Since the Atlanta Falcons didn't play their starters in their second preseason game, it meant that all of their quarterback reps would go to two players: Cooper Rush and undrafted rookie Jack Strand.
And while Strand is the quarterback capturing the hearts of the fanbase, it was Rush who started in the Falcons' second preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts. Instead of his two-interception game against the Broncos last week, Cooper Rush had a major bounce-back game in the 31-6 win.
Rush started the first four drives of the game on Saturday, leading Atlanta to three scoring drives (two touchdowns and a field goal) before his younger counterpart came in. And in that time, he completed 10 of his 11 attempts (90.9%) for 86 yards as he seemed more comfortable in the pocket.
Cooper Rush is making the Atlanta Falcons' QB3 battle a debate again
The 32-year-old completed 36.8% of his passes last weekend against Denver, so seeing the more competent side of him made the QB3 debate a lot more interesting. Kevin Stefanski choosing to start him even after a rough Falcons debut feels like a show of faith in this staff's confidence in Rush.
The Central Michigan product made a couple of nice throws for the Dirty Birds in Indianapolis. His first pass attempt of the game went for 15 yards to rookie wideout Zachariah Branch, and he logged a 17-yard gain to Vinny Anthony II and an 18-yard gain to Chris Blair on the second touchdown drive.
The high-upside rookie is always going to get more attention, especially when he dazzles with his arm talent and mobility, but don't discount the veteran. The only time Cooper Rush didn't take reps before Jack Strand this summer is when he was newly signed and was still learning the Falcons' playbook.
And when you have a young QB with no regular-season (or D1) experience, it helps to keep a guy like Rush in the building, even if it isn't the popular decision. Last week, while Rush was struggling, it made a lot more sense to roll with Strand as the QB3, but that decision is a lot more up in the air right now.
For as good as the journeyman looked, the UDFA completed 12 of 17 pass attempts for 212 yards and a passing touchdown--and added another 22 rushing yards and another score. Considering the offense was firing on all cylinders, they both looked good, which saw the QB3 debate resurface.
The Falcons are in a situation where they might have to roster four quarterbacks now. The win over the Colts confirmed that letting Jack Strand hit the practice squad is too risky, but also showed Cooper Rush may still have a place in this QB room and a dog in this fight.
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