They say there is always someone worse off than yourself. The Washington Commanders might be on a two-game losing run, but they are in a much better position than a storied NFC East rival heading into the first game of the season between the two clubs this weekend.
The Dallas Cowboys are going through significant complications. They are languishing at 3-7 with no signs of life whatsoever. Their beatdown at home by the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football was proof of how far off they've fallen in such a short timeframe.
This team gets hyped up every offseason. Their fans lap it up and buy into the media praise. Unfortunately for them, it comes with almost no substance attached.
Early playoff exits after dominating the regular season have been the trend. This campaign is taking on a completely different feel, which brought the microscope further on owner/general manager Jerry Jones' handling of team affairs.
Not having quarterback Dak Prescott is being felt. The NFL's highest-paid player is out for the year with a seriously torn hamstring. Cooper Rush is filling the void, but his miserable production came with deafening calls to install Trey Lance and see what they have in the former No. 3 overall selection acquired via trade from the San Francisco 49ers.
That would be the smart play. Jones isn't known for that these days.
Commanders can capitalize on Jerry Jones' hilarious stubbornness
Jones remains hilariously stubborn, claiming that Rush gives them the best chance to win and Lance will stay on the sidelines in Week 12 at Northwest Stadium. That should be music to the ears of everyone associated with the Commanders.
"I don’t know about that [Trey Lance starting]. I want to give our team the very best chance it can — in all phases — to be successful. So, we’re going to go here with the quarterback that gives us the best chance to win the game. Yeah, I think our best chance is to have [Cooper] Rush in here, and the goal is to win the game."Jerry Jones via Pro Football Talk
The Commanders cannot - and won't - take this game lightly. However, it represents an outstanding opportunity to get their campaign back on track versus a demoralized squad lacking confidence or ideas.
Why Jones believes so much in Rush based on his output this season is anyone's guess. He's completed 57.5 percent of his passes for 566 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. The signal-caller has a 26.4 QBR and his bad throw percentage stands at 12.1 according to Pro Football Reference.
Rush threw for more than 350 yards versus the Texans, but most of these came in garbage time. Couple this with the improvements made by Washington's defense in recent weeks, and it's not hard to see why they can make life extremely uncomfortable for the Central Michigan product.
Dan Quinn also knows more about Rush than most. He came to Washington from the Cowboys this offseason after being scapegoated for their postseason defeat to the Green Bay Packers. Having this inside knowledge is only going to serve the Commanders well in a must-win game for the organization.
Some fans are treating this result as a foregone conclusion. That won't be the attitude within the building no matter how much Jones' fumbling is holding the Cowboys back.
Being professional and executing the game plan effectively should be enough to get Washington the win. The more misery it piles on Jones, the better.