Brian Schottenheimer deserves credit for his patience. Matt Eberflus deserves credit for making changes.
The past seven days were tough in Dallas. Many in the fan base and the media (myself included) called for heads, namely that of Eberflus, to roll after yet another defensive meltdown cost the Cowboys their third loss of the year. Yet Schottenheimer insisted he wasn’t considering a change at defensive coordinator. He dug in and insisted Eberflus was a good coach who just needed time.
Clearly he knew something we didn’t.
Coming back home to host the Commanders offered a golden opportunity to reassert themselves in the division race. Washington had just lost to the Bears and they were banged up, with their top two starting receivers both being ruled out for this game. In other words, no excuses for Eberflus and his defense.
None needed. The Cowboys won the toss and, for the first time in the Schottenheimer era, elected to receive the ball. Perhaps the goal was to score first and give the defense a lead to play with. If so, the plan worked to perfection. Dak Prescott hit CeeDee Lamb for a 13-yard gain to move the chains on third down, and a deep shot to George Pickens resulted in a pass interference flag in the endzone. That set up a touchdown for Javonte Williams.
So what happens when the defense has an early lead to play with? Well, this new thing called a three-and-out, which the Cowboys had been previously unfamiliar with but quickly got acquainted with on Sunday. They forced a punt in just three plays, though Washington managed to down the ball right at the goal line. That led to an ill-advised run play that saw Williams tackled in his own endzone for a safety.
Even then, the Dallas defense was not shaken. They barely gave up a conversion on third down, and it took a scramble from Jayden Daniels to get a receiver open, which turned into a 44-yard gain. Even then, the Cowboys forced another third down before giving up the touchdown, and they followed it up with a stuff on the two-point try.
It was a different demeanor for a defense that had been beaten and battered so much this year, and it never went away. The Commanders wouldn’t score again until the final minute of the first half, punting three times and turning it over on downs. Meanwhile, Dallas was moving on offense, highlighted by a 74-yard touchdown for Lamb in his first game back from injury. All in all, the Cowboys took a 27-15 lead into halftime.
Things kept coming up Cowboys from there. The Commanders started with the ball in the third quarter and, after moving it early on, rookie Shemar James came loose on a blitz for a strip sack of Daniels. Jadeveon Clowney fell on the ball, and Daniels had to leave the game with a hamstring injury. He ultimately did not return in the game.
The Cowboys took advantage of the takeaway, with Prescott scrambling to move the chains on third and long and then immediately hitting Jake Ferguson for a touchdown. On the next drive, Marcus Mariota came in for the Commanders and quickly faced heat from the pass rush, getting swarmed before throwing it up for DaRon Bland.
The Commanders would score a touchdown following the pick six, and Dallas added a field goal afterwards, but the game was over with that play from Bland. It marked their third 40-burger in as many games at home, and they haven’t lost in AT&T Stadium yet this season (thank you, Green Bay).
But this felt different than the other two home games. The Cowboys offense did what they’ve been doing all season – score in bunches – but their defense was markedly better. They had two takeaways, four sacks, and Washington’s running backs were limited to 67 rushing yards on 18 carries.
The absence of both Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel certainly played a factor, but Dallas was hardly healthy on defense either. Malik Hooker has been out for a few weeks now and his backup, Juanyeh Thomas, was a surprise inactive due to a migraine. Trevon Diggs also sat out after suffering a concussion away from the team earlier in the week. Dallas also moved Trikweze Bridges into the starting lineup for the first time this season.
They weren’t exactly playing the Commanders with a stacked deck, but they made plays despite that. If Eberflus can get this kind of play from his defense consistently going forward, and Schottenheimer can keep cooking with this offense, the rest of the NFC – not just the East – better watch out.
See More:
