Cowboys 56, Washington 14: Dallas Shuts Up Critics; My Top 10 Whitty Observations

On a record-setting night when the Cowboys clinched the NFC East, produced more defensive takeaways and jumped to another early lead, we've got 10 observations ...

On a record-setting night when the Cowboys clinched the NFC East, produced more defensive takeaways and jumped to another early lead, we've got 10 observations on Sunday's 56-14 win ...

10. EARLY TKO - Two weeks ago in Washington the Cowboys jumped to a lead of 18-0 in the first quarter. Sunday night at AT&T Stadium it was 21-0 just 13 minutes into the game. The Cowboys scored three touchdowns before WFT picked up its third first down.

9. DAK-TASTIC - For a week at least, quarterback Dak Prescott silenced the critics who were concerned about his post-calf injury play. 

Running an up-tempo offense against a depleted, dysfunctional Washington defense missing its top two tacklers (Landon Collins and Cole Holcombe) and enduring physical altercations between defensive linemen (Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne) on the bench, Prescott and the Cowboys gashed WFT en route to a 42-point first half. He was accurate with his throws, completing 21 of his first 23 passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns. And he looked comfortable and athletic scrambling, rushing four times for 21 yards early. 

After throwing for only 211 and 217 the previous two games, he had 321 yards by halftime and finished with 330. His four first-half passing touchdowns set a Cowboys' record and his yards were the most by an NFL quarterback in the first half this season. Until further notice, safe to say Dak is back.

8. BEASTS OF THE EAST - After this cakewalk win, make it 15-1 for the Cowboys in their last 16 NFC East games with Prescott at quarterback. That includes 5-0 this year by a combined 189-81. Prescott improved to 9-1 against Washington. 

Total divisional domination.

7. A VERY AMARI CHRISTMAS - All receiver Amari Cooper wanted for Christmas was his two front teeth ... and lots of passes. The squeaky wheel, turns out, got the holiday grease. 

Cooper caught a pass on the game's first play and was targeted four times - he caught all four for 45 yards - in the first quarter. Prescott threw five of his first 17 passes to Cooper and the receiver wound up with a team-high 11 targets and 85 yards. He also caught a touchdown just before halftime to increase Dallas' lead to an unfathomable 42-7.

6. MAN OF STEELE - Last week in New York it was offensive lineman Connor McGovern who slipped into the end zone on a pass route, only to see Prescott find Dalton Schultz for the touchdown. Sunday night the Cowboys' first touchdown pass caught by a lineman in more than 50 years went to Terence Steele. He sneaked from his right tackle spot to catch a perfect floater from Prescott to make it 35-7. The last Cowboys' lineman to do was Hall of Famer Rayfield Wright, who caught a scoring pass from Don Meredith in 1968. Steele spiked the ball so hard it caromed off the turf and into the stands beyond the end zone. He became the 18th different Cowboy to score a touchdown this season, a franchise record that stood all of 10 minutes before Chauncey Golston returned a blocked punt for a score in the third quarter to become No. 19 and make it 49-7.

Keep the celebration vibes comin' 🙌#WASvsDAL | #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/43gp9vz5ig

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) December 27, 2021

5. HOME SWEET HOME - This was the Cowboys' first home game in 31 days and it's safe to say they atoned for their Thanksgiving overtime loss to the Raiders. Their 42 first-half points tied the franchise record set in a 49-14 win over the Eagles in 1969.

4. HOT SEAT - Ironic that Washington stole the Cowboys' idea and imported its own heated benches to Arlington. First of all, the roof was closed on a balmy, 75-degree night. Secondly, tempers flared on the bench in the first quarter when two WFT defensive linemen got into a physical altercation. As memorable as the night was for Dallas, it was equally forgettable for Washington.

3. 11th HEAVEN - Trevon Diggs continues one of the most amazing seasons by a defensive player in the history of the franchise. On Washington's first play, quarterback Taylor Heinicke tried to surprise Dallas by going deep to speedster Terry McLaurin. But Diggs - flashing his Pro Bowl DNA - never took his eye off his off the quarterback while running stride for stride with the receiver. Then, as he also almost always does, Diggs completed the play with uncanny ball skills and sticky hands to come down with his NFL-leading 11th interception. 

That ties Everson Walls' single-season team record set in 1981 and increased Dallas' league-leading total to 24 picks before DeMarcus Lawrence pushed it to 25 later in the first quarter.

First #WashingtonFootball play. Choose to go at Diggs. #Cowboys Pro Bowl - like always - plays it like he’s the intended target. That’s 11 picks. pic.twitter.com/fHy9w6zQFD

— fishsports ✭ (@fishsports) December 27, 2021

2. DAZZLING DEMARCUS - In a season filled with stunning defensive plays, Lawrence may have produced the best of 'em all. With Dallas already up 14-0, he leaped in the air and deflected a Heinicke pass with his right forearm. But that was just the beginning. He then caught the ball, immediately stiff-armed a tackler and weaved his way down the sideline for a 40-yard interception return.

Take that, Trevon. 

Added with Steele's touchdown, Lawrence helped make Cowboys' history. In 1,008 games over 62 seasons, Sunday night was the first time Dallas had touchdowns scored by both an offensive and defensive lineman and a special teams player in the same game.

DEMARCUS LAWRENCE INCREDIBLE PICK-6! @TankLawrence

📺: #WASvsDAL on NBC
📱: https://t.co/RVn6kdfzlm pic.twitter.com/fOPgbcenng

— NFL (@NFL) December 27, 2021

1. LATE CHRISTMAS GIFT - Fittingly in the wonky season that is 2021, the Cowboys officially clinched the NFC East championship during pregame warmups late Sunday afternoon when the Las Vegas Raiders beat the Denver Broncos. Something about strength of schedule or somesuch. 

“I didn’t discuss it with the team,'' said Dallas coach Mike McCarthy of having already clinched before kickoff. "To me; it was irrelevant. We needed to go out and perform tonight; and we did that.”

The Cowboys will host at least one playoff game come January. And one of the strangest streaks in sports continues. With Dallas' title, the NFC East has a different champ for the 17th consecutive season. No other NFL division has gone longer than three without a team winning it in back-to-back years.