FRISCO, Texas – After a 33-16 win over the Las Vegas Raiders this past Monday night, the Cowboys had a lot of positive film to look back on as they prepare for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Brian Schotteneheimer said he thought Dallas played their most consistent game of the season in all three phases, with the offense racking up 381 total yards, the defense only allowing 236 and special teams doing their role.
Dak Prescott's four passing touchdowns and the defense getting some key new and returning pieces had a big part to do with that consistent success, as both sides complimented each other throughout the course of the night.
Let's take a look at some of the tape, and talk about it:
The Quinnen Williams effect
In our last Tape Talk piece, we covered how Quinnen Williams being double teamed would open things up for his fellow Cowboys defensive linemen. Well, he can't be double teamed the entire game, so what happens when he's left one on one?
Essentially, the same result of Williams being able to get into the backfield and generate pressure on the quarterback from the interior. In this scenario, Donovan Wilson comes on a blitz on the left side of the line, and the Raiders account for it which leaves everyone one-on-one.
Both Kenny Clark and Williams are able to get off their blocks and get home on Geno Smith, which would end up stalling a promising Raiders drive that reached the red zone and hold them to a field goal. Plays like this are why the Cowboys made the move to get Williams, and why it could be a huge boost to a defense that has struggled in the final seven games of the regular season.
Poetry in motion by the Cowboys offense
After a slow start to the game on the first two drives with a punt and turnover, the Cowboys scored on every drive after that up until the third quarter, which included four straight touchdown drives in the second and third quarter. They found their footing, and each position group did their part.
This play was an example of that. Let's break it down piece by piece, starting with the offensive line. The left side (LT Tyler Gutyon and LG Tyler Smith) played very well on Monday, and on this play Smith pulls to slow down Pro Bowl DE Maxx Crosby, as Guyton is one-on-one and takes away the other DE. Additionally, Javonte Williams continued his strong year as a pass protector, holding off LB Devin White who came on a blitz. All of those combined give Dak Prescott a very clean pocket.
That's just one aspect of the play. The other is a prime example of how George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb open things up for one another. George Pickens takes his route vertically, which takes the far side corner with him and forces the high safety to backpedal. As Lamb crosses the middle of the field, there's plenty of cushion for Prescott to layer his pass over the top of the linebacker covering Lamb and it's a 23-yard gain for Dallas.
What can't George Pickens do?
Speaking of Pickens, his move to the Cowboys has allowed him to showcase every aspect of his game that was always there, but maybe not as utilized as it could have been in the past.
Sure, he can still be a vertical, go up and get the ball threat. His body control in the air and ability to jump higher than everybody is a massive plus. What Dallas and the rest of the NFL is learning this season though is that his route tree is more expansive, he can work the middle of the field and especially can pick-up big-time yardage after the catch.
His touchdown on Monday night encapsulated all of that into one huge play. First of all, give credit to both Tyler Smith and Javonte Williams for making this play happen. Their pass protection efforts kept Dak Prescott up just long enough to deliver this ball to Pickens. And then he went and did the rest. From putting his foot in the ground and reversing field as soon as the ball got there to the cut inside the 15 to cross untouched through four Raiders defenders for a touchdown, it's an incredible play from a great player.
Bonus Clip: What Shavon Revel showed in his debut
At long last, rookie third-round pick CB Shavon Revel made his NFL debut on Monday against the Raiders. It was a small sample size with just 17 snaps, but he showed some encouraging things that could help Dallas' secondary once he's able to get back to full strength again.
The first half of this clip shows you what Revel can do in press-man coverage. This is what you want it to look like, getting your hands on the receiver, knocking him off his route, staying attached to the hip pocket and getting eyes on the ball while doing so. It ends up going to the flat, and Revel disengages to go and make his first career tackle along the sideline.
On the tackle, you were able to see a bit of what Revel's speed looked like, but the next half of the clip shows it a bit more. As veteran WR Tyler Lockett crosses the field, Revel is able to close in over the top and seemingly take away what at the time looked to be the only receiver open for Geno Smith. Not only does Revel have the long arms that evaluators like at corner, but his long legs give him huge strides that helps him make up a lot of ground quickly (18.51 mph max speed on Monday). It's still very early, and Revel hasn't been tested much yet, but Monday was a good start.
