The Dallas Cowboys entered Sunday’s contest with a chance to create some distance between themselves and their division rivals. Facing off against the one-win Giants, the team also got a boost from the early game as the Washington Football Team fell to the New Orleans Saints. A victory in the early evening would give Dallas a two-game division lead over them and the Philadelphia Eagles, who Dallas defeated two weeks prior. It wasn’t a pretty effort overall, but there were enough attractive plays to piece together a double-digit victory.
Quarterback Dak Prescott overcame two first-half turnovers, one right near the Giants goal line, to lead Dallas to three scoring drives in four possessions surrounding halftime. Dallas’ defense was able to corral a Giants’ team that suffered numerous in-game injuries and when the dust settled, the Cowboys won their fourth game in a row, 44-20.
The Cowboys are now +53 scoring on the season.
Kellen Moore’s offense once again rolled, compiling 515 yards of total offense. Dan Quinn’s defense, not to be outdone, scored once again and record two turnovers for their fifth-straight game in 2021. The Dallas defense has a streak of 9 straight going back to last season, the longest streak in the league since 2010.
Trevon Diggs came through with the first, then late in the fourth quarter Anthony Brown sealed the game with a Pick-6 of backup Mike Glennon.
Dallas was committed to the run once again, striking in the passing game when necessary but deciding that bludgeoning the Giants’ defense into submission was the best plan for the day. For the fourth-straight game Dallas gained over 150 yards on the ground, this time 201, as Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard once again looked like an unstoppable storm of crackling thunder and electric lightning.
Elliott finished with 112 total yards and two scores.
His star-RB counterpart Saquon Barkley didn’t finish the game as he was one of several New York offensive starters who left with injury. Barkley stepped on Jourdan Lewis’ foot and rolled his ankle. Later, QB Daniel Jones suffered a concussion on a run and he and WR Kenny Golladay (knee) sat out the second half as well.
Things didn’t start smoothly for the Cowboys, as their opening drive ended at midfield with a fourth-and-two tipped interception at the line. Two drives later, a snap to Prescott’s left side was fumbled, ending a great scoring opportunity.
Through it all, though, the Cowboys’ defense held tight. They kept the Giants’ offense muffled while the offense sorted out there issues and by halftime Dallas was leading by seven points. The second half was pure domination as Dallas dominated their third-straight opponent to improve to 4-1 on the season.
Leading Passer: Dak Prescott 22 for 32, 302 yards, 3 passing TDs, 1 INT
Leading Rusher: Ezekiel Elliott 21 rushes, 110 yards 1 TD, 2 recs 1 TD
Leading Receiver: CeeDee Lamb 4 receptions, 84 yards 1 TD
Leading Defender: Micah Parsons 8 tackles, 3 QB hits
Next Game: 10/17 – 3:25 p.m. Central @ New England Patriots
[vertical-gallery id=682627][lawrence-newsletter]