The Cowboys had just completed a Triplet’s Era-like road win in Los Angeles, grinding out a long, clock-exhausting drive that let kicker Greg Zeurlein fell the Los Angeles Chargers at the gun.
Dallas’ offensive balance was a line from the ’90s. 198 yards on the ground and 227 through the air. Dak Prescott posted a most Troy Aikman-like line: 23 of 27 completions, averaging 8.8 yards per attempt.
To old hands, the win brought back warm and fuzzy memories of road wins in difficult places. For the younger set, weaned on Romo magic, the efficiency was hard to square. Prescott was mocked in some regions of social media for a “pedestrian game.”
Further disputes, and confusion, came from the manner in which the Cowboys threw their weight at a Chargers unit not used to being pushed around. In the glory days, a rushing line like this would have come almost exclusively from Emmitt Smith’s feet. In recent years, the base has seen Ezekiel Elliott finish off opponents in Smith-like fashion.