How signing Trey Lance could help save the Cowboys' season

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FRISCO, Texas – If it's Raynes, it's pouring. The Dallas Cowboys are already struggling to score touchdowns in 2024 and are owners of a 3-5 record. They face the reality that All-Pro quarterback Dak Prescott will likely miss a significant amount of time due to a serious hamstring injury – he bumps Cooper – Rush and Trey Lance take the stage.

And possibly much longer than four weeks.

It's a team that averages just 21.4 points per game (20th in the NFL), and part of that belongs to All-Pro kicker Brandon Aubrey and not the offense itself. What the injury in every sense of the word Making matters worse is the fact that CeeDee Lamb is now trying to come to terms with what's called a sprained ACL in his shoulder, meaning one of the league's best at his position is less than 100 percent has.

With the Philadelphia Eagles harassing the Cowboys with the goal of finally breaking their spirit, it's time for Dallas to batten down the hatches.

But what exactly does that mean?

In my opinion, it means it's time to use Lance in this offense.

Please listen to me.

Rush has more than proven his ability to keep the Cowboys in the game, as evidenced by his 5-1 record over the final two periods when Prescott was sidelined with injury. Heck, his effort in 2022 was so impressive in proving people wrong and helping keep the season on track that I dedicated an entire Science Lab column to him as a “thank you” for his service.

You can read that by tapping on that blue line.

So when it comes to my belief in Rush, just know that it's stratospherically high. Still, I find it difficult – almost impossible, in fact – to imagine that his skills alone will be enough to pull the Cowboys out of the funk at the end of this season, because things look significantly different in 2024 than they were in the year 2022.

Two seasons ago, Rush didn't have to take many risks with his arm because he had an offensive line in front of him that didn't consistently allow much pressure and a defensive counterpart that led the league in takeaways and in-pass rush interference.

None of these things have been true through eight games this season.

Even when Prescott and Lamb were fully healthy, present and responsible, it's an offense that ranks at or near the bottom of the league in several key categories and consistently struggles to score touchdowns in the red zone. The offense also ranks 32nd in the league in rushing yards (656) and 31st in rushing yards per attempt (3.8).

Do you know who can help you with this?

Say it with me: Trey Lance.

To that point, Lance had more rushing yards in his three preseason appearances than any single running back on the roster had in eight regular-season games, with the exception of Rico Dowdle, who was the lone beacon in an otherwise dark storm of unproductivity. Playing behind a struggling offensive line could spell disaster for Rush, as was often the case for Prescott, who was sacked a total of 21 times in Week 9.

In contrast, Prescott was sacked just 20 times over the entire 2022 seasonand Rush was sacked just seven times in his five games this year – an average of 1.4 times per contest.

Currently, the Cowboys offensive line is allowing nearly three sacks per game.

Using Lance in certain packages ensures that the Eagles' defensive front, one of the strongest in the NFL and excellent at applying pressure from every spot on their defensive line, doesn't flatten its ears to take the kill shot every other play. Visions of Lance in read options that must be honored because of his speed dancing in my head and along with some designed runs could provide a jolt of electricity to the Cowboys' offense.

This is especially true in the red zone, where there are many problems.

Give me the canvas and brushes for a moment and allow me to paint a picture for you.

Imagine a red zone play where Lance makes an option play on a visit that causes the linebacker (Nolan Smith, Nakobe Dean) to honor him with indecision and in that split second a first down or touchdown is executed.

Now imagine a subsequent visit with an options play, but this time Lance puts it away and runs himself; or he puts it away and once the linebackers and defensive backs collapse to stop him, Lance throws it to a wide open Jake Ferguson (or one of his likely options in this scenario).

Can you smell what The Rock is cooking?

Granted, what you gain with these packages you lose in downfield accuracy and the “I've seen it all before” veteran IQ that Rush possesses, but that's football. And if you choose Rush exclusively, without packages for Lance, that also involves an incredibly high risk – e.g. B. less mobility in a pocket that was a danger zone when Prescott was standing in it.

It's always about risk and reward.

Mitigating the risk by combining the talents of Rush and Lance seems like the perfect medicine here to try and climb to a 4-5 record and maybe, just maybe, give yourself a fighting chance down the road heading into the playoffs, where maybe just maybe Prescott will be available and (even then) I'd say the Lance variable remains alive.

And need I remind you, the Cowboys are taking a $5.3 million cap hit on Lance ($311,764 per game in 2024) and still have no idea if he'll be a viable QB2 candidate in Dallas for the 2025 season? Lest you forget, they also gave up a fourth-round pick for him, one that would have turned into an impact rookie running back had he still had it in their pockets last April.

Playing it now that the opportunity finally presents itself seems like a no-brainer for as many reasons as you and I can imagine.

Finally, McCarthy continues to say that he needs his employees to take the next step in his development.

Well, give him something, and before it's too late – in every way.