It’s time to start talking about it. The Dallas Cowboys defense led the league in forced turnovers in 2021 with 36. It was an amazing contrast to what they were under Mike Nolan a year prior, but Dan Quinn had the formula. In 2022, the turnovers aren’t coming as often, but everything else seems to have improved.
This time, it was Sean McVay and the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams. Aside from two huge pass plays, the Rams weren’t able to get anything going on offense as Dallas made them one dimensional by stifling the run game. For the first time all season Dallas won the toss and was able to get that elite defense on the field, and they never looked back. Dallas matched their 1972 defense, holding their fifth-straight opponent under 20 points with a 22-10 win to improve to 4-1. It’s the first time since 1972 they’ve accomplished that feat. That’s right, during the Doomsday era.
The pass rush started off as they’ve been all season, tremendous, stripping Matt Stafford on a third-down sack. Dorance Armstrong, who would block a punt on the next series, took down the Texas native and DeMarcus Lawrence scooped the ball up and returned it for a score.
Dallas’ defense had to stand tall throughout the game, and did so, culminating in a penultimate drive where Osa Odighizuwa took down Stafford on second down before pressure led to a Malik Hooker interception near the goal line. The defense had to make one more stop for posterity and they did, with Micah Parsons getting his second sack of the game, a strip sack that Dallas recovered.
In between the defensive dominance, the Cowboys had to once again rally. A long catch-and-run by Cooper Kupp gave the Rams a 10-9 lead, but Tony Pollard responded with a 57-yard jaunt where he broke three tackles before scoring. It was Dallas’ biggest gain of the year and part of a 165-yard ground performance.
The win helped Cooper Rush improve to 4-0 on the season as Dak Prescott continues to work back from a Week 1 thumb injury. Rush has won his first five career starts, extending the Cowboys’ franchise record.
Next up for Dallas is a Sunday night matchup on the road with the last remaining undefeated team in the league, 5-0 division rival Philadelphia.