For the benefit of the Cowboys and McCarthy, the coaching staff must use more innovation in response to Dak Prescott's injury.
The Cowboys were already on the verge of developing into a possible, ooh-worthy spectacle until Jerry Jones informed reporters that Dak Prescott will miss several weeks due to a fractured joint in his thumb. The old-school Cowboys material that we haven't seen in a long time. Jones used to live for the deep, multifaceted turmoil.
Nobody wants to overstate the significance of a single game, but the Mike McCarthy era has already lost most of its handy justifications. Time was bought by Prescott's injury in 2020, which caused him to miss 11 games. Dan Quinn replaced Mike Nolan as the defensive coordinator the next season, buying time. All of it was partly excusable and might have been explained away as the normal growing pains a team goes through.
But after nearly blanking on national television in the season opener, the McCarthy regime burned off the rest of its goodwill before learning that Cooper Rush will start against the Bengals, Giants, and Commanders (at least). The prospects of Dallas maintaining its lead in the division for a time are significantly skewed by the fact that there are two division opponents that won their season openers in addition to the defending AFC champions.