In the immortal words of Han Solo, “never tell me the odds, kid.” Despite being road underdogs to a Panthers squad who hadn’t been favored in two calendar years, the Cowboys came to Carolina and handled their business, putting up 30 points for just the third time this season and leaving with a dominant ,30-14 win.
The Dallas pass rush got after quarterback Bryce Young all day long, CeeDee Lamb put up monster numbers, and a trio of native Carolinians who now wear the star made the absolute most of their homecomings.
But it wasn’t easy. Penalties continue to be a real issue, and the injury bug is still working its way through the Cowboys roster. Red-zone turnovers reared their ugly head once again and almost turned the game on its head, and Cooper Rush remains both the team’s best chance to win… and the offense’s biggest liability, all in one maddening package.
Here’s the good, the bad, and the ugly from the Cowboys’ Week 15 win in Charlotte.
[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]
Good: Lamb’s monster 1st half
History has shown that getting CeeDee Lamb involved early and often is good for the Cowboys offense. It sure worked on Sunday, with Lamb racking up 105 receiving yards and a touchdown on eight catches
Bad: Consistent inconsistency from Rush
The final statline will show Cooper Rush had a productive day, completing 62% of his throws and notching a passer rating of 119.0 while tossing three touchdowns for the first time in his career and earning his eighth win in 12 tries as a starter. But anyone who watched the game- and especially the first half- was likely struck by Rush’s inaccuracy. He missed his receivers with regularity, often forcing them to come back for bad balls or leading them right into big hits with questionable pass placement. On the upside, he’s responsible for just three interceptions since taking over for Dak Prescott. Then again, he’s had eight fumbles. When Rush is good, he looks like the best backup QB in the league. But he also has a habit of making every snap a dicey proposition.
Ugly: Penalties costing more than yards
Dallas entered the Week 15 contest as the NFC’s most penalized team. They’ll likely end up the NFC’s most penalized team, too. The Cowboys had a staggering 14 flags walked off against them, their most in a game in over three years. Eight of those were of the inexcusable pre-snap kind: illegal formation, defensive offside, false start, neutral zone, too many men on the field. But all those infractions cost the Cowboys more than just 99 generic yards of real estate; several flags either stalled promising offensive drives, extended Carolina possessions, or put Rush & Co. behind the chains (which usually forced overly aggressive play calls and ended in field goals instead of touchdowns).
Good: Carolina Cowboys show out in homecoming
Sunday’s game in Charlotte was quite a homecoming for several Cowboys players who are Carolina natives. Rico Dowdle, Jalen Brooks, and Israel Mukuamu were all born in North Carolina, and all played their college ball 90 miles away from the Panthers’ Bank of America Stadium, at South Carolina. Each played a huge role in the Week 15 win. Dowdle turned in a career-high 149 rushing yards, Brooks caught his first NFL touchdown, and Mukuamu thwarted the final comeback bid by intercepting a late fourth-quarter pass. All that was missing for the trio of former Gamecocks was “Sandstorm” blasting over the public-address system.
Bad: Red-zone turnover leads to huge point swing
The Cowboys lead the league in red-zone turnovers, with eight. Rush is personally responsible for four of them. The latest instance played out in horrifying fashion for Dallas and nearly turned the game on its head. Ahead 10-0, the Cowboys had driven into the red zone and looked to extend their lead at the break. But a Rush fumble gave the ball to Bryce Young, who immediately torched the Cowboys with an 83-yard strike to receiver Jalen Coker. What seemed like it was sure to be a healthy 17-0 halftime lead was suddenly a 10-7 barnburner, with Carolina set to open the third quarter with a chance at a go-ahead score. It didn’t go that way, as the Cowboys took the ball back on the Panthers’ first play of the second half. But ball security is sure to be a continued point of emphasis for Rush and the Cowboys… especially once they cross the 20.
Ugly: More injury concerns
Arguably, no one at The Star is working harder this season than the medical training staff. Entering Week 15 with a slew of starters already out for the remainder of the season, the Cowboys saw several more key players go down on Sunday. Left tackle Chuma Edoga left in the second quarter but had to return when right guard T.J. Bass was hurt later, not to return. More concerning is the condition of cornerback Jourdan Lewis. The veteran was shaken up in the fourth quarter and was then seen after the game wearing an elbow wrap. The Dallas secondary was thin to begin with thanks to to the loss of Trevon Diggs; they can ill afford to lose Lewis with games against Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, and Washington still to come. Tests are slated for Monday.
Good: Pass rush makes statement
The Cowboys defense came into Week 15 tops in the NFL in per-dropback pressure rate, third in QB knockdowns per pass attempt, and ninth in sacks. That may have gotten lost amid the team’s poor record and the popular narrative that Mike Zimmer’s return as defensive coordinator has been a total bust. Dallas sent a loud-and-clear reminder to the league on Sunday, recording six sacks on Bryce Young, hitting him 10 times, defending four passes, and notching 10 tackles for loss. Micah Parsons had his third two-sack game of the season, raising his season total to 8.5 in just 10 games played.
