After beating the Washington Football Team, the Dallas Cowboys are 9-4, with a three game cushion in the NFC East.
Whoever said there’s no such thing as an ugly win; or winning is all that matters, might want to reassess that statement. As should the Dallas Cowboys, who need to reassess themselves after a 27-20 win against the Washington Football Team.
The Dallas Cowboys defense, led by Micah Parsons, was relentless all afternoon. They made Taylor Heinicke uncomfortable in the pocket and took away the run game that the Washington Football Team has been so dependent on over their 4-game winning streak. That’s the good news.
The bad news is the Dallas Cowboys offense is still sputtering and not operating at its full potential. The ground game hasn’t been the same for the last month, and neither has quarterback Dak Prescott.
Prescott made two critical mistakes in his own territory that resulted in 10 points for Washington. This including a Cole Holcomb interception that was returned for a touchdown. To make matters worse, the offense is still plagued by drops and untimely red zone penalties.
At 9-4, the Dallas Cowboys now have a three game cushion in the NFC East. They are still in the hunt for a first-round bye in the playoffs. As disappointing as the offense has been, when you consider their talent, all of their issues are correctable. For what it’s worth, Mike McCarthy virtually promised a win from his team and he delivered. However, let’s not get things too confused. This game was won by the defense. Cowboys Fans, take a deep breath and exhale, while we trace this Murder by the Numbers.
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9 – QB Hits on Washington QBs
Heading into Washington, the Dallas Cowboys were expecting some much-needed help in Randy Gregory and Demarcus Lawrence. To say their impact was immediate, would be an understatement.
Gregory and Lawrence were practically unblockable, living in the Washington backfield with constant pressure on Kyle Allen and Taylor Heinicke. Sunday marked the first time Randy Gregory, Micah Parsons, and Demarcus Lawrence were on the field together and it was special. It may be a bold statement, but the Cowboys’ pass rush might be championship-caliber with their starting defensive ends.
A great example of that potential was when Gregory tipped a pass by Taylor Heinicke and intercepted it. The Cowboys then scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive. Not to be outdone, Lawrence made a play of his own; Getting the perfect jump off the line scrimmage to record a sack. The pressure from the Dallas Cowboys would only intensify from there. With both of their ends healthy, it allows the entire defense to reap the rewards of their presence.
2 – Sacks by Micah Parsons
Perhaps the biggest benefactor of that extra help is Micah Parsons. Once again, the speed and agility of Parsons was front and center. More importantly, so was the unpredictable way in which he could be used. On several occasions, Washington had to account for the different places Parsons was lined up presnap. He proved to be a problem, collecting 2 sacks to bring his total to 11 on the season.
At this rate, Parsons is not only the front runner for defensive rookie of the year, but he’s firmly entered the conversation for defensive player of the year as well. With four games left, the rookie sack record of 14 (Jevon Kearse, 1999) is within reach. Parsons’ rookie season may go down as the best all-time of any defender.
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3.6 – Antonio Gibson’s YPC
To win this game, the Dallas Cowboys needed to find a way to slow down Antonio Gibson. That’s exactly what they did.
Before a fumble that resulted in Ron Rivera benching him, there was no room for him to run. The outside zone runs that have been a staple for the Washington offense were shut down. Limiting Gibson allowed Dallas to keep Washington on 3rd and long, forcing Taylor Heinicke to beat Dallas with his arm. The result was a paltry 11 completions on 25 attempts (44%) and 122 yards.
Arguably the best improvement in the Dallas defense versus last year has been the interior defensive line. While the Dallas run defense may be about average, that progress made a big difference in this year’s unit. If Dallas can continue to force teams to be one-dimensional, it allows their pass rush to keep impacting games.
