The Dallas Cowboys offense was just too much for the New York Giants in Week 5. The front seven for the Giants didn’t have the speed nor athleticism to keep up with Dallas in the run game horizontally and the Cowboys were too big and strong for them on the second level. When New York decided to bring up and extra defender in the box, Dak Prescott and his passing game easily beat them over the top.
For the first time since 1983, when Danny White, Drew Pearson, and Tony Dorsett accomplish it, the Cowboys offense accumulated 200 rushing yards and 300 passing yards in a game. Too much for the Giants on defense, and too many injuries on their offense, they were over matched in this game. The New England Patriots are a true litmus test for Dallas.
The greatest coach in NFL history, Bill Belichick, will figure out a new way to test this elite Cowboys offense and it will be up to offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and Dak Prescott to counter his strategy. New England is excellent stopping third down conversions, and in the red zone, but they haven’t been elite against the rush this season.
Belichick has played a lot of man coverage with one deep safety this year. If the Cowboys can run the ball well, and force the Patriots to stay in that defense, instead of switching it up like they probably would want to do against this passing attack, then Dallas should be able to hit big plays with Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb over the top.
The defense for Dallas has its own issues.
They have been excellent against the opposing offense’s top two receivers, but have been attacked well by tight ends and running backs. New England doesn’t have top tier receivers, but they have two excellent tight ends, and two running backs that are problems in the passing game. Add a young quarterback who completes seventy percent of his passes and the Cowboys must take this team as the serious threat they can be.