There may have been a question or two about exactly what the 2021 Dallas Cowboys were when Week 16 started, but those questions are no more. Winners of three straight, all on the road, entering the contest, Dallas secured a playoff berth without doing anything on Saturday. They then secured the NFC East title for the first time since 2018 and 24th time overall on Sunday before hitting the field. So when they hit the field, they certainly had reason to put on a strong performance to celebrate.
That they did, scoring in every which way imaginable as Dak Prescott continued to work his way out of a mini-slump while the defense continued their trajectory towards the title of league’s best. Dallas put up over 300 passing yards in the first half en route to a 42-7 halftime lead. The defense and special teams turned in their own scores as Dallas absolutely throttled the Washington Football Team, 56-14, to improve to 11-4 on the season.
The 56 points is the most scored in the NFL this season and the most Dallas has scored since 1980.
Things were so good, Prescott was pulled midway through the third quarter as Cooper Rush got just his second extensive action on the season. The damage had long been done after Prescott turned in a 27 for 35, 321 passing yard, 4 touchdown first half. Prescott completed seven passes each to Amari Cooper and Dalton Schultz in that half, with both scoring touchdowns along with Ezekiel Elliott and offensive tackle Terence Steele.
That allowed Prescott to be the first QB in NFL regular-season history to complete a TD pass in the same game to a running back, wideout, tight end and offensive lineman.
Not to be left out on the fun, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence tipped a pass to himself and then wove through the offense to score his first career touchdown. In the third quarter, a Corey Clement blocked punt led to a Chauncey Golston touchdown recovery.
It was the team’s third blocked punt of the year, tying their 1991 record. Lawrence and Steele scoring is the first time an offensive lineman and defensive lineman have done it in the same game ever.
Those two players became the 18th and 19th Cowboys players this season to score touchdowns.
Rush didn’t slow down when he relieved Prescott either, finding Malik Turner for a 61-yard catch-and-run of epic proportions before getting it to Turner again for a score.
The 42-point margin of victory moves Dallas back into the No. 2 seed in the NFC with two weeks to go. If the Cowboys win their final two games (vs Arizona and @ Philadelphia) they will have a shot at the top seed should Green Bay lose one of their final two games.