Tag: game balls

The Dallas Cowboys came into Week 15’s matchup with the Los Angeles Rams as a broken team. The offense had looked horrible for three-straight weeks. The defense hadn’t looked right for much of the season and had several stretches in the last few games where players looked like they weren’t giving maximum effort. The special teams units were an embarrassment of the highest magnitude.

As a result, the owner had been on the radio several weeks in a row discussing the head-coaching search despite Jason Garrett remaining employed. It was an absolute mess and it felt as if things were going to change in 2019, it had to happen quick and in a hurry.  They did. Dallas summoned the pride of their ancestors and absolutely throttled the Los Angeles Rams, 44-21 to pull even on the season at 7-7.

The Cowboys reached their season high in points while at their lowest point of the season.

What a world.

It was over when…

… Dak Prescott somehow escaped a sure sack from Dante Fowler, stepped up into the pocket, and after the Rams’ secondary collided with each other, found Tavon Austin open for a wide open , 59-yard touchdown.

The score gave Dallas a 14-7 lead and announced that unlike the previous two weeks, the Cowboys wouldn’t be going in the tank after their first score of the game. This time, Dallas continued to play well on both sides of the ball and instead of getting ran, did the running, scoring 30 straight points to make the game into a second-half laugher.

Conventional Stats

Efficiency Stats

Game Balls

Sean Lee

Lee turned back the clock. Starting for Leighton Vander Esch once again, Lee missed the entire week of practice with pectoral and thigh injuries. The rest worked as he was all over the field when Dallas needed him most. Lee secured his first interception of the season and first since 2017 before halftime, giving Dallas another possession and allowing them to balloon their lead from 21-7 to 28-7.

In the second half, Lee came in for a huge sack of Jared Goff, his first full sack since 2015. It was a banner day for a player who has struggled much of the year in limited action.

Kai Forbath

Needing to be released back in February, somehow Brett Maher lasted through Week 14 of this season. Finally, Dallas brought in kickers to tryout and settled on Forbath. He flubbed the opening kickoff and it seemed destined to be a bad day when the Rams started from their 40-yard line.

Then Forbath went into Cobra Kai mode. He nailed a 50-yarder, then firmly knocked through two more field goals from over 40 and made five extra points.

He ended up kicking another one out of bounds late in the fourth quarter.

Ezekiel Elliott

Much has been made about Elliott’s lack of explosive plays this season. With the Cowboys struggling and Prescott playing the first half of the year in the MVP race, he’s been discounted far too often. Over the last several weeks he’s picked up his play, but it hasn’t been worth much as Dallas has trailed big early and abandoned the run game.

Not Sunday.

Elliott was masterful with several big gains on both the ground and through the air, ending the game with 160 total yards and two scores (both on the ground) giving him 11 touchdowns for the season.

Tony Pollard

 

When Elliott wasn’t giving the Rams’ defense the business, Pollard was spelling him and dictating his own terms. The fourth-round pick was sorely missed against Chicago 10 days ago, but he came through in a major way against the Rams.

In the playoff loss to LA, Dallas watched as Todd Gurley and CJ Anderson performed the dynamic duo role. This time, Dallas starred as the superheroes.

Pollard chipped in 85 yards on the ground, giving Dallas over 200 in rushing as a team, and also threw in another 12 yards receiving. He was everything we mentioned in our 5 to Watch pre-game column:

Ezekiel Elliott’s handcuff should see a ton of action against the Rams as the Cowboys offense looks to emerge from their doldrums that have infected their possessions over the last couple weeks. Pollard is a weapon in his shiftiness and tackle-breaking ability with excellent balance and needs to be part of both the passing and running game for the Cowboys.

Key Stat: 97

Rams’ punter Tom Hekker is a big weapon for their team. After Dallas earned a stop, leading 14-7, Hekker booted a masterful punt that placed Dallas at their own three-yard line with a lot of tough yardage to go. Eight minutes and 14 plays later, Elliott was celebrating in the end zone from one-yard out and Dallas had their second 90-plus-yard drive of the first half.

Quick Hits

• Jourdan Lewis is now third on the team in sacks after notching another one, his third in the last two weeks. He also leads the team in interceptions with two. Somehow, the Cowboys have kept their biggest playmaker on the bench for much of the last two years, as he is only starting due to Anthony Brown’s injury issues. Insane.
• Michael Bennett continues to notch pre-snap penalties, getting two off-sides called on him. Fortunately it was late in the game and didn’t impact the final result, but it is maddening.
• The Cowboys’ star receivers? Amari Cooer, Michael Gallup and Randall Cobb combined for just 22 total receiving yards.
• Blake Jarwin continues to be impressive with gaining yards after the catch, but Jason Witten turned back the clock on an early touchdown reception.

Highlights

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