Cowboys Deliver Knockout in D.C.
The Cowboys (12-5) rolled into Washington and behind another sensational performance from quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and took apart the Commanders (4-13) in a 38-10 win in the regular season finale for both teams on Sunday afternoon at FedEx Field in North Englewood, MD. The Cowboys defense dominated with four sacks, as they roll into the playoffs as the conference’s No. 2 seed and the NFC East champion.
PRESCOTT NEAR PERFECT IN VICTORY
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott put up another All-Pro worthy performance, and he did it on the road with an NFC East championship and the No. 2 overall seed in the conference in the upcoming postseason hanging in the balance.
Prescott lit up the Washington pass defense to the tune of 279 yards and four touchdowns in a rout of the Commanders in the regular season finale for both teams.
Prescott completed 31 of 36 passes, with one interception, to finish with a QB rating of 124.4.
He finishes the regular season with 36 touchdown passes and nine interceptions, exactly what head coach Mike McCarthy envisioned when he changed up the offense and took over the play calling in the offseason.
Prescott was hot from the start, going 6-for-6 for 56 yards on the first drive, ending it with a 3-yard pass to Jalen Tolbert and an early lead on the road.
And despite an interception off a tipped ball on the next series, Prescott stayed hot. He finished the first half with a 4-yard touchdown pass to CeeDee Lamb. He completed 17 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns in the opening 30 minutes. Prescott had just four incompletions, which included the INT.
He looked sharp in connecting with seven different receivers. The interception wasn’t his fault, as a stunt by the Washington defensive front allowed Jalen Harris to come free through a hole vacated by the Cowboys’ T.J. Bass, who was in for the injured Tyler Smith at left guard. Prescott got the pass off as Harris got his hand up just in time to tip it high into the air.
He added touchdown passes to Lamb and Brandin Cooks in the second half.
PASS RUSH COMES ALIVE
It took the Cowboys more than a quarter to get their pass rush going, but when they did it took over.
They sacked Washington quarterback Sam Howell four times for -27 yards, starting in the second quarter with defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. With the Cowboys leading 14-10 and Washington driving, the Dallas defensive front, most importantly defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, collapsed the pocket and Dante Fowler Jr. smothered Howell for his 3.5 sack of the season.
In the second half, Dallas added sacks by edge/linebacker Micah Parsons, defensive end Dorance Armstrong and a split on the fourth by Fowler and defensive end Sam Williams.
The Cowboys held Washington to just 130 net yards passing, holding Howell to 153 yards on 19 of 27 passing, with one touchdown and two interceptions – Wilson and Daron Bland, his NFL leading ninth of the season. Howell finished with a QB rating of 65.8.
The Dallas defense held Washington to 180 total yards on 49 plays, with just 12 first downs in the win.
POLLARD PRODUCES IN WASHINGTON
The Cowboys needed to see something positive from the running game before opening the postseason and Tony Pollard delivered.
Pollard rushed for 70 yards, the most since he rushed for 79 in the Thanksgiving Day win over the Commanders. However, the Cowboy sat Pollard and a lot of their other offensive starters midway through the fourth quarter with a 25-point lead.
For Pollard, he was hot early.
Playing like he had when he earned the RB1 role, Pollard got it going early in Washington. Running hard on 10 carries, he gained 54 yards, including a long of 12, and scored on a 1-yard inside plunge in the second quarter.
OFFENSIVE LINE EARNS PASSING GRADE
Missing two starters, the Cowboys offensive line played well on Sunday afternoon in Washington with T.J. Bass and Brock Hoffman picking up the slack.
With Bass in at left guard for the injured Tyler Smith, who tore the plantar fascia in his left foot in the win last week over Detroit, and Hoffman in at right guard for Zack Martin, the Cowboys offense didn’t seem to miss a beat.
The Cowboys offense racked up 440 total yards on the afternoon, including 131 yards on the ground, behind left tackle Tyron Smith, center Tyler Biadasz, right tackle Terence Steele, Bass and Hoffman.
In the first half, with the game still in the balance, the five up front were solid, allowing no sacks and committing no penalties.
In the second half and on the same drive early in the third quarter, tight end Jake Ferguson was called for holding on an 8-yard run followed by a holding call on Hoffman on a 1-yard run. It was the team’s only two penalties in the game.
The Cowboys gave up no sacks.
LAMB CONTINUES TO SHINE BRIGHT
Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb was sensational in the nation’s Capital on Sunday afternoon. He looks unstoppable heading into the postseason.
Lamb was targeted 13 times, and he caught all 13, the seventh time this season he has made double-digit catches, for 98 yards, the ninth time he has gone over 90 yards receiving in a game. He would have gone over 100 yards for the ninth time this season, had the Cowboys not taken him out with over six minutes remaining and Dallas up by 35 points.
What he was able to do, he did while lined up on the outside, where he abused Washington corners Benjamin St-Juste and Emmanuel Forbes, and in the slot, where he was open against safety Quan Martin.
Lamb was hot from the start, catching all seven targets in the first half for 58 yards and one touchdown.
He added another six catches for 40 yards, including a 6-yard touchdown, in the second half.
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BIG HUGE GIANT MONSTER Play of the Game
The season of perfection came to an end with a missed block. With the Cowboys leading 7-0 in the first quarter and looking to pay off a Jourdan Lewis fumble recovery Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey, who now holds the NFL record for most consecutive made field goals to begin a career, missed the first field goal of the season when Washington defensive lineman Joshua Pryor split Cowboys linemen Terence Steele and Brock Hoffman and blocked the 32-yard attempt with ease. Commanders cornerback Jace Whittaker scooped it up and returned it 51 yards to the Cowboys 20. The Commanders made Dallas pay for it with a 1-yard touchdown pass from Sam Howell to Brian Robinson Jr., and turn a possible 10-0 Cowboys lead to a 7-7 tie early in the second quarter. It halts Aubrey franchise and NFL record for consecutive field goals made to begin a career at 35.
UNSUNG Play of the Game
The Cowboys got another timely turnover, when Donovan Wilson grabbed his second interception of the season. With holding onto a 14-10 lead with just over 2 minutes to go in the first half and Washington driving on third and 10 from the Dallas 47, Wilson stepped in front of pass from Sam Howell intended for Curtis Samuel at the Dallas 35. Washington missed a chance to at least cut the Dallas lead to 1 point, or possibly take a lead of three into the half. Instead, the Cowboys quickly drove the field and paid off the Wilson interception with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Dak Prescott to CeeDee Lamb and a 21-10 lead at the break.