills and Wan'Dale Robinson all got more snaps than Toney in Week 1. Robinson's knee injury didn't appear to make much impact on Toney's playing time, either, as he was on the field for just five snaps after halftime.

Brian Daboll said Toney's lack of playing time had nothing to do with his health; the first-year Giants coach simply had more faith in the wideouts he put on the field. Daboll did acknowledge it's possible he shuffles up the rotation on a week-to-week basis.

"We'll see what happens this week," Daboll said Monday. "The guys that were out there, we have confidence in. We have confidence in Kadarius. I think, again, I've mentioned this before a couple of weeks ago with our receiver position: It's a competitive situation. And they'll be evaluated on a week-to-week basis. So, relative to inactives or playtime or amount of plays, everybody's got to earn their role. One week it might be a whole game; one week it might be less."

Toney, for his part, took the situation in stride. He said in no uncertain terms that he was not disappointed because the Giants came away with a win.

Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson returned to practice Tuesday for the first time since being shot in an attempted robbery in August.

Robinson was seen working individually on a stationary bike and doing ladder drills as he attempts to work his way back on the field.

The Alabama product was set to be the Commanders' early-downs running back for Week 1 before he was shot twice in the leg last month. He was able to avoid any major ligament or bone damage, but the Commanders placed him on the non-football injury list to allow him at least four weeks to heal.

It's possible Robinson will be available as soon as Week 5's game against the Tennessee Titans. Commanders coach Ron Rivera said Robinson has been a locker-room boost ever since returning to the team.

“I think it’s really cool,” Rivera told reporters last week. “The guys reacted very, very positively the first day he came back after being discharged. That was a really cool moment for the guys because they got to see him in person. The realization that he’s gonna be OK I think really helped settle a lot of the guys.”

The Washington offense fared well in Week 1's win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, with Antonio Gibson leading the backfield charge with 130 total yards on 21 touches (14 carries, seven receptions). Gibson will continue being the lead back until Robinson returns.