The tale of two halves last night illuminated something about both QB's that play for Dallas.
If you notice, the first half, Rush was harassed by the Eagles defensive front. The Eagles lined up five defenders to rush. This shut down the running game and put the contest in the hands of Cooper. Along with the five on five came the harassment of the Dallas QB. This caused him to hesitate, throw late, and into circumstances where his arm is not strong enough to thread the opening.
In league with this was the Dallas defense continually backing up as the Eagles moved forward. Three times the Eagles had gifts from Dallas in surrendering the ball on the Dallas side of the field. Short fields put the Dallas defenders on their heels. They gave up 20 points in the first half. Thirteen of those points came from turnovers and a 4th down not converted.
The second half changed things. Through some event, the Eagles started rushing four. This gave the Dallas running game openings, and that changed the edge from the Eagles to Dallas, (for a while.) Once the running game started winning, the play action began to work. This married with rolling out the QB (changing the passing point) allowed Cooper Rush to throw the ball virtually unmolested. Dallas began to drive and score.
The point I am making is the game last night is almost an exact copy of what we have seen by Dak over the last several years. Questionable protection, inconsistent running game, harassment by the defenders in his face, which leads to misthrows, and turnovers.
The only real difference is Dak can run at times and can zip the ball and Cooper Rush cannot.
So what you witnessed last night is just more of the same from Dallas. When Dak faces teams which cannot exhaust him with defenders in his face as he sets up to throw, he succeeds. When he faces the teams (+ .500) who can alter the pocket, Dak looks very much like Rush.
So what is the answer?
In this case, better protection, more consistent running game, and receivers who can gain separation. Some of this blame falls on the front office and talent acquisition. Some on an OC who cannot make adjustments during a half to change the outcome of who wins at the line of scrimmage.
Kellen Moore throws that bubble screen in every game. When was the last time you saw that work for Dallas. Especially since Cooper Rush's passes are timed with sun dials.
Dak is the better player. It may be negligible to some, but Dak is the better athlete by far within the confines and abilities of this offense, and how the defense responds.
What was experienced last night is the self same results seen when Dak plays teams with better front sevens. That is not an excuse for Dak. It is what it is.
But this will only turn around if and when Dallas builds a better offensive line and WR corps, and gives Dak time to recognize and throw. Because we saw the VERY SAME RESULTS from Rush, who some falsely claim was in a QB controversy with Prescott.
Or when Dallas fields a better QB. And if you have been keeping up, that requires a rebuild from the ground up because Dallas is just good enough to constantly pick in the draft from the middle, which is the draft Hell of a revolving door of mediocrity.
