Dallas Cowboys

Redemption is that much sweeter on the national stage.

It certainly was for Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb during his team's 23-16 victory over the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. Dallas' No. 1 option in the aerial attack appeared well on his way to a nightmare game with a terrible drop during the first half but put his team on his back in crunch time to change his entire storyline.

Lamb dropped a perfectly placed deep ball from Cooper Rush that could have been a touchdown in the ugliest play of a first half that featured just nine combined points.

It was back-and-forth from there until the Cowboys marched 89 yards on 11 plays for a touchdown to take the lead for good in the fourth quarter. Lamb caught four passes on the drive, including the most important two on a fourth-down conversion and a beautiful one-handed snag for the score.

His redemption arc earned plenty of praise on social media:

Monday's win wasn't a one-man show for the Cowboys, as Ezekiel Elliott scored a touchdown, Tony Pollard ran for 105 yards and the defense sacked Daniel Jones five times, but the wide receiver stood out when it mattered most.

Dallas is now 2-1 as a result with both wins coming with Rush at quarterback as a replacement for the injured Dak Prescott. Rush also won his only start last season, although ESPN's Lisa Salters said on the broadcast that Prescott could return for the next game against the Washington Commanders after the stitches were removed from his thumb.

Whether it is Prescott or Rush under center, the quarterback's job will be much easier if the Lamb who showed up in the fourth quarter against New York is there to lead the offense in another NFC East showdown with Washington.

Dallas Cowboys star quarterback Dak Prescott is not ruling out making his return from a thumb injury in Week 4, when his team takes on the Washington Commanders.

Prescott told ESPN's Lisa Salters he could return in a "couple of weeks—and I'm counting this as one of them," adding that Week 4 is a possibility:

ESPN's Todd Archer previously reported Prescott was scheduled to have his stitches removed from his surgically repaired thumb before Monday night's matchup at the New York Giants.

Per that report, "his return to action is predicated on his grip strength, but he is continuing to make progress."

Cooper Rush filled in for Prescott last week, throwing for 235 yards and a touchdown in a 20-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

That prompted team owner and general manager Jerry Jones to tell reporters he would love to see the backup play so well in Prescott's absence that he created a quarterback controversy once the incumbent was healthy again.

"Of course I would. Of course. That means we'd have won," Jones said. "If he comes in there and plays as well as Prescott played...Rush? Played that well over these next games ahead? I'd walk to New York to get that."

He continued:

Well, of course we want Dak to be here next week. That's the thing. You do. But Dak and I want Rush to lead the team to a victory here and get another win and get another win. That's the only way to look at it. Looking back when Dak was playing instead of Tony [Romo], it was game by game. It wasn't the long look we had after two months to look back. It was actually play by play, almost series by series. So do I think that it's possible for Rush to come in here and play at a level to win games the way Prescott did when he took over for Romo? Yes I do. Yes I do. I certainly think that's possible.

That, predictably, kicked up a firestorm of headlines and conversations. Of course, nobody believes that Rush would actually supplant the man in the second year of a four-year, $160 million contract. If anything, Rush's best outcome might be playing well enough to become a valuable trade chip for the Cowboys.

Head coach Mike McCarthy unsurprisingly confirmed that Prescott's job was never going to be in jeopardy.

"I'm just trying to say this with a straight face," he told reporters Friday. "Like anything, you look at the whole thing, it's about winning. That's all we really care about. There is no quarterback controversy. ... Dak is our starter."

"I think you need to be able to decipher between GM Jerry and owner Jerry," he added. "He can do that in like mid-sentence, too. I think you all need to do a better job of that. Get to work."

The question, of course, is when Prescott will actually return. On Sunday, the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Prescott's earliest possible return date would be Oct. 16:

However, it appears Prescott could be able to get back on the field even sooner.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Gallup is "expected to be inactive" for Monday night's matchup against the New York Giants, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, while tight end Dalton Schultz is "unlikely" to play.

According to Jane Slater of NFL Network, Dallas is "hopeful" Gallup will be able to play in Week 4.

Gallup, 26, appeared in just nine games last year because of a calf injury and then a torn ACL. The Cowboys placed him on the physically unable to perform list at the start of training camp as he recovered from the latter issue.

Despite last season's setbacks, Dallas signed the wide receiver to a five-year, $62.5 million deal this offseason. That, along with the team's decision to trade Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns, seemed to indicate just how important the Colorado State product would be in the offense.

Gallup's best individual season came in 2019 when he posted 66 catches for 1,107 yards and six touchdowns.

Schultz, 26, appeared in the team's first two games, catching nine passes for 80 yards.

If both players remain out of commission, wideouts CeeDee Lamb and Noah Brown will be Cooper Rush's top two options in the passing game.

Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons is apparently expecting a big game on Monday Night Football despite being under the weather.

The reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year posted on Twitter a GIF of Michael Jordan from the "Flu Game" in the 1997 NBA Finals.

Per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, Parsons is officially listed as questionable with an illness heading into Monday's matchup with the New York Giants.

Parsons did go through a limited walkthrough on Saturday after missing practice the previous two days.

