Dak Prescott has missed 26 games the past five seasons. For most of the games he missed, the Cowboys turned to Cooper Rush and felt pretty good about their chances.
Rush went 9-5 as the team’s starter, including 4-4 last season in Prescott’s stead.
On Saturday night, the Cowboys saw what they now miss.
Rush started for the Ravens in the preseason game at AT&T Stadium and went 20-of-30 for 198 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in Baltimore’s 31-13 win. Milton was 9-of-18 for 122 yards with an interception and a sack for a safety.
In the first half, Milton went 2-of-8 for 14 yards with an interception and a sack for a safety.
It’s obvious the Cowboys have a backup quarterback problem.
“I wouldn’t say I’m concerned,” Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “We didn’t get into rhythm offensively. What we did in the first half against the Rams, I think we came out a little bit of a different mindset in terms of trying to run the ball. They got him. They fooled him a little bit on the safety on the third-down there. We were trying to get the ball out of his hand fast. They showed down one side and brought the blitz from the other side, and it just spooked him. He’s got to try to throw that ball away, and his feet were kind of talking to him.
“It wasn’t just Joe. We have to be able to run the ball better. We have to be able to take care of the ball. He throws the ball with a lot of tempo. I thought [fullback] Hunter [Luepke] had a ball he could have made a catch on. . . . Again, you hit a couple of those things it gets you going. Sometimes you need somebody to help you make a play. I don’t think we did a great job of that.”
The Cowboys traded for Milton after not being able to afford to keep Rush. They also have Will Grier, who is what he is, with no games played since 2019.
Schottenheimer said the Cowboys “don’t have to decide anything today” about who their backup quarterback will be going into the season. They need a better option than what they have now.
Milton is a developmental quarterback as was Trey Lance last season as the No. 3 behind Prescott and Rush.
Schottenheimer was asked if he believes he can win with what he has if the Cowboys don’t have Prescott.
“I think we have to believe that. I think we do believe that,” Schottenheimer said. “Again, you put a game plan together for these guys. Whether you’re playing with Joe or you’re playing with Will, you’re going to have a plan of how you want to play. Hey, look, Cooper Rush has played in this league for a long time. What we did tonight, it didn’t surprise anybody in the first half. I’ve seen him do that for the last three years. Joe Milton is in year two. I’m not panicked.
“Again, it’s not just them. It’s us as coaches; it’s the other players; it’s all of us.”
In 2020, the Cowboys had Andy Dalton behind Prescott, but he, too, got hurt and they ended up starting Garrett Gilbert and Ben DiNucci in games that season. Prescott missed 11 games, and the Cowboys finished the season 6-10. They need a better option than they had in 2020 and a better option than they have now.
