Dak Prescott and the Cowboys have gone from treating the quarterback’s calf strain like a joke 12 days ago to suddenly laying the groundwork for backup Cooper Rush to make his first NFL start. Prescott himself said Thursday that the decision on if he’ll suit up won’t be his alone, but admitted there’s the rest of the season to consider. Vegas oddsmakers certainly took notice; they made a drastic move to the official line for Sunday night’s game in the wake of the Cowboys’ contingency talk.
Elsewhere, Amari Cooper has used the bye week to get healthy, the offense is focusing on improving their red zone numbers, and Prescott had quite the review of offensive lineman La’el Collins in his return to work. A former Cowboy now in Minnesota is looking to make amends for being cut loose in Dallas, a current Cowboy is reliving his highlight-reel moment against the Vikings last year, and America’s Team is not only the cream of the NFC East crop according to advanced metrics, they’re legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Plus, is this the start of a championship era in Dallas… or a do-or-die shot at trophy-hoisting glory? Here’s the News and Notes.