After rolling over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys appear to be figuring things out just in time for the NFC East title game next week.
The vultures were circling in Dallas as the Cowboys were spinning out of control, with many calling for Jason Garrett to lose his job in order to save the season. That may not be necessary after the Cowboys put together their most complete performance of the season, routing the Los Angeles Rams 44-21 to get back on track just in time for next week’s critical showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Cowboys got back to basics in this one, feeding Ezekiel Elliott early and often, and he rewarded them with 24 carries for 117 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Dak Prescott was efficient with the football, completing 15 of 23 passes for 212 yards and two scores, but the star of the day was the Dallas defense.
The game plan was clearly to take away Todd Gurley, and the Cowboys did just that, holding the Rams’ star running back to 18 yards on 10 carries. Getting ahead early also helped that cause, forcing the Rams to put more of the game plan on Jared Goff, who struggled mightily to find open receivers all afternoon.
Goff completed only 33 of his 51 passes for 284 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, but those numbers are pretty hollow since garbage time started right after the half, when Dallas built a 31-7 lead. This was a damaging loss for the Rams, who essentially had to win out in order to get to the playoffs, and now they are a loss or Vikings win next Monday away from being eliminated.
The statement of the day, however, was made by Dallas as they finally defeated a team that entered the game with a winning record. All of the talent that Dallas has finally came together in this performance, which saw all three units come together to deliver a comprehensive effort, including new kicker Kai Forbath going 3-for-3 on field goals and 5-for-5 on extra points.
The timing of this showing is fantastic for the Cowboys, who can clinch the NFC East with a win over the Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday. Even though the game is on the road, the Cowboys should feel confident since they were dominant and the Eagles struggled to get by the Washington Redskins. There is a realistic chance that this could be the beginning of a strong postseason run for Dallas, which has as much talent as anyone in the NFC but didn’t put it all together until today.