Cooper Rush: Leading Cowboys to Win over Vikings 'Just as Good as the Dream'

Cooper Rush waited more than four years for his moment to arrive. When it did, he took full advantage.

Rush threw for 325 yards and two touchdowns in the Cowboys' 20-16 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, leading a game-winning drive that culminated with a five-yard pass to Amari Cooper with 51 seconds remaining. 

"Yeah, you definitely dream about them, and it's just as good as the dream," Rush told reporters. "It's pretty awesome to be able to show everyone and to be able to win like that. You always want to win like that."

Rush started his first NFL game Sunday in place of Dak Prescott, who sat out with a calf injury. He entered Week 8 having thrown only three NFL passes, none of which had come since 2017. 

"I was glad everybody got to see that because that's Cooper Rush," Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said. "I think that's a real strength of him. He plays the quarterback position like a seasoned veteran that's played 10, 12 years in the league. That's the man I get to see every day. He's very steady, very intelligent. He's a great teammate."

Prescott was a game-time decision for Sunday and will likely be back under center in Week 9, but Rush's performance shows why the Cowboys have kept him hanging on the roster despite being an unheralded, undrafted free agent.