Sometimes the box score tells you a lot about how a game actually went. When Saquon Barkley went off for 167 yards last December against the Cowboys, that’s about all you needed to know. But in other games, the stats can be very deceiving. In the aftermath of Dallas’ season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, you really do have to look beyond these numbers to understand how this one unfolded.
On the surface, Dak Prescott only threw for 188 yards and no scores while CeeDee Lamb had seven catches for 110 yards. Superficially, you could assume that Prescott had a rough night and Lamb was the only thing keeping Dallas afloat. But if you watched, you know that was hardly the case.
Prescott looked better than he ever did in 2024. His passes were on point, he was alert in the pocket, and his command of a new offense seemed sound. The ball was where it needed to be on almost every throw, but his receivers were not finishing the plays. Prescott looked healthy and like the 2023 MVP runner-up again. In most games, it was more than enough for the Cowboys to be competitive. Even on Thursday night against the champs, they were in it right to the end.
The real problem was the receivers, and particularly #88. His solid fantasy stats aside, Lamb’s most impactful contribution was four game-killing drops. The last one was the most forgivable; a desperation heave on fourth down that Lamb had to lay out to try to catch. But before that, he bobbled a deep shot that hit him right in the sweet spot and another that would’ve converted a 3rd-and-10. Nothing about those drops was due to the quality of the pass or even a great defensive play; it was just a bad night for an otherwise great player.
We can’t leave Jake Ferguson unscathed here. Before Eagles safety Reed Blankenship cleaned his clock, Ferguson was already bobbling a potential touchdown. He might not have held on to it once Blankenship got to him, but his poor initial attempt to catch it made the hit a moot point.
In fairness, George Pickens and KaVontae Turpin weren’t really at fault. On only six total targets between them, they threw in five catches for 48 yards. Pickens had a tough catch on the final drive and also drew a big DPI flag that bailed Dallas out of a 2nd-and-23 situation, setting up one of Javonte Williams’ touchdowns. They didn’t get many opportunities to shine, but they made the most of them when they did.
We also see this between the two running backs. Miles Sanders only needed four carries to hit 53 rushing yards, but it took 15 for Javonte Williams to reach 54. But if you watched the game, you know that it was Williams who consistently showed vision and the power to create extra yardage. Sanders benefitted from a well-blocked run lane and did his part to make it a big play, but did nothing with his other touches. His fumble far outweighed the positive, ending that very same drive.
Most of us probably didn’t have a problem watching this nationally televised game, unless you couldn’t stay up for the weather delay. So what we’re saying here may not be news to you. But it’s a good illustration, for those times you may not get to watch, of how the stats can lie. On paper, Dak Prescott had an arguably bad night. But in reality, he was playing some of his best ball while other players let the opportunity to beat Philly slip through their fingers. Hopefully, only one of those things continues.
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