Tag: 2023 Week 8

Major takeaways after the Cowboys blowout the Rams coming out of the bye week

With a matchup looming in Philadelphia, here are 3 major takeaways from blowout of the Rams and the first seven games in general. | from @cdpiglet.

The Dallas Cowboys took down the Los Angeles Rams by a final score of 43-20. That’s known as a scoragami, a unique final score that had never been achieved across the entire history of the NFL. The Cowboys hadn’t achieved this complete of a  team performance this season, either. Dallas had won in blowouts, but not with the offense pulling as much weight as they did against the Rams.

For the first time in 2023, the offense was at the very least an equal partner in victory. The special teams unit stood out, and the defense was far from poor, but this was a game that saw the Dallas offense set the tone early and put it away officially with their first drive of the second half that went 17 plays and took up nearly 10 minutes.

The Cowboys are playing their best football a week ahead of their biggest game of the season in Philadelphia. This is the next big test in the NFC, the first since the San Francisco 49ers game. What major takeaways do the Cowboys need to dive into this week to continue to play at such a high level?

 

By The Numbers: Cowboys-Rams was a whole lot of fun, analytically speaking

In the Cowboys Week 8 win, they showed things are evolving, they’re great at home, coverage and pass protection are better than advertised. | From @ReidDHanson

With the Cowboys 43-20 win over the Rams, they move to 5-2 and claim the second-best record in the NFC. Their decisive victory over the playoff hopeful Rams acted as a statement coming out of the bye week. It showed they could be dominant in all three phases, and it showed their offense was still evolving.

The Jeckel and Hyde start to the season had them in the hunt all season but did little to quiet skeptics. Both critics and supporters are sure to be scouring through the numbers of this Week 8 showdown to support their respective arguments.

And the numbers were telling. From running game success rate, to play-calling, to snaps, coverage and pass protection, the numbers showed inquiring minds much this week.

What might the numbers show exactly from Cowboys vs Rams?

3 things learned from the Cowboys 43-20 victory over the Rams

The Cowboys beat the playoff hopeful Rams by a convincing margin in Week 8, here are three valuable items learned from the win. | From @ReidDHanson

Every week offers learning opportunities for both the Cowboys and the fans who support the Cowboys. Some lessons learned are nice, while others are downright painful.

Dallas experienced both ends of the spectrum in their most recent trip west, losing convincingly to the 49ers and winning dramatically to the Chargers.

One of the key items learned in previous weeks was the offense appeared to be a work in progress. The post-Kellen Moore era has been sorting itself out throughout the season’s first half, with noticeable changes popping up nearly every game.

In Week 8’s showdown against the Rams on Sunday, Dallas learned a number of lessons enroute to their 40-23 victory.

Despite snowballing into a halftime blowout, many important things were made clear. They can help shape the Cowboys’ identity, shift strategy and highlight areas of concern going forward.

Why the Cowboys should have keen interest in Matthew Stafford’s injured thumb

The Cowboys want the Rams to beat teams like the 49ers and Seahawks in upcoming matchups because it could improve Dallas’ playoff seeding. | From @ReidDHanson

When Matthew Stafford began favoring his right thumb in Sunday afternoon’s matchup against the Cowboys, Los Angeles showed obvious concern. After he later cracked it against the top of Mazi Smith’s helmet, the concern grew and may have even spread.

Not only were the Rams understandably concerned with their franchise QB’s health going forward but some Cowboys fans were concerned as well. Not just for the individual player but for the team going forward.

The Rams are a viable competitor in the NFL this season. With a high-end coaching staff, high-end passing game, and high-end pass rush, they have the ability to upset anyone – especially those within their division.

Playing in the NFC West, Los Angeles has their work cut out for them. They still have games against the 5-3 49ers and the 5-2 Seahawks on their schedule They will be hard-pressed to edge either team out for a playoff spot without a head-to-head victory over one or both.

The Cowboys are currently chasing Philadelphia for the NFC East crown. Whether Dallas wins the division or comes in second, they’ll likely be competing against one of those NFC West teams for postseason seeding.

In other words, they want Seattle and San Francisco to lose games this season and a great way for that to happen is Stafford being under center for the Rams.

