Cowboys and Dolphins jump in as favorites

The return to the starting lineup of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa gives their teams labels as favorites in their respective Week 7 games of the 2022 NFL season.

This Sunday the Cowboys will host the Detroit Lions, and the Dolphins will play at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Both teams lost in Game 6. Dallas fell 26-17 to the Philadelphia Eagles with Cooper Rush, its backup passer, at the controls; Miami, led by Teddy Bridgewater, its number two quarterback, succumbed 24-16 to the Minnesota Vikings.

The Lone Star team lost Dak Prescott, its star quarterback, in Week 1 to a right thumb injury.

Since Week 2, Cooper Rush has been in charge of the offense. In five games he had four wins against just one loss, outstanding numbers, but insufficient to keep him as the starter in the face of Prescott’s recovery.

Dak’s imminent lineup on Sunday against Detroit filled his teammates with optimism.

“We’re ready to get him back. As long as he’s healthy and ready to play it will be good to have him back,” running back Ezekiel Elliott asserted after last Sunday’s loss to the Eagles.

“The sky’s the limit with him coming back. Our offense is very good and with him we’ll show everybody,” said receiver CeeDee Lamb after the game in Philadelphia.

The Cowboys are third in the East division, the most competitive in the NFC, with a 4-2 record; Prescott’s return reinforces their status as favorites over the Detroit Lions, the worst team in the NFC with a 1-4 record that has them at the bottom of the North.

Miami is also excited about the return of Tua Tagovailoa, who led them to win their first three games. Without him, the Dolphins lost consecutive games to the Bengals, Jets and Vikings.

Tagovailoa was under medical surveillance for the concussion he suffered during the week four game.

The quarterback was released from concussion protocol last Tuesday so Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has him slated to start the game against the Steelers.

“The plan is throughout the week to get him in shape to start,” McDaniels confided in his Tuesday conference call.

Miami sits in third place in the AFC East with a 3-3 record; with Tagovailoa on offense they are favored to beat the Steelers, last in the AFC North with a 2-4 record.

Sunday also features the visit of the Kansas City Chiefs to the San Francisco 49ers.

Week 7 will begin on Thursday with Saints-Cardinals; it will close on Monday with Bears-Patriots. The teams that will rest are the champion Rams, the Bills, the Vikings and the Eagles, the only undefeated team left in the NFL.