The Dallas Cowboys’ season has been full of struggles, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Yet, in Sunday’s 34-26 victory over the Washington Commanders, quarterback Cooper Rush delivered a career-best performance that helped breathe life into a beleaguered offense.
Offensive Revival After Weeks of Struggle
Dallas entered the game with little optimism surrounding its offense. After losing Dak Prescott to a season-ending hamstring injury, the Cowboys managed just 16 points in their previous two games while turning the ball over seven times.
Sunday’s matchup against the 7-4 Commanders presented a tough test, but the Cowboys finally showed signs of life. Dallas put up 34 points, with 20 coming from the offense. While that figure isn’t jaw-dropping, the difference in execution was clear.
For the first time in weeks, the Cowboys moved the ball consistently. The run game complemented the passing attack, and the offense appeared far more balanced and composed than in recent outings.
Dallas Cowboys QB Cooper Rush was 24/32 for 247 yards had 2 touchdowns against the Washington Commanders.
Rush registered an average time to throw of 2.38 seconds, the quickest by a Cowboys quarterback in a game this season.
Against man coverage specifically, Rush was 8/11 for… pic.twitter.com/GCwrGTPl36
— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) November 24, 2024
Cooper Rush’s Career Performance
The star of the offensive turnaround was veteran quarterback Cooper Rush. After struggling in his previous starts, Rush delivered the best performance of his NFL career. He completed 24 of 32 passes for 247 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions, finishing with a career-high 117.6 passer rating and a 75% completion rate.
Rush also ranked among the league’s top quarterbacks in advanced metrics for Week 12, finishing 10th in EPA + CPOE (0.128), 12th in EPA/Play (0.175), and 6th in Success Rate (52.5%). While far from Patrick Mahomes territory, Rush was decisive, accurate, and smart with the football—an encouraging shift from his earlier performances.
Cooper Rush to Jalen Tolbert to give Dallas the lead in DC
📺: #DALvsWAS on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/zObOzJrMk8— NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2024
Building Momentum in a Tough Season
The Cowboys’ offensive resurgence, led by Rush, couldn’t have come at a better time. In a season marred by injuries and inconsistency, this performance provides a much-needed confidence boost.
Whether Rush can replicate this level of play remains uncertain, but his outing against Washington gave the team—and its fans—reason for hope. As Dallas enters the final stretch of the regular season, they’ll look to build on this momentum in what has largely been a challenging year.
For now, the Cowboys’ offense has something to celebrate, and that’s a victory in itself.
