It’s no secret. High-stakes NFL games are often won on the critical downs. While early downs typically produce the biggest gains in yardage, third and fourth downs consistently prove to be the most pivotal in increasing win probability and expected points.
For the Dallas Cowboys, those critical downs have become the cornerstone of their offense. Third downs specifically, have separated Dallas from the rest of the pack, and against the Philadelphia Eagles on Christmas Eve, third downs proved to be the deciding factor.