According to Adam Schefter on ESPN’s “NFL Live,” Stafford does not have a break, but rather has a torn tendon.

“Matthew Stafford is dealing with a tendon issue in his right thumb that the Rams believe will take a couple days to figure out whether or not he can come back,” Schefter said.

His status for Week 9 is yet to be determined but with a bye week approaching in Week 10, it may behoove him to sit and rest. Because fast approaching right out of the bye week is a matchup with the Seahawks.

While the Rams can ill afford to lose their game in Week 9 against Green Bay, they need to prioritize their divisional games.

The Cowboys have a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Rams but don’t against the 49ers, so they would rather Los Angeles beat San Francisco than the other way around.

The Cowboys also have an upcoming game against the Seahawks so they aren’t completely at the mercy of others if they can’t win the NFC East themselves.

Even in the month of October, it’s a game of playoff positioning. The Cowboys want to see all the other NFC playoff hopefuls run into as many speed bumps as possible. And Stafford is one heck of a speed bump.

Homefield advantage is enormous in the postseason and Dallas is currently riding an 11-game home win streak to illustrate how big it is for them these days.

They have to take care of their own business but a little help from others certainly doesn’t hurt. That’s why all Cowboys fans should have a keen interest in Stafford’s thumb.

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Studs and duds in Cowboys’ 43-20 rout of Rams

The stars shined for the Dallas Cowboys in their 43-20 blowout win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 8, but what were the negatives? | From @BenGrimaldi

The Dallas Cowboys came off their bye week in style with a dominating 43-20 win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 8. It didn’t take the Cowboys long to set the tone by scoring on their first three offensive possessions, while getting scores from the defense and their special teams to kickstart the blowout. The impressive all-around performance helped give the team their fifth win on the year.

In routing the Rams, the Cowboys secured their second city sweep of the season, beating both teams from Los Angeles in back-to-back games. Dallas accomplished the feat in the first two weeks of the season, beating both New York teams. Here are the studs and duds from second 40-burger for the Cowboys in the Week 8 win.

Good, Bad, Ugly: Cowboys’ OL overcomes shaky start, playmakers shine in 23-point win

From @ToddBrock24f7: The Cowboys’ 43-20 win had plenty to celebrate, but there are concerns on the offensive line and the margin could have actually been bigger.

After the first few snaps for the Cowboys’ offense, it looked like the team had come out of the bye week more rusted than rested. But after a third down Rams penalty gave Dak Prescott and company a new set of downs, and new life, he and the team made the most of it. Four of the first five Cowboys drives ended in points (and the one that didn’t was a tip-ball interception that turned the ball over to L.A. on the doorstep of the end zone).

Add in a pick-six from DaRon Bland and a blocked-punt safety, and it was a dominating 33-3 lead before the two-minute warning of the first half. It wasn’t all perfect, as Dallas let the Rams narrow the gap after the break before finally slamming the door. The 43-20 win could have actually been bigger; the Cowboys incredibly missed on multiple scoring opportunities.

The complaints are nitpicky after a 23-point win, though, and there’s plenty to celebrate before turning attention to Philadelphia. Here’s a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of Week 8’s big win.

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LOOK: 75 of the best pics from Cowboys dehorning the Rams

The Dallas Cowboys returned to the field and remained on the winning side of the ledger on Sunday. Sandwiched around a Week 7 bye, the club has swept their second foe-city back-to-back of the season. In Weeks 1 and 2 they took out the Gotham Knights. Now in Weeks 6 and 8 they took to the Battle to L.A.

Dallas emerged victorious, 43-20, to improve to 5-2 on the young season and put themselves in position to take control of the NFC East next week when they travel to Philadelphia. In Sunday’s win, all three phases excelled at the highest of levels. The offense was precise, passing for over 300 yards as Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks tormented the Rams’ secondary. The defense harassed Matt Stafford into an early exit and the special teams scored as well.

All in all, a tremendous day for Dallas. Get those right-click-save-as fingers ready, and relive the victory through the wonderful photogs from USA Today Sports and Getty Images.

