While the Cowboys offense did what they've been doing all season, scoring plenty of points, Matt Eberflus' much-maligned defensive unit finally took a step forward in the team's 44-22 victory over the rival Washington Commanders.
Was it a dominating performance? Perhaps not, but with more blitzing and man coverage as well as a season-high in takeaways, Dallas largely kept in check a Commanders offense that came into the game ranked seventh in points scored and 13th in total yards.
Before leaving in the third quarter due to a hamstring injury, Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels completed just 54.5 percent of his passes for 156 yards with a touchdown and a fumble for a 92.2 passer rating. The Commanders' ground game found success with 136 rushing yards for a 4.9 yards per carry average, although 69 of those yards were provided by quarterbacks Daniels and Marcus Mariota.
Of course, when the offense is putting up forty points that certainly makes life easier. Dak Prescott continued his MVP-caliber season, completing 70 percent of his throws for 264 yards and three touchdowns for a 130.4 rating.
As expected, or at least hoped, wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens indeed proved to be a dynamic duo. Lamb, who hadn't played in a game since Week 3 due to injury, averaged 22.0 yards per catch, finishing with 110 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Pickens averaged 20.5 himself for a total of 82 yards. Just for good measure, tight end Jake Ferguson hauled in a game-high seven catches, which included two touchdowns.
And running back Javontae Williams shouldn't be forgotten. Following a tough outing last week, he rebounded in this one with a season-high 116 rushing yards and a touchdown, averaging 6.1 yards per carry.
In all, the Cowboys outgained Washington, 409 to 341, converted 75 percent of their opportunities in the red zone and held the time of possession, 31:21 to 28:39.
First Quarter
After winning the opening coin toss, the Cowboys chose to take the ball and get the game going with their offense. Good call, as KaVontae Turpin, returning from injury as well, brought the kickoff back 30 yards to the Dallas 34. Lamb then got into the swing of things with a 13-yard catch on third-and-1.
The big blow, though, came when Pickens caused a Washington pass interference penalty on a deep 37-yard throw, which set Dallas up at the Commanders' 2-yard line. Williams then powered across the goal line for an early 7-0 lead.
The Cowboys had a chance to then really put their foot on the gas when the defense forced a quick three-and-out. But following a 58-yard Commanders punt that pinned Dallas at its own 1-yard line, Washington defense tackle Daron Payne manhandled his way into the backfield to take down Williams for a safety.
And upon getting the ball right back, the visitors wasted no time in getting their first touchdown of the game. Going no-huddle, Daniels hit Chris Moore for a 44-yard gain, which led to a sharp pass to tight end Zach Ertz for the score. Cowboys cornerback Daron Bland brought down Daniels to stop the two-point conversion try, but Washington still had the lead, 8-7.
No matter, Prescott and company were already firing on all cylinders. The Cowboys responded with a 47-yard field goal from Brandon Aubrey, and then after the defense forced another punt, Lamb hauled in a deep pass down the middle before speeding away from the Washington secondary for a 74-yard touchdown. With that, Dallas was on top for good, 17-8.
Second Quarter
Though the sledding got a little tougher for the offense, the Cowboys are seemingly never far from field-goal range. And sure enough, despite stalling at the Washington 43 on their second possession of the quarter, Aubrey came out and split the uprights on a 61-yard field goal. In doing so, he set the NFL record for the most career field goals of at least 60 yards with five.
Up to this point, the Dallas defense had forced four punts and stopped Washington on a fourth-down attempt, but with just under two minutes left in the half, the Cowboys couldn't get off the field. Daniels would push his way into the end zone from the 1-yard line for the touchdown as the Commanders pulled to within 20-15.
However, the 39 seconds remaining on the clock was plenty of time for Dallas to reach pay dirt themselves. Despite Prescott being sacked on the first play of the series, he bounced back with a 44-yard pass to Pickens, which was followed by a 33-yard rush by Williams to the Washington 2. A strike from Prescott to Ferguson then provided the score, Dallas going into the break with a 27-15 advantage.
Third Quarter
The Cowboys defense found its rhythm again as the second half got underway. The Commanders had reached the Dallas 39-yard line, but blitzing linebacker Shemar James jarred the ball loose from Daniels, who would then leave injured, and defensive end Jadeveon Clowney fell on the fumble to end the threat.
Given the gift, Wiliams got the next drive rolling with a pair of runs for a combined 25 yards with Prescott then completing four of five passes for 22 yards, plus a 7-yard scramble. The last of those throw was a 5-yard completion to Ferguson for his second touchdown of the day.
When Mariota, under intense pressure, then threw an ill-advised pass to Jeremy McNichols on the right sideline, it was ball game. That's because Bland cut in front of the would-be receiver, intercepted the throw and raced untouched 68 yards for the pick-6 touchdown, the Cowboys now owning a commanding 41-15 lead.
Of course, the Commanders weren't ready to fade into the setting sun just yet. Helped by a questionable pass interference call on Kaiir Elam on fourth-and-8 at the Dallas 26-yard line, Washington capped off a 7-play, 53-yard drive with a 3-yard dive across the goal line by Chris Rodriguez.
Fourth Quarter
As the final frame got under way, the Cowboys found themselves with a first down at the Commanders' 15-yard line. And while they couldn't reach the end zone, Aubrey came out for a chip-shot 29-yard field goal to double-up the score, 44-22.
And with that, there was nothing left to do but play out the clock, the Cowboys moving into second place in the tight NFC East with a 3-3-1 record.