If you are a sports fan who is somehow unfamiliar with the "flu game," it came in Game 5 between the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz. Jordan was suffering from flu-like symptoms and dehydration, but he put up 38 points in a 90-88 win that gave Chicago a 3-2 series lead.

Obviously, the stakes for a Week 3 game between the Cowboys and Giants pales in comparison to an NBA Finals game with the series tied. But it's still fun to think about Monday potentially being a defining moment for Parsons in 2022.

While it's unclear what the edge-rusher equivalent of 38 points in a single game while sick would be, Parsons seems like a safe bet to hit the mark. The 23-year-old already has a strong argument as the best pass-rusher in the NFL, with seven quarterback hits and four sacks through two games.

Per ESPN's pass-rush win rate, Parsons' mark of 59 percent is 13 points higher than the No. 2 player (Von Miller).

Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas is off to a fantastic start this season, but Parsons could avoid him by lining up on the opposite side as he tries to get after Daniel Jones.

We will find out what Parsons might be able to do if he plays on Monday at 8:15 p.m. ET when the Cowboys and Giants kick off at MetLife Stadium.

After causing a stir with comments about the team's quarterback situation, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is making it clear he values Dak Prescott very highly.

Appearing on 105.3 The Fan's The K&C Masterpiece show (h/t Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram), Jones said there isn't "anybody in the world that doesn't understand how much I appreciate Dak Prescott, his skills and to have him for the future and the future being right now, really."

Those comments come after Jones told reporters earlier in the week he wouldn't mind if there was a quarterback competition between Prescott and Cooper Rush, because it means the Cowboys were winning games with their backup.

The Cowboys are trying to stay afloat with Rush under center until Prescott is able to return from the hand injury he suffered in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Rush did pass his first test in a starting role by leading Dallas to a 20-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals last week. He played well in the game, completing 19 of 31 attempts for 235 yards and one touchdown.

Prescott had surgery on his right thumb on Sept. 12. He was expected to be out for six to eight weeks, but the two-time Pro Bowler could be on a fast track to return. The 29-year-old was on the practice field Thursday and worked with a training ball, though he didn't take snaps or throw a football.

The Cowboys elected not to place Prescott on injured reserve, which would have meant he had to sit out at least four games.

Jones told 105.3 The Fan on Sept. 13 (h/t ESPN's Todd Archer) the team wanted Prescott "to be a consideration for playing for us within the next four games."

Prescott has been the Cowboys' starting quarterback since his rookie season in 2016. He has amassed a 53-33 record in 86 starts and led the team to the playoffs three times. The Mississippi State alum is in the second season of his four-year, $160 million contract.

Rush joined the Cowboys in 2017 as an undrafted free agent out of Central Michigan. He has spent the bulk of his career in Dallas, with the exception of a four-month stint on the New York Giants before the start of the 2020 season.

The Cowboys have gone 2-0 in Rush's two starts over the past two seasons. He will look to extend his winning streak in Week 3 against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football.

Team owner Jerry Jones praised former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver, Amari Cooper, following his trade to the Cleveland Browns.

Jones discussed why the franchise moved on from Cooper, who's tallied 219 yards and two touchdowns in his first three games with the Browns, Friday on 105.3 The Fan radio (via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News).

"The issue with Amari Cooper was how much we were paying him and what we could do with that money, completely," Jones said. "Amari Cooper is a real good player. Top player."

He added, "you can't have it all" when it comes to building a roster within the salary cap.

Cooper's early success in Cleveland combined with Dallas' mediocre offensive performance through two games has reignited questions about why the team decided to deal the wideout in return for a fifth-round draft pick and a sixth-round pick swap.

The Cowboys have maintained it was a financially motivated move related to his five-year, $100 million contract, but the Browns restructured the deal shortly after the trade to save over $15 million in cap space for the 2022 season, leaving his cap hit at $4.9 million.

Dallas currently has $12.5 million in cap space, the third-most in the NFL, per Spotrac.

"It's not like I disliked being in Dallas," Cooper told reporters after the trade. "I actually loved being there. I wouldn't say I just wanted to leave. But you know, at the same time, it's never personal. It's just business."

The Cowboys' offense has been heavily impacted by injuries, most notably the absences of quarterback Dak Prescott and two key receivers, Michael Gallup and James Washington. The unit would nevertheless be stronger if Cooper was still on the roster.

Meanwhile, the four-time Pro Bowl selection is operating as the Browns' unquestioned No. 1 target during the team's 2-1 start. He's recorded 27 targets, 11 more than the next highest pass-catcher, tight end David Njoku.

Dallas' offense should eventually find its stride assuming all of the key contributors are eventually on the field at the same time, so the situation could eventually become a moot point.

For now, the Cowboys decision to move on from Cooper isn't aging all the well so far.

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy shut down any talk of a potential quarterback controversy Friday.

