The good times were rolling for the Dallas Cowboys heading into Week 6 of the 2022 season. Cooper Rush had filled in admirably for the Cowboys in the absence of Dak Prescott, leading Dallas to four straight wins after their disappointing Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Some were even openly questioning whether or not Prescott should get his starting job back when he was able to return to the field.
That all came crashing down in Week 6 against the Philadelphia Eagles, as the Cowboys put together an ugly outing on their way to loss number two on the season. The offense struggled to move the ball, and while the defense held their own for most of the night, it wasn't enough to lead to a win.
Losses are the result of poor team play, but that doesn't mean that there aren't players who are more responsible for the loss than others. With that in mind, let's single out three players from the Cowboys who struggled in this game, and ultimately ended up playing a big role in their team's second loss of the season.
3. Trevon Diggs
Trevon Diggs didn't have a horrible outing in this game, but he wasn't at his best when his team needed him to be. Diggs drew a tough matchup against A.J. Brown on the night, and while he held his own, it wasn't enough, and his untimely struggles are a big reason why his team suffered a loss in this one.
Brown finished the night with five catches for 67 yards and a touchdown, all of which paced the Eagles pass catchers in this game. Trevon Diggs was often the guilty party when Brown got the ball, although he wasn't involved in his touchdown play. Still, it would have been nice to see Diggs silence Brown, but he was unable to do so in this one.
Diggs has had a bit of an inconsistent start to the 2022 season, and this game against the Eagles was more of the same. It wasn't horrible, but Trevon Diggs has set a higher bar for himself after his breakout 2021 campaign, and he wasn't able to reach it in this contest. Whether he will be able to change that moving forward could have big repercussions for the Cowboys.
2. Kelvin Joseph
It's rare that a special teams player could have such a negative impact on his team without committing a blatant miscue, such as missing a couple of field goals or muffing a punt. Kelvin Joseph isn't a kicker or punt returner, but he is involved in most of the Cowboys special teams units, and he made a couple of big mistakes that cost Dallas big time in this game.
The first mistake Kelvin Joseph made involved getting run into by KaVontae Turpin on a kick return where he looked well on his way to going the distance. Joseph basically tackled Turpin, and had he not, Turpin probably scores a touchdown. The Cowboys still managed to get a field goal, but that loss of four points is always going to be big.
Joseph also negated a 34-yard punt return from Turpin later in the game that forced the Cowboys to go from their own 39 yard line all the way back to the seven. Dallas would actually score a touchdown on that drive, but it took nearly half of the third quarter to do so, which is notable considering the Cowboys comeback attempt eventually ran out of time. Overall, it wasn't a great outing for Kelvin Joseph, and it's not a good thing when your main job is special teams and you find a way to end up on this list.
1. Cooper Rush
For all the hype surrounding Rush's potential takeover for Prescott, it came to a pretty fitting end against the Eagles. Rush obviously has his limitations, which many people were far too quick to gloss over, and they all came to light against Philly. Rush reminded folks why he's a backup for Prescott rather than a starter in this game, and it seems likely he will be heading back to the bench in Week 7.
Rush completed just 18 of his 38 passes for 181 yards and touchdown, while also throwing three interceptions along the way. Rush never really found a rhythm, and while he kept Dallas in this game, it's hard to believe that Prescott wouldn't have played better than him in this contest.
Despite the Eagles being 6-0 now, this was a winnable game for the Cowboys, and their inability to win falls on Rush's shoulders. He did his job filling in for Prescott, but this game served as a reminder that he isn't on Prescott's level, and ended the quarterback controversy that many tried to will into existence. Rush has proven he can hold his own, but his weaknesses were exposed in this one, and it will likely be awhile before we see him back on the field for Dallas.
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