Week 2:
Cowboys Deliver in DC
Once again, it looked like the Cowboys were going to stumble into trouble against an inferior divisional opponent. Dallas struggled in the first quarter. The offense managed only one first down, and Dak Prescott threw an ugly interception that bounced off Randall Cobb’s fingertips. For the second week in a row, the opposing team scored first. Moments into the second quarter, 34-year-old Adrian Peterson battled his way into the end-zone to give Washington a 7-0 lead. Despite a rough start, Dallas rallied, took a 14-7 lead into halftime and never looked back.
The final score: 31-21
The Player of the Game: Dak Prescott.
Just like last week, Prescott’s performance is what put this team over the top. His teammates are also contributing greatly. Zeke Elliott had 110 yards on the ground and a TD, and the receiving core continued to make plays. Prescott, however, is the player who has – through two games – put everything together. He’s put up some astoundingly good numbers: 674 passing yards, 7 touchdowns and has completed 51 out of his 62 pass attempts. Those are MVP level numbers – once again, through two games.
Elliott predictably increased his workload this week and carried the ball often on his way to a 111-yard game. Elliott is still finding his rhythm and will only get better as the weeks go on. It seems that offensive coordinator Kellen Moore has indeed unlocked the potential that this team has on offense. Jason Witten is still scoring, Cooper is as deadly as ever, Randall Cobb is proving to be a definite upgrade over Cole Beasley and Michael Gallup is emerging as a true number two to Cooper. This Cowboy offense is looking like it’s the real deal.
A note on Gallup: the second-year wideout underwent an MRI on his knee on Monday morning. The MRI revealed a cartilage issue; he’ll have minor surgery and should be back in two to four weeks.
Defensively, the Cowboys were, once again, respectable. Case Keenum was held to under 250 yards passing, and the Redskins’ ground game was limited to under 50 yards. However, small cracks in the Dallas defensive group are starting to show. Through two games, the unit has only two sacks and has not intercepted a pass. These are minor observations; it’s too early in the season to say that they’re a problem. The pass rush is more concerning than the lack of picks; a failure to get to the quarterback means that the defensive backs have to cover the opposing offense for more time. The longer they have to cover for, the more likely it is that a defensive breakdown will occur. As of right now, the Cowboys remain a talented group defensively and will look to improve in the coming weeks.
Next Sunday, the Cowboys return to Arlington to play the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins were absolutely obliterated in both of their first two games. They have been outscored 102-10 so far this season and are easily the worst team in the league. Miami’s lack of a quarterback, lack of skill position players and unquestionably low morale will help the Cowboys cruise to another victory. Elliott has a chance to dominate as the Dolphins have given up an average of 5.8 yards per running play. Prescott will likely continue his hot streak through the air, and Dallas’ defense has an excellent opportunity to get back to their 2018 standard. The Cowboys will also hope to get off to a faster start on Sunday than they have in the previous two weeks. Which they certainly will.
Dallas. 45-13, in Week 3.
