Cowboys QB Cooper Rush finds WR Jalen Tolbert for TD

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  • Todd Archer, ESPN staff writerDecember 22, 2024, 8:54 PM ET

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      Todd Archer is an NFL reporter at ESPN covering the Dallas Cowboys. Archer has covered the NFL since 1997 and Dallas since 2003. He joined ESPN in 2010. You can follow him on Twitter at @toddarcher.

ARLINGTON, Texas – The Dallas Cowboys’ playoff chances might have ended earlier Sunday with the Washington Commanders’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, but Dallas is off to a hot start as backup quarterback Cooper Rush remains hot.

Coming off the first three-touchdown game of his career last week against the Carolina Panthers, Rush threw an 11-yard strike to wide receiver Jalen Tolbert on the Cowboys’ second drive against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to give Dallas a 10-0 – guidance.

The Cowboys’ 52-yard drive opened with wide receiver KaVontae Turpin lining up at running back, and the touchdown pass came without a running back on the field. With attention on CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys were able to match Tolbert down the seam on linebacker Lavonte David, where Rush perfectly placed the pass over David’s shoulder to Tolbert, who clapped his feet for his sixth touchdown catch of the season.

Rush completed 8 of his first 9 passes for 60 yards. His lone incompletion came on a screen that Tampa Bay had a gem on, so he dropped the pass.