Dak Prescott’s return to glory earns Week 8 Player of the Game

Prescott continued to take careful control of the ball, but the bye week seems to have brought the downfield element back to the offense. | From @TimLettiero

Expectations had been tempered as the Cowboys reached the unofficial midpoint of the season. Dallas has been excellent both at home and when coming off their bye recently, but they faced a fiery Los Angeles Rams team that doesn’t go down without a fight. Or so everyone thought.

Dallas struggled on their first few snaps, allowing a lot of pressure to get to quarterback Dak Prescott. Then a switch flipped and the offense clicked while the defense dominated, allowing the Cowboys to walk away victors in convincing fashion. A 43-20 victory improved Dallas to 5-2 on the season.

Prescott finished the contest with 304 yards passing and an over 80% completion percentage. His CPOE was +16.3 as he repeatedly pushed the ball downfield with precision passing. It was his signature game of the 2023 season thus far.

Lamb to slaughter: Cowboys find killer instinct by targeting top weapon

The Cowboys offense rises to a different level when they feed their star WR CeeDee Lamb. | From @ReidDHanson

Year 1 of the Mike McCarthy offense has had its fair share of bumps, earning criticism both externally and internally. The most public of internal criticisms came from CeeDee Lamb, amidst the Week 5 loss to San Francisco. The Dallas Cowboys’ star WR was frustrated by his role on the team and let his displeasure known rather publicly.

The Cowboys responded in Week 6, prior to their bye, feeding Lamb the ball to the tune of seven receptions for 117 yards in their 20-17 win over the Chargers. If Week 8 against the Rams is any indication, it’s a something that may be permanently ingrained in McCarthy’s mind. Lamb finished the 43-20 victory with 12 receptions for 158 yards and two touchdowns.

Behind the Lamb-led offense, the Cowboys took a 33-9 lead into the half. Even with Los Angeles’ ensuing third quarter touchdown, the game was well in hand and the Dak Prescott-to-Lamb connection was largely to credit.

Lamb averaged 0.89 EPA/play receiving on Sunday. His 12.5 total EPA earned was second only to Prescott. He even added a run that produced 0.79 EPA on its own.

It wasn’t a flawless effort but it was extremely efficient and opened opportunities up for others in the second half.

For the first time since a disastrous 2020 season in which Prescott was lost for the year, the Cowboys found themselves outside the top-10 in offensive rankings.

They went into their bye week with a renewed sense of confidence, though, following the win in L.A. Lamb proved to be their biggest playmaker on offense, and the key to unlocking McCarthy’s passing attack. But would their lessons learned in Los Angeles stay learned or was it destined to be forgotten?

The immediate results are certainly hope inspiring.

Over the past two games, Lamb has averaged 9.5 receptions, 137.5 yards and a touchdown. It’s a pace many would be thrilled to see continued and puts Lamb on level ground with the NFL’s top tier of pass catchers.

Great offenses find ways to get the ball to their best players. Motion, formations, and route combinations are all ways to free up players who have otherwise been locked down by the opposing defense. And make no mistake, opposing defenses will try to lock down Lamb.

Per Next Gen Stats, Lamb is one of just four WRs over the past two seasons with multiple receptions on five different routes. It speaks to his ability to run different routes and his ability to make plays. He has no obvious limitations.

Lamb’s growth in 2023 is proof the Cowboys offense is continuing to grow as well. While Lamb deserves credit for his performance, it’s the gameplan that’s ultimately responsible for giving him the opportunities.

Kudos all around.

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Instant Analysis: Cowboys dismantle Rams in every way, win 43-20

The Cowboys came out of the bye ready to excel on all cylinders and they used the Rams to prove their point. | From @KDDrummondNFL

It appears the Dallas Cowboys took their bye week very seriously. On first glance, the team needed a couple snaps to get themselves in rhythm. The Cowboys started with the ball and Dak Prescott was taken down on his first three dropbacks. However an illegal contact on the second sack gave the club a new set of downs and the next sack was not enough to derail the oncoming train.

Dallas finished that drive in the end zone and the rout was on. The Cowboys raced out to a 30-point first-half lead, the largest deficit of Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay’s career. And while the Rams were able to score bookending the break, there was little doubt to this game as Dak Prescott painted a masterpiece with four passing touchdowns to augment the stellar effort by both the defense and special teams. Dallas opened the second half of their schedule with a decisive 43-20 victory.