History speaks volumes
The quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys has accomplished something that no other quarterback in the history of the franchise has ever managed to achieve. His remarkable feat was to go undefeated in his first four games as a starter. Perhaps even more remarkable is that the Cowboys player is the undrafted backup quarterback Cooper Rush.
Considering the decorated quarterbacks who’ve been under center for America’s Team that couldn’t achieve it, it’s not something to turn your nose up at. Let’s take a closer look at look at some of those quarterbacks:
Prescott
To make the comparison fair, we must include the starter of the 2022 season, Dak Prescott. In 2016, Dak had a sizzling start to his young career. Prescott won three of his first four games as a starter. Though he lost his very first game to the Giants by a single point, he’d catch on fire and win his next 11 games. The Cowboys went 13-3 his rookie season, matching Romo’s single season total in wins. His performance helped propel Jason Garrett to receive Coach of the Year honors.
White
Danny White was drafted by the Cowboys in the 3rd round primarily as a punter behind Staubach. Instead, he signed with the World Football League who used him as a quarterback. When the league folded, he signed with the Cowboys and resumed his punting duties. He had only started (and won) in one game as a quarterback when he eventually took over the starting role. White won three of his first four starts. His first loss was against Denver in hostile territory. He eventually led Dallas to three consecutive championship game appearances.
You can have your favorites and opinions, but a true Cowboys fan respects all of them.#CowboysNation pic.twitter.com/wmBQXVMCe3
— Jerry Jones’s Yacht Captain (@MJBIV4) November 5, 2021
Romo
The league underrated Tony Romo and he went undrafted but was supposedly highly sought afterwards by several teams. Afterall, he had broken school records at Eastern Illinois. Romo rode the bench for a while after being drafted during the Bill Parcells era. His first start was against Carolina during the 2006 season. Romo won three of his first four starts as a rookie. His loss came in a close game against Washington. Despite his 24 fourth quarter comebacks and 29 game winning drives, he is still remembered by many as a “choke artist”. He reigns as easily the most polarizing quarterback of his era.
Aikman
Troy Aikman was drafted by Jimmy Johnson onto a fully rebuilding Dallas Cowboys team. Immediately, he was thrown to the wolves and went 0-11 as a starter. This wouldn’t deter him, however. He went on to become the most decorated Cowboys QB. John Madden repeatedly titled him the most accurate passer in the league. The three-time Superbowl winning quarterback is currently an award-winning analyst who we most know and love. Aikman didn’t win any of his first four games but made up for that by going 3-0 in Superbowl appearances.
Staubach
Though his Superbowl rings aren’t on as many fingers as Aikman’s, Roger Staubach is widely considered the greatest QB to play for the franchise. He was drafted in the 10th round as a future selection in the 1964 draft by the Cowboys. After serving in the Navy, he eventually made his first start as a 27-year-old rookie in 1969. His first loss as a starter came in 1970 against the St. Louis Cardinals. He was awful in that game, only completing two of his six passes coupled with two interceptions. Roger the Dodger eventually became a Superbowl MVP and celebrated two Superbowl victories, yet only won three of his first four games as a starter.
That’s five Superbowls and a whole lot of wins worth of quarterbacks. But this list is obviously not comprehensive, as others surely belong here too. The point is to demonstrate that this four-game winning streak couldn’t even be achieved by some really good Dallas quarterbacks, let alone the hall of fame legends.