Time to open up the attack?

Cooper Rush seems to be getting more comfortable with each game. Do you think he and the Cowboys should start opening up the offense more, like with more downfield throws? Or is it best to keep things as they are, more reserved? – Bobby Wilson/Dallas, TX

nickname: I think with everything, the more reps the quarterback gets, the more comfortable he’ll be. I think Cooper Rush throws a good deep ball and it may be something that gets used more and more. I just think the days of it being a 50-50 ball are over. Looks like it’s a 40-40 ball and a 20 percent chance of PI. I don’t have the exact stats on it, but it just feels that way. There appears to be a greater than 50 percent chance of getting the ball downfield, whether it’s a catch or penalty. So I’d like to see more of that. With that, you have to get the play blocked a little longer for the guys to get down the field. But the running game also plays a role. If the Cowboys can run the ball like they have the last two games, we’ll see more of the play action and the chance to throw it deep.

Kurt: I agree that Rush has gotten better every week, but I don’t think it’s time to open the floodgates. Before his injury, Dak Prescott got the ball out in 2.5 seconds or less on 65 percent of his pass attempts and averaged 5.6 completion yards per game. completion, which is how far the ball traveled in the air before it was caught. Of his 185 passes, 78 percent were nine yards or less. By comparison, Rush has gotten the ball out in 2.5 seconds or less on 79 percent of his attempts, while averaging 4.1 completion yards per carry. Among his 112 completions, 84 percent have been nine yards or less. And that doesn’t include the eight drops he’s had in that area (Prescott has four). So it’s clear the Cowboys rely on more of a short passing game with Rush, and here’s why — he has a 1.1 interception percentage, tied for third-lowest in the NFL. So I doubt we’ll see any changes to the offensive game plan. Rush will take his deep shots now and then, but his primary goal is to 1) take care of the ball, and 2) get the ball in his playmaker’s hands and let them go to work.