ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Cooper Rush’s eighth career start comes as a fill-in for Dak Prescott as quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. It will be his first attempt to immediately come back from one poor performance when losing.

Rush won his first four starts in 2022 as the backup to the franchise QB sidelined at the time by a broken thumb, he then threw three interceptions in a loss at Philadelphia prior to Prescott’s return.

Now, Prescott is out for the season with a torn hamstring, and Rush is coming off an anemic passing performance as the Cowboys host AFC South leading Houston (6-4) on Monday night.

Dallas (3-6) is on a four-game losing streak and is 0-4 at home, quickly fading in the NFC East as defending division champions with a three-year playoff streak. The Texans’ visit will come five days after Prescott’s season-ending surgery.

“We’ll think about him, but for us, we’ve got to go out there and compete for him like he’s there, as far as competitive spirit and leadership and all that,” said 2023 All-Pro receiver CeeDee Lamb. “We have to go a step further and then do the things we expect of ourselves.”

Much of it will start with Rush, whose 45 yards passing in last week’s 34-6 loss to the Eagles were the fewest for a Dallas starting quarterback since Matt Cassel had 37 before being benched. ​in a 19-16 loss to the New York Jets. late in another losing season in 2015.

The Cowboys’ third loss at home this season was the first since Prescott injured his hamstring in a 27-21 loss in Atlanta.

“I think Cooper has to get us in and out of runs and passes and get us into the flow of the game,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “You have to distribute the ball to the playmakers on the perimeter 53, 54, 55 times a game, whether you’re handing it off or throwing it. We must return to that functionality during the attack.”

Rush took a shot in the head when he dropped a snap and lost a fumble inside his 20-yard line, a miscue that gave Philadelphia a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

The undrafted 31-year-old has been unflappable in his eighth NFL season, but may have been a little confused by the unforced error as he finished 13 of 23 with a paltry average of 1.96 yards per attempt.

“Obviously I was frustrated by it,” Rush said. “It was their field position. It was frustrating, but the next drive we went straight onto the field. I think we did really well that stage and got points, so I was happy to see us bounce back like that.

Rush has lost his past two starts — both against the Eagles — after winning his first five, including one in 2021 when Prescott suffered a calf strain.

The Cowboys succeeded with Rush in 2022 because he protected the ball, going without an interception while throwing for an average of 194 yards in the four straight wins.

That was also one of three straight seasons in which Dallas finished with a turnover margin of at least plus-10.

The Cowboys are minus-10, which is 29th in the NFL, and have committed five turnovers in each of the past two home games. Rush didn’t throw an interception against the Eagles, but lost two fumbles.

“We have a lot of confidence in Cooper,” McCarthy said. “Everyone believes in him. How can you not base that on how he has performed? That fumble and recovery got off to a rocky start, and I felt like he never got into a rhythm.

Two of Rush’s five touchdown passes in his five-game stint two years ago were to Lamb, but that was before Lamb’s breakout 2023 season.

His career highs of 135 catches, an NFL best, for 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns led to a long holdout that ended when Lamb signed a $136 million, four-year extension in August.

Now any hope rests on a rebound that would keep Dallas’ fading playoff hopes alive on getting the Rush-Lamb combination going.

“I take full responsibility for aligning with him,” Lamb said. “Obviously we’re going to use this thing for the rest of the season. I have the most confidence in him. I don’t care what happened last week.”

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AP N.F.L.: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL