Update: 3 Cowboys who must step up vs. Eagles to save season

This is it for the Dallas Cowboys. They’re 3-5 and have lost three in a row.

They’re now looking up to the 7-2 Washington Commanders and 6-2 Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East, which is likely their only route toward making the playoffs.

If the Cowboys win, perhaps they can dream for one more week. If they lose in Week 10 against the Eagles, though, this thing is all but over.

They’d just be playing the season out at that point, and likely, it would mark the end of the Mike McCarthy era and lead to several very agonizing conversations about the viability of Dak Prescott as a franchise quarterback.

The issue in Week 10, though? Prescott won’t even get the chance to try to pull the Cowboys out of this hole that he largely helped built. His hamstring injury is so bad that it is actually partially torn off the bone, according to ESPN.

This may be more than just a few week thing. Meaning, this could end up being another season-ending injury for Prescott.

That remains to be seen, but the fact of the matter is that he’s in no way available for the Cowboys against the Eagles. That means backup Cooper Rush is going to start.

He’s one of the three Cowboys who really need to step up against the Eagles in order to try to save this nearly-lost season.

Cooper Rush thrust into spotlight

The Cowboys are confident in Rush, the seventh year quarterback out of Central Michigan, because he has won games for them in the past. He filled in for an injured Prescott in 2022 and beat the defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals, New York Giants, Washington Commanders and Los Angeles Rams.

He was 4-1 as a starter in 2022 and he’s 5-1 as a starter in his career. The Cowboys feel he can get back to those winning ways for them, so it’s not like they’re going into this game against the Eagles with their heads down.

“I still believe we can make a run. I’ve seen what Cooper Rush can do,” pass-rusher Micah Parsons said on Thursday, according to ESPN. “That’s a good boy right there. Cooper Rush got a lot of talent. He won games for us by just doing the basics, just playing good football. So it’s not like he can’t do it.”

The Cowboys need rush to do more than just play fundamental football against the Eagles. They need him to go out and make plays. Heck, they even need him to win the game.

The good news for Rush and the Cowboys is that receiver CeeDee Lamb is expected to play while he fights through a shoulder injury. Lamb has 660 yards receiving and four touchdowns this season, but he can Rush have connected on touchdowns before. They’ll need to now do so again.

Micah Parsons ready to make must-see return

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (11) before the game against the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium. — Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Parsons has been gone from the Cowboys defense for a month with a high ankle sprain on his left foot. When he’s healthy and playing, though, Parsons is easily one of the most dynamic pass rushers in the NFL.

He notched 13 sacks his rookie season, 13.5 in 2022 and 14 in 2023. This was supposed to be the season he perhaps got up near 20, but injuries have hampered him.

He last played against the the New York Giants in late September, so he’ll be itching to get back into action.

The Eagles have a mobile quarterback in Jalen Hurts, but Parsons has the speed and athleticism both on the edges and as a pass-rusher up the middle to effectively neutralize him.

As long as Parsons is healthy and isn’t hampered at all by the ankle, and as long as he doesn’t need time to get back into game shape, he projects to play a huge role in Dallas’ defense against the Eagles.

The Eagles have allowed 22 sacks this season, which is the 10th most in the league. There should be an opening in this game for Parsons.

Trevon Diggs must step up

It doesn’t seem like all that long ago that Trevon Diggs was arguably the best cornerback in the NFL. This was in 2021, when he notched 11 interceptions and was a quintessential ball-hawk. Unfortunately, this season he’s only snagged one in eight games.

Like much of the Dallas roster, he’s been banged up (calf), but he did play in Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons, notching two pass breakups.

Diggs has star potential, but injuries have hampered it the past two season. If the Cowboys are going to turn things around, though, they’ve got to start creating turnovers. There’s nobody on Dallas’ defense not named Parsons better than Diggs at creating havoc.

Hurts hasn’t thrown an interception since September 22nd, so perhaps he’s due for one. Diggs needs to make it happen.