'Let's Get It Over Quick!' Dallas Cowboys Shut Down Rams Stars, Focus on Eagles

The Los Angeles Rams' receiving duo of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua had been firing on all cylinders, until they ran into the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

Coming into Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams, the Dallas Cowboys anticipated having their hands full on defense.

That's due to the fact that the Rams possess one of the top receiver duos in the league. On one hand, there's 2021 Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp, who had two straight 100-yard games after his return from injury earlier this month. On the other hand, there's rookie sensation Puka Nacua, who's had one of the best starts to his career of any receiver in NFL history.

The Rams' star receiver duo was firing on all cylinders, until Sunday's game against the Cowboys. During the showdown in Dallas, Nacua had the second-worst game of his career with just three receptions for 43 yards. Kupp had an even quieter game with four receptions for just 21 yards, his lowest total in a full game since 2020.

With their top two pass-catchers neutralized, the Rams were no match for the Cowboys in a 43-20 Dallas win. ... a win driven in part, in a weird way, by the defense having next week's foe, the hated Philadelphia Eagles, also on its mind.

Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons brings down Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford

"I talked to D-Law (DeMarcus Lawrence), I talked to Micah (Parsons) right before the game, and we said, “Let’s come out here, let’s get this game over quick, because we know what we got ahead of us next week,'' said Dallas safety Jayron Kearse. We came out and did that. Got it done early and (we) were able to sit down and relax a little bit at the end.''

There were a number of factors in this shut-down effort. Yes, the injury that quarterback Matthew Stafford suffered in the middle of the game certainly didn't help L.A.'s cause, but the Rams were thoroughly outmatched no matter who was under center.

Dallas' secondary had a dominant performance, and the stats reflect that. The star of the show was cornerback DaRon Bland, who had two passes defended and his third pick-six of the season. Fellow cornerback Stephon Gilmore also defended a pass, as did linebacker Micah Parsons and defensive lineman Neville Gallimore.

Earlier in the season, the Cowboys defense was off to a torrid start. ... "Doomsday'' was the word as they absolutely dominated in three of the team's first four games, allowing a total of 13 points in blowout wins over the New York Giants, New York Jets and New England Patriots. While Sunday's performance wasn't quite as dominant, it is a good sign that the the Cowboys have come back stronger after the bye week. 

"Every week,'' Parsons said, "we are trying to go get a win. But when we win the way we did today, you feel good about it.''