The Dallas Cowboys gained one other soccer recreation. Sure, it was towards the lowly three-win Carolina Panthers, but it surely nonetheless counts. This isn’t excellent news in the event you have been holding out for an ideal draft choose, however in the event you like watching your workforce win, in the present day was a superb day for you. It took a bit, however the Cowboys began getting issues occurring offense and protection. Listed here are 10 ideas on the Cowboys 30-14 win over the Panthers.
1. NORTH AND SOUTH RICO
For the third-straight recreation, Rico Dowdle set a brand new career-high for dashing yards. Towards the Panthers, Dowdle had 25 carries for 149 yards (6.0 ypc). He’s averaging over 130 yards per recreation in that span. Each week he appears higher. Dowdle is operating with extra vitality, displaying nice shiftiness, and has develop into a tough north-and-south runner. He’s been the workforce’s grinder and it’s labored nicely.
2. ANOTHER SHUFFLE FOR THE OLINE
What makes Dowdle’s resurgence much more spectacular is how the Cowboys are pulling this off with a banged-up offensive line. Each week they’re coping with a brand new harm. They began the day down two starters, Zack Martin (out for the 12 months) and Cooper Beebe (concussion). This week, backup guard T.J. Bass bought harm forcing the workforce to shuffle as soon as once more. Left sort out Chuma Edoga moved to proper guard and rookie Tyler Guyton took his spot at left sort out. Surprisingly, the offensive line held issues collectively nicely with Dowdle operating and Cooper Rush solely getting sacked as soon as. Not too shabby.
3. LAMB IS SPECIAL
Even with out Dak Prescott throwing him the ball, CeeDee Lamb is a star. He completed the sport with 9 catches for 116 yards and a landing. It was his first 100-yard efficiency since Rush took over at quarterback. On the Cowboys’ first scoring drive, it was all Lamb as he accounted for 62 of the workforce’s 77 yards. He solely had three catches, however he needed to work for them as a few passes have been underthrown. It didn’t matter although as Lamb made the required changes and got here away with the catch. The Cowboys have been lastly in enterprise.
4. COSTLY SWING
With the primary half winding down, it regarded just like the Cowboys have been on the cusp of scoring a landing and going up 17-0 within the recreation. However simply earlier than we might get excited, issues took a nasty flip when Rush fumbled the ball. The Panthers jumped on it ending the Cowboys’ possession. Then, on their very subsequent play, Bryce Younger discovered Jalen Coker wide-open for an 83-yard landing. As an alternative of 17-0, it was a 10-7 recreation.
5. RETURNING THE FAVOR
Simply as shortly because the Panthers shifted the momentum on the finish of the primary half, they instantly gave it again after they fumbled on the primary play from scrimmage within the third quarter. Osa Odighizuwa bought to Younger inflicting the ball to come back free. Chauncey Golston was fast to pounce on it. 5 performs later, the Rush discovered Jalen Tolbert within the nook of the tip zone for a landing. Identical to that, the Cowboys have been again up by 10.
6. THE TWO JALENS
That’s proper. You heard accurately. Tolbert scored a landing. It’s been an underwhelming season for the workforce’s third-year extensive receiver. He hasn’t had a recreation with greater than three catches since October and his greatest play got here on the game-winning catch towards the Pittsburgh Steelers. However now he has one other massive play as he hauled in a pleasant landing catch whereas maintaining each ft in bounds. It was his solely catch of the sport, but it surely was an enormous one. Talking of his solely catch, his teammate Jalen Brooks additionally had a catch, and it too went for a landing, the primary of his profession. It was good to see both of those two do one thing significant as these performs have been few and much between from the Cowboys’ depth receivers.
7. THE 70-YARD ATTEMPT
Mike McCarthy had probabilities to permit Cowboys’ kicker Brandon Aubrey to try a record-breaking area towards the New York Giants on Thanksgiving inside a heat, turfed stadium akin to AT&T, however he selected to not every time. Towards Carolina, a type of alternatives confirmed up as he had an opportunity to kick a 70-yarder proper earlier than the tip of the primary half. Sadly, the kick by no means had an opportunity. It was extensive left and significantly brief. The Panthers tried to return it, but it surely didn’t flip into something. Oh nicely, it was nonetheless enjoyable to look at.
8. MICAH AND FRIENDS
Bryce Younger had a tough recreation. He was sacked six instances. The Cowboys cross rush gave him all types of matches as 5 completely different gamers recorded a sack. However a lot of the harm got here from the Cowboys defensive linemen from their 2021 draft class – Micah Parsons, Osa Odighizuwa, and Chauncy Goltson. They every had 4 tackles on this recreation and at the very least one sack (Parsons had two). They have been stripping the ball, pouncing on fumbles, and simply creating all varieties of issues for Younger.
These three defensive linemen have been drafted by the Cowboys in 2021.
They every had at the very least one sack in the present day.
All three are nonetheless of their rookie contract, however that may change this offseason. pic.twitter.com/mQ62tlzlVG— Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) December 15, 2024
9. A GOOD GAME FROM LIUFAU
The harm to DeMarvion Overshown was devastating information final week as it would sideline one of many workforce’s prime younger defenders for fairly a while. With Overshown out of motion, it meant extra snaps for rookie linebacker Marist Liufau, and he took full benefit. Liufau completed the sport tied for the workforce lead in tackles and had a few splash performs. He had a sort out for a loss in addition to a pressured fumble when he punched the ball out of Younger’s palms. We miss Overshown deeply, but it surely was a superb displaying for the rook and provides some hope that he might be extra of a contributor going ahead.
10. MAKES LAST WEEK STING EVEN MORE
It’s all the time good to see the workforce play nicely, and successful soccer video games is nice. Though the season feels misplaced, we are able to’t assist questioning what might have been. The Cowboys have now gained three of their final 4 and have been so shut final week. Think about how a lot various things could be if Amani Oruwariye didn’t contact the ball on that blocked punt final week. The Cowboys could be using a four-game successful streak and sit a 7-7 with an actual shot at making the playoffs. And folks could be spending subsequent week speaking about how resilient the Cowboys are. Oh nicely.
