Dallas Cowboys 5 Keys to Win Checklist: Grades in 38-3 Win
The Dallas Cowboys made amends for their banana slip against the Arizona Cardinals last week by laying a brutal beatdown to the New England Patriots 38-3 at AT&T Stadium.
Before the clash, we highlighted five keys to win for the Cowboys as they looked to get back on the winner's list. So, how did they fare? Let's take a look.
1. Convert red-zone chances: FAIL. The offense again showed it had no trouble in getting down into the red zone as, at times, Dak Prescott had the offense walking up and down the field, but the inability to convert their chances again will be a blight on the performance.
Of course, 23 offensive points is nothing to turn your nose up at, but going 1-4 in the red zone won't get the job done against the better teams in the league.
2. Stop the "emotional" Ezekiel Elliott run: PASS. The return of Ezekiel Elliott was no doubt an emotional trigger for Dak Prescott and the Cowboys' locker room, but unlike last week vs. the Cardinals, they used that emotion correctly this time.
The Patriots tried running the ball but got nothing. Dan Quinn's unit kept New England to just 53 rushing yards on 23 carries (2.3 per carry). Also, Elliott had a dirty day himself, as he only had six carries for 16 yards, although the offensive turnovers rendered the running game useless in the second half. But it was stopped nonetheless.
Cowboys defense vs. Mac Jones
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
3. Clean up the penalties: PASS. There wasn't as much laundry today, which the Cowboys staff will be happy with. After 13 enforced penalties for 107 yards last week, Dallas tightened things up against the Patriots, only being flagged five times for 32 yards.
Against a Bill Belichick defense, you can't beat yourself, and the Cowboys, on both sides of the ball, did their best not to give the referees a chance to throw a flag. Last week's 13 penalties seem like an outlier.
4. Curtail Matthew Judon's game-wrecking ability: PASS The one defensive player who could wreck the game was Matthew Judon, and the Cowboys' offensive line did a good job of ensuring he didn't.
In truth, having Tyler Biadisz and Zach Martin return clearly helped. While Judon got two quarterback hits, he had little impact on the game, as he had one tackle and no sacks or tackles for loss. To make things worse, Judon suffered a bicep tendon tear early in the fourth quarter.
The Patriots' defense was clearly out-matched talent-wise, and the Cowboys did a good job of taking advantage of that.
5. Get the defensive identity back: BIG PASS Quinn's unit came out breathing fire, and after allowing a field goal on the Patriots' first possession, that would be the end of the scoring.
Sam Williams and Dante Fowler each recorded a sack, and DaRon Bland grabbed himself two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) as he now has the most interceptions in the NFL since 2022.
Leighton Vander Esch took advantage of Fowler's strip-sack as he picked up the ball and raced to the endzone as the defense put up points again.
In total, Dallas grabbed two interceptions, had two sacks, four tackles for loss, and two quarterback hits. Let's not forget Micah Parsons, who led the game with nine quarterback pressures per Next Gen Stats.
Said fellow pass-rusher DeMarcus Lawrence: “Last week, we played a huge role in beating ourselves. We made sure we came out this week more focused, more confident in our ability, and we had fun. You prepare the right way, it should turn out this way.”
It was not the usual stat-padding performance we have become accustomed to this season, but it was just as effective as Parsons and Lawrence helped force the Pats to bench QB Mac Jones in the third quarter. ... and in the end, 38-3 adds up to a fine overall grade.
