The Dallas Cowboys are a bottomless pit of content. Their very dramatic descent to 3-5 entertained the part of a nation that would rather watch America's Team fail than succeed. With Dak Prescott staring down what could be a very significant injury, there was the slim possibility that there would be less grist for the mill down in Dallas. But just when one begins to think that the Cowboys could flounder into rote and boring irrelevancy under the watchful gaze of backup Cooper Rush, two titans of ESPN get together on and cooked.
In a segment beginning at the 9-minute mark below, Mike Greenberg asked the assembled panel if the Cowboys should start Trey Lance instead of Rush. Let's just say that Dan Orlovsky and Adam Schefter had differing opinions on the topic.
"If you're the Dallas Cowboys there is zero reason to not play Trey Lance," Orlovsky said.
Backing up his case is the idea that the team went out and got Lance for a fourth round pick so this is the perfect chance for them to see if that was worthwhile. Plus, the younger quarterback is probably far more likely to be a long-term answer as a backup in Dallas or play his way into becoming an attractive trade piece.
Schefter pushed back a bit and asked some followup questions, but things really got going when Orlovsky envisioned a world where Rush won two or three games to improve his career 5-1 record, which might lead people to suggest Rush should supplant Prescott, the highest-paid player in football.
"Dallas would love to have that problem," Schefter said. "There are so many hypotheticals here. No way."
The complex hyrda of sports arguing is such a marvel to make. Here they are on a Thursday morning arguing what would happen if an extreme hypothetical came to pass and if it would be a segment on their show. Yes, it's silly. It's also a great question.
If Rush comes in and looks great, moving the Cowboys into playoff position at 7-5, would the argument that he should start over Prescott reach the highest level of the industry?
I think it would. Moreover, it wouldn't be that crazy of a suggestion. If Rush were 4-0 and was winning 90 percent of his NFL games, people would be advocating for him to remain in with a straight face. And for the on-field goal of winning, they might have a point. All of this to say, if it happens, it'll be debated on shows like and the pundits will not be unanimous in their takes.
