The Dallas Cowboys’ win in Week 12 galvanized a previously apathetic fan base. While the playoffs are still a long way off, things could get interesting if Dallas improves to 5-7 with a Thanksgiving win over the pitiful New York Giants.

While Dallas’ defense may have turned a corner, Cooper Rush’s performance last Sunday may be the biggest reason why fans are starting to buy back in. Many were eager to see Trey Lance, but it’s now clear that Rush gives the Cowboys the edge. the best chance to win.

That’s why it’s imperative that Rush starts on Thanksgiving, but his status seemed murky after he appeared on the injury report with a knee injury. It’s unclear when Rush suffered the injury, but he has gotten a plethora of hits in his three starts since Dak Prescott was injured.

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Rush was a limited participant on Monday and Tuesday. That only added to concerns, but the 31-year-old left no doubt about his status on Wednesday when he caught up with NFL Network insider Jane Slater.

That’s a huge sigh of relief for the Cowboys.

Rush being a limited participant in practice probably had more to do with rest and management than anything else. Again, he’s had some huge hits since taking over from Prescott. It’s huge that Rush is only dealing with pain and not a sprain or some sort of cartilage injury.

Sunday’s win over the Commanders was a lot like the recipe when Rush went 4-1 in five starts during the 2022 season. The defense played great for three quarters, the rushing attack kept Washington honest and Rush took what the defense gave him.

Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of Rush’s performance is that he tried to push the ball downfield. He averaged 7.7 yards per attempt in Week 12, compared to 4.6 against Atlanta, 2.0 against the Eagles and 6.4 against Houston, respectively.

Some throws were risky and almost got picked off, but mostly good things happened when he threw beyond the sticks. He connected with Jalen Brooks for a 41-yard completion and drew a pair of pass interference penalties from Washington.

Just as importantly, Rush got CeeDee Lamb involved. That’s also a testament to Mike McCarthy and Brian Schottenheimer, but Lamb caught 10 of 12 targets for 67 yards. You’d like to see an average target depth of over 3.8 for the All-Pro, but 12 targets is a perfectly happy medium.

With Rush ready to go, Lamb should have a celebration fit for a superstar on Thanksgiving.

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