Dallas Cowboys QB Cooper Rush says defense is 'the reason we're winning'

Despite losing starting quarterback Dak Prescott in Week 1, the Dallas Cowboys have made it through the first four games of 2022 with a 3-1 record behind the leadership of backup quarterback Cooper Rush. While Rush has been earning a lot of praise from the national media for his effort, he is putting the praise on a different aspect of the Cowboys’ roster. Rush is singing the praises of the Dallas defense.

“They’re the reason we’re winning,” Rush said on Sunday, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. “it’s plain and simple.”

While Prescott nurses a broken thumb, Rush has carried the Cowboys to three straight wins. Rush has been solid in all three of his starts, too, throwing for over 200 yards in each game, totaling four touchdowns and no interceptions. But as Rush noted, the defense has been strong.

The Cowboys have yet to allow any opponent to score 20 points in a game. Dallas’ defense ranks third in the NFL in scoring defense, giving up just 15.5 points per game, and seventh in the NFL in total defense, allowing 308.5 yards per game. Behind Rush and that defensive play, the Cowboys sit at 3-1 and are 2-0 against NFC East opponents.

Cowboys will return to Prescott when ready

While Dallas is unbeaten with Rush starting, there is no doubt that it will turn back to Prescott when the time comes. Prescott has thrown for over 4,000 yards in two of his last three seasons, failing to hit that mark in 2020 only because of a season-ending injury that cut his year short. Prescott is firmly planted as the Cowboys’ starting quarterback and the team has made that clear, despite the success from Rush.

“I’m just trying to say this with a straight face,” head coach Mike McCarthy said recently. “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.”

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Until Prescott is able to return for Dallas, it will be Rush who is attempting to carry it to victory. The Cowboys now sit at 3-1 on the season and have two divisional wins under their belt. However, the next few weeks will get difficult, as Dallas will travel to face the defending Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles Rams on the road, followed by another divisional game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Cowboys and Rams will kick at 3:25 p.m. CT next Sunday. The game will be shown on FOX.