After falling in Week 1, the Cincinnati Bengals have to rebound in Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys. While it didn't appear as though the football gods were on their side in Week 1, an unfortunate injury to Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott should make Week 2 an easier match-up for the stripes.
Prescott injured his thumb during the Cowboys' season-opening loss to the Buccaneers and now, according to Adam Schefter, he was scheduled to have surgery on his thumb on Monday, which puts him out 6-8 weeks.
With Dallas next up on Cincinnati's schedule, this ensures that it'll be Cooper Rush starting against the Bengals defense and not Prescott.
A timeline from overnight: Cowboys’ QB Dak Prescott is scheduled to have surgery on his right thumb today and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks, multiple sources told ESPN’s @toddarcher.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 12, 2022
Bengals dodge a bullet by not having to face Dak Prescott
While the Cowboys defense should still give the Bengals plenty of issues, not having the starting quarterback out there gives Cincy a huge edge. They're big favorites over the 'Boys and it's not surprising why considering that Rush has started one game during his NFL career.
The Week 1 loss to what looked like a horrid Pittsburgh offense was a tough pill to swallow for a team that was representing the AFC in the Super Bowl just seven months ago. A Prescott-less Cowboys offense now presents the Bengals with a chance to right the ship and get their first victory of the 2022 season.
With how well the Bengals defense played in Week 1, it's hard to imagine the Cowboys offense being able to move the ball very well with Rush at the helm. If the Cincy offense can get it going this week, this game could end up being a blowout favoring the stripes.
Having Prescott out there would have certainly made the game more fun but teams should take these less difficult wins when they come up on the schedule. The Bengals might get grief from other fanbases about beating a Cowboys team that doesn't have Prescott but they can only play the teams on their schedule and can only play the guys who are available to suit up. Take the wins when you can get them.