FRISCO, Texas — Dak Prescott will be “in the lead chair as far as reps” for practice in the latest sign that the star quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys will return from injury Sunday against Detroit.

Coach Mike McCarthy left little doubt about the end of Prescott’s five-game absence because of a fractured thumb on his throwing hand. The quarterback said over the weekend he expected to play.

Prescott threw 40 passes during a scaled-back practice Wednesday coming off a late game at Philadelphia.

“I thought he looked very good,” McCarthy said. “We’ll look to expand that (Thursday) and put him in the lead chair as far as reps just to give him the opportunity to prepare to play.”

The Cowboys (4-2) lost to the undefeated Eagles 26-17 with first place in the NFC East on the line.

Now they face the Lions (1-4), one of two one-win teams in the NFC. Dallas gets another struggling opponent at home next week against Chicago.

Dallas won four consecutive games with Cooper Rush replacing Prescott after the 2016 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year fractured his right thumb in a season-opening loss to Tampa Bay.

The winning streak pushed Rush’s career record to 5-0, including a victory last season at Minnesota.

Although Rush no longer has a perfect record, the Cowboys are one of just four teams in the NFC with a winning record through six weeks. Three of those teams are in the NFC East.

McCarthy credited the players’ participation in the offseason program and a mostly healthy training camp in California with helping Dallas stay in contention without Prescott.

“I think it’s a credit to the whole team, especially what Cooper Rush was able to do,” McCarthy said. “I think it’s all those things, they add up and then it’s all part of keeping the train on the tracks.”

JETS: Wide receiver Elijah Moore, who recently expressed frustration with his suddenly limited role, was excused from practice by the team to attend to a personal matter involving his family.

Moore wasn’t seen during the early portion of practice that reporters can watch. Coach Robert Saleh, who doesn’t have a news conference on Thursdays, briefly updated reporters standing on the sideline on the reason for Moore’s absence without providing details.

In the first of three posts on Twitter, Moore said: “Love my teammates!” That was followed by: “When someone tell u how they feel the first time BELIEVE THEM!” The final tweet read: “God I need direction.” The last two have since been deleted. Earlier Thursday, Moore also tweeted: “God makes no mistakes..I trust u through it Allllllll.”

Moore, a second-round pick last year out of Mississippi, created some buzz Sunday on social media after New York’s 27-10 victory at Green Bay – the team’s third straight win – when he quote-tweeted a reporter’s post that pointed out he had no receiving targets in the game.

“If I say what I really wanna say…I’ll be the selfish guy…we winning,” Moore said in the since-deleted post. “Grateful! Huge blessing! All I ever wanted. Butter sweet for me em but I’ll be solid. So I’ll just stay quiet.

“Just know I don’t understand either.”

Moore is coming off a promising rookie season during which he caught 43 passes for 538 yards and five touchdowns in 11 games, including six starts.

His production is down this season, though, with just 16 catches for 203 yards and no scores in six games – all starts – while working in an offense that includes wide receivers Corey Davis, rookie Garrett Wilson and Braxton Berrios, tight ends C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin and pass-catching running backs Breece Hall and Michael Carter. The Jets have also focused more on running the ball in recent weeks.

“We’ve had conversations. He’s fine,” Saleh said Monday when asked about Moore’s postgame tweets. “He’s a competitive young man. Like everybody, when you’re a competitor like him, he wants to contribute.”

Saleh added he has no problems with Moore.

“He’s one of our high-character individuals,” the coach said. “I love him to death. Eventually, the production part of it that he’s hoping for will come. He’s just continuing to work.”

On Thursday, offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur echoed Saleh’s comments and added he has had “open dialogue” with the wide receiver, but “we’re going to keep it in-house.”

The Jets play at Denver on Sunday. There was no immediate word on when Moore would return to the team or whether he’ll be available to play in the game.