The Dallas Cowboys will go with either Garrett Gilbert or Cooper Rush at quarterback for Sunday’s down against the Pittsburgh Steelers, as indicated by mentor Mike McCarthy.
Rookie Ben DiNucci finished 21 of 40 passes for 180 yards with four sacks and two lost bungles in his first beginning, a 23-9 misfortune to the Philadelphia Eagles.
“Obviously Ben’s experience Sunday night, I think we all knew the facts going into it, the speed of the game, the challenges that were presented to him,” McCarthy said. “I just felt with the opponent that we’re playing, we need some more experience at that position.”
Gilbert and Rush have never begun a game and have consolidated to toss nine passes in their professions, yet their involvement with the class – Gilbert has been in the NFL now and again since 2014, Rush since 2016 – gives them an edge over DiNucci.
“Garrett Gilbert has been here for a couple of weeks. He’s had a chance to play in preseason games and just has more experience,” McCarthy said. “And no different with Cooper. Cooper played last year, very familiar with the system. [Offensive coordinator] Kellen Moore has a lot of confidence there. So we’re going to go through the week and then make a decision.”
The Cowboys are moving to their fourth beginning quarterback – and third in four games – after Dak Prescott endured a correct lower leg injury that finished his season Oct. 11 and Andy Dalton was put on the save/COVID-19 rundown Tuesday.
Dalton couldn’t play against Philadelphia due to a blackout endured Oct. 25 against Washington.
McCarthy trusts a choice on Gilbert or Rush, who was Prescott’s reinforcement from 2017 to 2019 and was delivered in the offseason, can be made before Saturday’s training. The Cowboys will have a lighter practice Wednesday prior to experiencing a full-cushioned exercise Thursday that goes longer.
This will be the first run through since 2015 that the Cowboys have begun four unique quarterbacks in a similar season. That year Tony Romo, Brandon Weeden, Matt Cassel and Moore were required, and the Cowboys completed 4-12.
McCarthy began four quarterbacks in 2013 with Aaron Rodgers, Seneca Wallace, Scott Tolzien and Matt Flynn. The Packers completed 8-7-1 and made the end of the season games. Tolzien and Wallace are currently Cowboys collaborators.
As hostile facilitator with the San Francisco 49ers in 2005, McCarthy utilized four quarterbacks with Alex Smith, Tim Rattay, Ken Dorsey and Cody Pickett beginning games. That group completed 4-12.
McCarthy said this is the first occasion when he has had an open rivalry for the quarterback work during a training week. His involvement with Green Bay after Rodgers endured a wrecked collarbone could support McCarthy.
“At the end of the day, every position room is designed to get the guys ready to play, whether it’s the offensive line room and there’s changes in there or defensive line room and changes in certain players potentially getting more reps in the game,” McCarthy said. “It’s obviously heightened in the quarterback room not only because of the responsibility of the position but because of the design of our room. There’s definitely are things you learn from, play design, game-planning process and playcalling thoughts. These are all part of our game plan weekly conversations.”
Concerning Dalton, McCarthy said the veteran is “doing fine,” and on the off chance that he advances through the COVID-19 convention, he could be back around the group toward the finish of one week from now. The Cowboys have their bye week after the Steelers game.
