The Dallas Cowboys stumbled to a fifth straight loss on Monday, falling 34-10 to the Houston Texans.
With Dak Prescott sidelined for the season, the Cowboys handed Cooper Rush the reins for a second consecutive start. Rush took on a heavy workload against the Texans, attempting a whopping 55 passes and racking up 354 yards with one touchdown and one interception. It was an improvement from his Week 10 performance, where he managed just 45 passing yards in a lopsided loss to the Eagles.
However, even with the game effectively decided in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys stuck with Rush, opting not to give Trey Lance a chance to see the field. After the game, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy regretted not getting Lance in the game for at least a series.
"I think the one thing I should have done at the end that I didn't do was put Trey in there," a somber McCarthy said in his postgame press conference. "I could have got him a series. That's one thing I second-guess myself on."
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The Cowboys sent a fourth-round draft pick to the 49ers for Lance ahead of the 2023 season. The former No. 3 overall pick has not seen any significant time with the Cowboys.
After the game, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the team will continue to roll with Rush as the starter, saying the 30-year-old gives them the best chance to win.
But at 3-7 and near the basement of the NFC standings, Dallas might want to start thinking about the NFL Draft. And getting a look at Lance wouldn't hurt either.
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