The Dallas Cowboys secured the win versus the now 2-5 Eagles on Monday Night Football, advancing to 3-4 on the season. Here is what we learned.
Dak Prescott is at his best with a balanced attack
This is shocking to all football-knowers out there, I’m sure. But if you give any quarterback in the NFL an adequate rushing attack, you instantly elevate both them and the receivers on offense. This is basic football knowledge yet coach Brian Schottenheimer has gotten away from it situationally throughout the year and outright altogether last week.
After an absurd 54 pass attempt game from Dak Prescott, balance was the word of the week. Schottenheimer delivered on the night, calling 37 designed rushes on what was ultimately the most balanced they’ve looked all season. There is a reason this offense made moving the ball look effortless for most of the night; much of that comes from the balanced attack we saw from start to finish.
Javonte Williams and Tyler Goodson pair well together
Javonte Williams ran for 155 yards on the night – the first time a Cowboys running back crossed the 150 mark since Ezekiel Elliot in 2018. This offense also featured a steady dose of Tyler Goodson, racking up 38 yards on 10 carries. The one-two rushing punch helped the Cowboys offense put up the most points they’ve scored this season.
The hammer and speed approach worked well against the Eagles all night long. This offensive line bullied defenders in the trenches, Williams made tacklers pay, and Goodson offered a bit of speed and agility, cranking out some nifty runs throughout the night. This is a pairing that Dallas should continue to utilize at a high rate for the remainder of the season.
The defense played well enough; concerns still exist
The first two drives of the night for the Eagles were laughable for the Cowboys defense. This looked like it was going to be a long night against a backup quarterback, backup wide receivers, a banged up offensive line, and a mash unit at running back led by an obviously hurting Saquon Barkley. But after the first two nightmarish drives, the defense buckled down and let up just seven points for the rest of the night.
The run defense was the most problematic piece of the night. This is supposed to be a strength of the Cowboys defense yet on the opening drive they were absolutely gashed by an ailing Saquon Barkley behind a suspect offensive line. They struggled to stop the run throughout the night allowing nearly five yards per rush to the Eagles backfield.
Against backup quarterback Tanner McKee, the Dallas defense fared a bit better but still was not as good as you’d hope considering who they were matched up against. Quinnen Williams and Donovan Ezeiruaku were able to each sack the quarterback, both coming late, and DeMarvion Overshown snagged himself an interception on his first night back into the lineup.
As a whole, the defense played well enough to win, especially after the first two drives. They really shined once Dallas went up two scores and forced McKee to catch up with under nine minutes left. But they lacked a consistent pass rush and they allowed far too many easy catches on the night, constantly sticking too tight to their zones and abandoning receivers just to cover grass across the middle.
Christian Parker needs to tighten up the zone-match concepts with his players or we’ll continue seeing receivers run wide open in the flats as we did tonight and have throughout the season. Still, this was the third straight game the defense allowed 24 points or less, and for that, we celebrate.