The Dallas Cowboys just wrapped up another nail-biter, and boy, do we have some mixed feelings to sort through! While the scoreboard shows a sweet 34-26 win against the Commanders in Week 12, a cloud hangs over Jerry’s world. You know how it goes in football – one minute, you’re celebrating a touchdown, and the next, you’re holding your breath as a critical player limps off the field. That happened when Cooper Rush’s knee threw its flag on the play.

The Cowboys finally gave us a peek into their injury situation. On Wednesday, Jon Machota posted the injury list on his X account. It revealed that Cooper Rush was limited in practice on Monday and Tuesday. Meanwhile, Trevon Diggs, Jake Ferguson, Eric Kendricks, and Zack Martin didn’t make it to practice on Tuesday.

With key players sidelined, the Cowboys are in a tight spot. Can Cooper Rush step up and turn the tide despite his injury struggles? The experienced backup quarterback will rack up more wins in the upcoming games. His status for the Thanksgiving showdown against the New York Giants (2-9) is still in the air due to knee issues. However, he’s staying confident about playing at AT&T Stadium this week, even with a few limited practice sessions.

Jane Slater from NFL Network reported that Cooper Rush spoke with him and assured him that he is set for Thursday despite feeling knee pain. Rush said, “I’m good to go for Thursday despite some knee soreness.” Some fans are advocating for former top-three pick Trey Lance. But the 31-year-old veteran might be a better option to help Dallas in their pursuit of a playoff berth.

According to the injury report, Jake Ferguson is in concussion protocol, keeping him out for 1 to 2 games. Coach Mike McCarthy is facing pressure with only two days remaining before the Giants game as he weighs his strategic choices.

On a positive note, Tyler Smith and Trevon Diggs are back in practice. CeeDee Lamb has also participated in limited back and leg injury sessions. More players listed as “limited” are expected to be good to go by game time. Heading into Week 13, Dallas looks to be in a solid position against the Giants. But do you think the Cowboys’ quarterback situation is clear? Think again! Jerry Jones keeps us all guessing about Trey Lance’s future as a starter.

Why is Jerry Jones against Trey Lance?

The QB sustained some injuries before Brock Purdy took over as the primary quarterback. After being traded to the Cowboys in 2023, he sits third on the depth chart behind Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush.

Even though Prescott’s contract is up in 2024 and Rush hasn’t been stellar, Jerry seems hesitant in giving Lance a shot. Trey Lance is an undiscovered talent with significant risk and potential for gain. Being in the middle looks like a slow slide toward failure for a squad that had hopes of winning the Super Bowl earlier in the season.

Jerry Jones seems pretty reluctant about reviewing Trey Lance. He mentioned, “We’re still not at the point where we really want to evaluate Trey Lance.” But honestly, when is the right time? Waiting too long to assess Lance’s progress might mean missing out on playoff hopes altogether. It looks like Jones is leaning more toward Cooper Rush right now.

“Rush made a bit of progress from the last game. There wasn’t a ton of room for improvement, but we did see some growth,” Jones shared on 105.3 The Fan. He also mentioned that Rush looked pretty solid during the game. With the quarterbacks having limited practice time, he prefers to stick with Rush because of his experience.

Jones believes that the Cowboys have not wasted a mid-round pick on Lance, pointing out he made “significant progress” since joining the squad. But honestly, By giving Lance a chance, the Cowboys stand to gain greatly and lose nothing. Cowboys will ultimately face a test of their resilience in the upcoming game due to multiple player injuries.