National Football League

Cowboys keep winning despite issues. How good can they be at full strength?

Updated Oct. 2, 2022 6:49 p.m. ET

By David Helman
FOX Sports Dallas Cowboys Writer

Slowly but surely, the picture of a dangerous team is coming into focus.

Left for dead with a bad offense and a backup quarterback in Week 1, the Cowboys have rallied behind the steady hand of Cooper Rush to a 3-1 start.

And while the approach has largely remained the same throughout those three wins, it's fun to note the different pitches Dallas has added to its arsenal during that time span.

While it wasn't a pretty watch, the Cowboys' 25-10 drubbing of the Washington Commanders on Sunday might have been the most impressive of the win streak for the simple reason that they found success when their fastball wasn't working.

The Dallas run game, largely the engine that powered the wins over Cincinnati and New York, was ineffective against a Commanders front that is loaded with first-round draft picks. The Cowboys averaged just 2.1 yards per carry against Washington, and their ball carriers were dropped for a loss on seven different occasions.

"Another great team win!"

Cooper Rush talks with Erin Andrews about the victory against Washington Commanders and Dallas' impressive defense.

It didn't matter in the grand scheme, as Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore was happy to trust in Rush's ability to stretch the field — something Rush did admirably en route to two passing touchdowns and an incredible 4-0 record as this team's starter.

Officially, Rush's stat line was a modest 15-for-27 for 223 yards, but he was more than happy to dig out the big plays when he needed to.

Rush picked on Washington's secondary with a striking number of deep shots. He connected with Noah Brown for 45 yards on one of the Cowboys' four field-goal drives, and his second touchdown of the afternoon found CeeDee Lamb streaking down the seam for 30 yards.

And while it might not be obvious on the stat sheet, Rush clearly saw a matchup he liked with Michael Gallup going against Commanders cornerback William Jackson III. Rush targeted Gallup deep twice with Jackson in coverage and twice drew defensive pass interference penalties for a total of 65 yards.

Speaking of Gallup, this was not a bad afternoon for a guy returning from a torn ACL. The fifth-year wideout, fresh off signing a $57 million contract in March, was understandably on a pitch count in his first game back from injury. Still, in addition to his obvious abilities as a deep threat, Gallup caught two passes for 24 yards and a touchdown — a nice bit of improvisation between quarterback and receiver, as Rush extended a third-and-6 and found his man in the back of the end zone.

It's enough to make you wonder how effective this passing attack can be when Dak Prescott returns from surgery on his broken thumb. Lamb followed up last week's heroics with six catches for 97 yards and a touchdown, while Brown has now amassed 206 yards in three games since Prescott's injury.

Combine that with Gallup's return, not to mention Dalton Schultz's continued recovery from a knee injury, and some eyebrow-raising possibilities are in play.

Cooper Rush wins third straight start

Cooper Rush helped the Cowboys pick up a 25-10 victory against the Commanders.

And, of course, with the Dallas defense continuing its recent run of form, the possibilities are endless.

Sunday wasn't the sack-fest that many were anticipating after Washington allowed nine sacks to Philadelphia last week, but rest assured the Cowboys made life miserable for Carson Wentz.

In addition to sacking Wentz twice, Dallas also finished with two interceptions, highlighted by a diving effort from Trevon Diggs. They also forced Wentz into two brutal intentional grounding penalties with safety blitzes. The first killed a drive that had reached midfield and forced a Washington punt, while the second pushed the Commanders out of the red zone, forcing them to settle for a field goal.

While it all looked familiar to what we saw in Weeks 2 and 3, credit the defense for finding some new wrinkles as well.

The Cowboys lost starting nickelback Jourdan Lewis to a groin injury during pregame warmups, only to see his replacement — rookie DaRon Bland — nab an interception of Wentz that all but ended Washington's chances. Third safety Donovan Wilson also continued to shine in Jayron Kearse's absence, as he led all tacklers with nine punishing stops and pressured Wentz into one of those grounding penalties.

DaRon Bland helped seal things with a fourth-quarter interception. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Is it gratuitous to also heap praise on the kicker? On a day when the offense bogged down in the red zone, Brett Maher connected on all four field-goal attempts, pushing him to 10-for-11 on the season. It's fair to note the Cowboys had an extra point blocked, but the veteran's performance through the first quarter of the season has been phenomenal considering he wasn't brought in until the midpoint of training camp.

It's a lot of pieces to list, but that's the point.

Three weeks ago, this roster looked depleted, not capable of competing. And that was before the starting quarterback left with an injury. Three weeks later, the Cowboys have three wins, and they're finding contributions at every level of the roster.

As of this writing, it's still unclear when Prescott might return. Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones didn't have a firm update following this game. But each passing week brings that return closer, and each stacked win puts this team in a better position when that finally happens.

It's long past the point of being impressive that the Cowboys are capable of this. Now, it's hard not to find yourself wondering just how good this team can be.

David Helman covers the Dallas Cowboys for FOX Sports. He previously spent nine seasons covering the Cowboys for the team’s official website. In 2018, he won a regional Emmy for his role in producing "Dak Prescott: A Family Reunion" about the quarterback’s time at Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter @davidhelman_.