The Dallas Cowboys are not in a good place with their quarterback situation.
How this is possible after signing Dak Prescott to a very lucrative contract in the offseason is not hard to believe.
In essence, the Cowboys put all their eggs in one basket with Prescott and will live and die accordingly.
He was already an injury risk coming off the ankle injury that kept him off the field since Week 5 in 2020.
Couple that with a throwing shoulder injury that is mysterious, and the team has been riding the backups through almost all of training camp.
Those backups are Ben DiNucci, Garrett Gilbert, and Cooper Rush.
To be clear, none of the three provide the Andy Dalton level of experience that came off the bench last year.
That brings us to DiNucci.
Fans of Hard Knocks know him as “Nooch” the avid chess player.
While a likable personality, his football skills are mediocre at this point.
Even Hard Knocks can’t make Ben Dinucci look good and they make everybody look good
— Digital Marketer (@kidyungn) August 19, 2021
DiNucci’s Stats
It’s time to move on from Ben Dinucci!!! pic.twitter.com/lbw0A9f3Cd
— Law Thomas (@LawsNation) August 22, 2021
His preseason performance has not been pretty.
He has thrown four interceptions and just one touchdown.
Lonnie Johnson pick-sixes Ben DiNucci pic.twitter.com/PfTc7MeI9d
— Rivers McCown (@riversmccown) August 22, 2021
27 completions for 255 yards in preseason means his regular season numbers could be even worse against starting players.
Could DiNucci Be On The Bubble
The next roster cuts happen on Tuesday, August 24.
Deadlines for upcoming #NFL roster cuts from the current 85-player limit:
* Tuesday: 80 players
* Aug. 31: 53 players (regular-season limit)— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) August 23, 2021
Teams will cut five players to go to 80.
Next week, the roster is dramatically cut to the final 53.
Could DiNucci be cut this week?
It is very possible given Mike McCarthy’s demeanor at this weekend’s postgame press conference.
He was visibly angry that the Cowboys turned over the ball so many times, and DiNucci was responsible for three of the turnovers.
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy: Preseason or not, “you’ve got to take care of the damn football. We obviously didn’t do that tonight.” Four turnovers, including three Ben DiNucci interceptions with a pick six. pic.twitter.com/lOMjx5RLDf
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) August 22, 2021
Honestly, the writing may have been on the wall before Saturday’s game.
Cowboys Vice President Stephen Jones appeared on 105.5 The Fan and was asked about the quarterback situation.
Here is what he said.
“I think Gilbert and Cooper have got to continue to work, and they’re fighting for that Number Two spot. Obviously, Gilbert’s got a little advantage there, but they’re obviously working to hold on to that role there.”
Notice anything amiss about Jones’ comments?
DiNucci’s name was never mentioned in the conversation.
DiNucci Delivered The Same Results In 2020
We have seen this before from DiNucci so no one should be surprised.
We were treated to a DiNucci preview during the 2020 season.
It involved one start and appearances in three games.
He completed 23 passes out of 43 attempts for 219 yards.
DiNucci averaged less than 10 yards per completion in his brief appearance in 2020.
He has very similar stats this preseason.
Though DiNucci did not throw any interceptions last season, he was sacked an alarming seven times.
Conclusion
No one knows who will be the Week 1 quarterback for the Cowboys when they take on the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
If it is DiNucci, there could be a mutiny among Cowboys fans because the game could be a bloodbath.
NEXT: Cowboys Have Too Much Talent To Fail Again In 2021