Cowboys Win! The Dallas Cowboys week five match up brought them to Los Angeles to play the Rams. The Cowboys came to play, setting the tone on defense with a strip sack returned for a touchdown. Then special teams showed up with a blocked punt, all in the beginning of the first quarter. The Cowboys were ready to play and the Rams came out flat. Once the nerves settled the game had its moments, a few big plays from each offense, but the game was dominated by defense. This streak of wins is credited to great defensive play.
Rush Does Just Enough
Cooper Rush, 5-0 as a starter, did just enough to win the game. He threw no touchdown passes, no interceptions, and barely broke 100 yards passing on the day. The team struggled on 3rd down, only converting 5 out of 15 attempts. They ran 53 plays and were on the field for 29 minutes, which is not bad considering the Rams offense ran 64 plays for a total of 30 minutes. Rush was sacked three times, after an adjustment was made on Aaron Donald he actually had some time in the pocket. Overall, he managed the game in a way that allowed his team to win.
The Running Duo
Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard are two of the top running backs in the NFL. They have made up for the lack of fire power in the passing game even though the numbers do not necessarily reflect. This week versus the Rams Elliott was the work horse, with 22 carries. He had 78 yards, averaging 3.5 per carry, not an exciting stat line. His counterpart, Tony Pollard, had eight carries for 86 yards and the one offensive touchdown on the day.
Defense Doing Their Thing
This Cowboys defense is why they are winning. They have played great this season and their game versus the Rams was more of the same. They allowed one big play touchdown to Cooper Kupp, arguably the best receiver in the NFL. The run defense was outstanding, holding the Rams to just 38 yards on the ground. The secondary, not so good this game, allowed over 300 yards passing. But they did only allow the one touchdown, and they came up with one interception. If you asked Matt Stafford, it was a rough game. He was sacked five times and was under constant pressure. Even though the Rams moved the ball they were not able to put points on the board.
