The past quarter century and change being what it is, it’s hard to imagine anyone feeling good about the Cowboys until they advance past the second round in the playoffs. I get that. But as we move through the necessary rigor that is the regular season, I think it is acceptable to take stock of what we’re watching and say, “This is an incredibly talented team.” There are 32 NFL teams, and the Cowboys are one of the six or seven best.
That was on full display again on Sunday, when they put 33 on the Rams in the first half en route to a 43-20 rout. Dallas showed everything that could be asked for heading into a pivotal division game in Philadelphia with control of the division on the line.
The Cowboys proved that, when things are going right, they are an absolute juggernaut, with shades of a ’90s-era West Coast offense that can’t be slowed because of the level of talent. You can call Dak Prescott a bus driver, but when this thing is on, he looks like he’s driving the bus from Speed. He won’t stop until you make him stop. And with CeeDee Lamb going to get any and everything thrown his way, you won’t.
One question about this offense over the last few weeks was whether it would ever push the ball down the field. The game plan scanned like the team had become too aware of and afraid of Prescott’s turnover issues last season, and that acknowledgment changed the way they were playing offense.
Something changed on Sunday. McCarthy and Brian Schottenheimer decided to throw the ball on early downs at a much higher rate than we’ve seen this season, putting it in the air on 31 first or second downs while running it 18 times. For context, the Rams had a roughly even split while playing from behind most of the day. Better still, Prescott pushed the ball. He looked like an MVP candidate. His air-yards percentage ( the number of yards his passes traveled) was the highest of the season, and after spending most of the season at the bottom of the leaderboard on passes thrown short of the first-down marker, he ranked 12th against the Rams. And, for what it’s worth, in spite of an interception that came off a tipped ball, he also had zero “turnover-worthy plays” according to Pro Football Focus. I believe Prescott can play the position at an elite level, in a way that produces big plays, while not putting the ball in the other team’s hands. That’s why he is paid what he is paid. It sometimes seems like the coaching staff forgets this, but that wasn’t the case on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Lamb proved he has a gear available that makes him unguardable: 14 targets, 12 receptions, 7 first downs, 6 missed tackles forced, and 158 receiving yards to go with a pair of scores. You can question his consistency, but only a handful of guys can do what he did. And, just like Prescott, this was a day when we say the offense utilized Lamb in a way that plays to his strengths. Lamb should be moving across the field in stride when the ball hits him, as he did so often Sunday. There is no sense in having him run 10 yards and turn around. That is not his strength.
Defensively, while the Rams’ pass rush came out of the gate with a level of pressure that threatened to dominate the game, Dallas once again got to the quarterback better than its opponent, headlined by Micah Parsons’ sack and six pressures. This should probably be expected when the Cowboys lead the league in pressure rate at nearly 50 percent, a ridiculous number that helps both sides of the ball When the contest starts with the offensive line being destroyed, it doesn’t matter as much as it did in years past because as soon as the Cowboys punt, it’s a virtual certainty they will do the same to the opponent.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the Cowboys are weathering Trevon Diggs’ absence just fine thanks to DaRon Bland, who continues to look like one of the NFL’s biggest late-round draft steals of the last several years. This dude is either the greatest at peeling off in coverage to bait a quarterback, the luckiest defensive back ever, the second coming of Everson Walls, or some combination of all of it. He is just always around the ball. I believe that the aforementioned pressure rate makes life easier on the backend of the defense, but the Cowboys still have to have players who can drive on the ball or go get one. And even with Diggs sidelined for the season, Dallas has one of the NFL’s best at sticking to receivers, along with a strong second corner in Stephon Gilmore and that deep well of safeties.
Even special teams got in on the action with Sam Williams’ punt block that led to a safety plus a pair of impressive returns from KaVontae Turpin (plus a third that went for a touchdown, only to be wiped out by a penalty).
At this point, what more can you say until they prove it in a big spot? That’s why, while the postseason is the true litmus test, Dallas proving itself against last year’s Super Bowl runner-up would go a long way toward inspiring confidence. Yes, the Cowboys have a quarterback who can make plays. They have a game-breaking wide receiver. They have the best defensive player in the world. They have the depth to handle an injury to a top-tier cornerback, including a replacement who is making strides toward being regarded as one himself. They have a head coach with a Super Bowl ring and a defensive coordinator who could coach half the teams in the league at a higher level than they currently enjoy.
It’s a very good team. Once again, it’s going to win a lot of games. We have just now fully arrived at the “show me when it matters” point. Sunday was another step in the direction of believing they can. Next week could be an exponentially bigger one.
Author