McCarthy was asked to respond to a comment made by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on Thursday. Jones said he would "walk to New York" if it meant backup Cooper Rush would play as well as starter Dak Prescott and create a quarterback controversy while Prescott is out because of an injury:

Per Jon Machota of The Athletic, McCarthy pumped the brakes during an appearance on 105.3 The Fan, saying: "Clearly, everybody in our locker room and everybody in the building, Jerry included, [knows] Dak is our quarterback. We want Cooper to be [as] successful as possible. So, I think it stops right there."

Rush replaced Prescott during the Cowboys' Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when Prescott exited with a thumb injury. Rush started in Prescott's place in Week 2 and led Dallas to an upset win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Prior to getting injured, Prescott struggled mightily in the 19-3 loss to Tampa, completing 14 of his 29 passing attempts for 134 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.

In just his second career start, Rush ran the offense effectively in a 20-17 win over the Bengals, going 19-of-31 for 235 yards with one touchdown and no picks. Most impressively, the 28-year-old led a game-winning field goal drive in the closing seconds with the score tied at 17.

Rush has won both of his career starts, and he is set to lead the Cowboys in New York on Monday night for a clash with the NFC East rival and 2-0 Giants.

While the undrafted Central Michigan product has played well in limited opportunities during his five seasons, there is little doubt that the Cowboys are best off when they have Prescott under center.

The 29-year-old is a two-time Pro Bowler coming off the best statistical season of his career, as he completed 68.8 percent of his passes for 4,449 yards, a single-season franchise-record 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Prescott also led the Cowboys to an NFC East title, plus Dallas was No. 1 in the NFL last season in total offense.

Perhaps the biggest reason for Dallas' lack of offensive success this season is the supporting cast around its quarterback, as it is significantly worse than last season.

The offensive line has been decimated with left tackle Tyron Smith going down with an injury and both La'el Collins and Connor Williams leaving in free agency. Also, wide receivers Amari Cooper and Cedrick Wilson are gone from last year's team, plus wideout Michael Gallup has yet to play this season because of injury and tight end Dalton Schultz got injured last week.

Dallas needs to get healthy and improve dramatically at every spot offensively in order to be contenders in the NFC East this season, and that is true whether Rush or Prescott is the quarterback.

For now, the Cowboys will have to continue to turn to Rush since Prescott is expected to miss 6-8 weeks after undergoing thumb surgery.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he would "of course" welcome a quarterback controversy between Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush.

"That means we'd won," Jones said. "If he comes in and plays as well as Prescott played ... I'd walk to New York to get that."

Rush is preparing to make his second straight start Monday against the New York Giants after leading the Cowboys to victory in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals. It comes as Prescott recovers from thumb surgery after suffering an injury in Week 1.

Prescott was initially expected to miss six to eight weeks because of the injury, although Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones said this week the quarterback could be back by Week 4 or 5.

The two-time Pro Bowler has been the team's undisputed starter since he won the job his rookie year in 2016. He signed a four-year, $160 million contract extension in 2021, ensuring his status as the face of the franchise.

It would take quite a bit for anyone to win the starting job from someone making $40 million per year.

This means if there is a quarterback controversy, Rush will have played well enough to at least get the media and fans buzzing. That would certainly represent a win-win scenario for Jones and the Cowboys.

Dallas has shown plenty of faith in Rush, signing him after he went undrafted in 2017 while keeping him in the organization for multiple years across two stints. He made his first start in 2021 and threw two touchdown passes in a win over the Minnesota Vikings.

After leading Dallas to a 20-17 win over Cincinnati last week, Rush has the chance to add to his resume with a battle against the divisional rival Giants.

Prescott has enough guaranteed money on his contract that he's not going anywhere until at least after the 2023 season, but Rush is getting his chance to shine.

Of course, running back Ezekiel Elliott doesn't believe Jones' comments were serious.

"He want y'all to be clicking and listening, too," Elliott said of Jones, per ESPN's Ed Werder. "It's all marketing. It's all marketing."

Dallas Cowboys star Dak Prescott resumed practice for the first time since undergoing thumb surgery.

The two-time Pro Bowler remains limited for now as he works his way back to 100 percent.

Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said Monday he thought Week 4 or 5 was the earliest Prescott is expected to get back on the field for game action.

That's better than the initial timeline.

ESPN's Todd Archer reported on Sept. 12 the veteran signal-caller was potentially out for six-to-eight weeks after surgery and was "likely" headed for injured reserve. One day later, however, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said an IR designation wasn't on the table.

Head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters Monday that Prescott would have the stitches from his surgical procedure removed at some point this week, which represented a small step in his recovery. Still, McCarthy couldn't provide any more insight as to when his starting QB might be good to go.

Cooper Rush ran the offense in Week 2 and helped Dallas earn a 20-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. He finished 19-of-31 for 235 yards and one touchdown.

Maybe the Cowboys can tread water long enough until they have Prescott back, but the NFC East is shaping up to be more difficult than it has been in recent seasons. The New York Giants look like a different team under first-year head coach Brian Daboll, while Jalen Hurts might be making the leap for the Philadelphia Eagles.

The longer Dallas is without Prescott, the more his absence could put a serious dent in the franchise's playoff ambitions. Luckily for McCarthy, it looks as though Prescott's recovery is on track.