Coming into Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys were in a position to get a statement win. Cooper Rush and the defense had led the Cowboys to three consecutive wins, but outside of the Week 2 win over the Bengals, the Cowboys hadn’t faced a respected team. A tilt with the defending champion Los Angeles Rams would test the Cowboys in a meaningful way.
The Cowboys answered the call with another dominating defensive performance in a 22-10 statement win over the Rams. The Cowboys improve to 4-1 on the season with a pivotal matchup with the Eagles next up. As previously mentioned, the Cowboys had doubters coming into this game. So let’s take a look at how the Cowboys answered those questions in a statement win and why fans of Big D should be excited going forward.
The Defense And Special Teams are Elite
The Cowboys’ defense is allowing a mere 14 points per game during their four-game winning streak. Outside of a perfectly thrown 54-yard bomb and the touchdown to Cooper Kupp, the Cowboys’ defense completely stifled the vaunted Rams offense. The Rams found themselves behind the chains with regularity, failing to gain positive yards on first down on six of nine possessions. The Cowboys also made the splash plays with two sacks leading to fumble recoveries. The first of which was returned for a touchdown by Demarcus Lawrence. The second was forced by Micah Parsons, which effectively ended the game. In addition, Malik Hooker recorded an interception as a result of intense pressure on Matthew Stafford.
The special teams were just as important. On the Rams’ second possession, the Cowboys’ punt defense blocked the kick, which placed the Cowboys in field goal range with a first down. The quick nine points made an early statement that the Cowboys were in control of this one.
When the defense is shutting down the opponent, and the special teams unit is getting hidden yardage, the Cowboys have no need to “rush” Dak Prescott back to the field.
Zeke and Pollard are a Problem for Defenses
Cooper Rush threw for just 102 yards and was hurt by two third-down drops. When the Rams took the lead in the second quarter, Tony Pollard exploded for a 57-yard touchdown run to put the Cowboys back in front. Pollard finished with 78 yards on eight carries. Ezekiel Elliott ground out 78 yards, and though he had a low yards-per-carry average, he picked up key first downs to keep drives going. Zeke also had a noticeable burst in the second half that seemed to be missing last season. If the running game continues to find this level of success when Dak returns, we are looking at a top-five offense.
The Cowboys have a Playoff Caliber Coaching Staff.
Read that again. The Cowboys coaching staff played a major role in the statement win. This team has won five in a row without Dak Prescott. Credit has to be given to McCarthy and his staff for his team being ready to play each week. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will most assuredly vault into the spotlight once head coach vacancies arise in January. Special teams coach John Fassel has fans excited to watch his unit on opponents’ punt and field goal attempts. It seems they came close to a block on each one and got the job done today.
Cowboys fans have a lot to be excited about these days. Not since the time of the Triplets have the Cowboys been this dominant in all three phases of the game. Can the Cowboys get another statement win over the 5-0 Eagles next week? This writer isn’t sure but will definitely enjoy a fourth consecutive victory Monday!
Are you pumped about the 4-1 Cowboys statement win over the Rams? Leave a comment below and keep the hype train going. Follow me on Twitter @CoachSparkman36 for more Cowboys content.