Despite being favored over the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys were given all they could handle on Sunday. Looking to avoid an 0-2 start, both teams were desperate to secure a win and avoid dropping their first two NFC East games. Russell Wilson had a vintage performance, throwing for 450 yards to keep the Giants in the game during a back-and-forth shootout with Dallas. However, the Cowboys’ star players answered the call time and time again to get the thrilling win at home. The win gives Brian Schottenheimer his first as an NFL head coach in storybook fashion. Here are four stars for the Cowboys, and they were all on offense/special teams. We won’t speak about that defense.
Dak Prescott
It was a slow start for Dak Prescott and the offense because New York held the ball for so long on the opening drive. New York’s opening drive lasted 15 plays and almost took nine minutes off the clock. When New York got a 6-0 lead, Dallas had run just three offensive plays to New York’s 22. Needing to shake the cobwebs, the offense stagnated to start the game. Yet, things started to turn a corner when Prescott engineered a quick, eight-play scoring drive that was capped off by a bullet throw to KaVontae Turpin to bring the Cowboys within three points. In the second half after the interception, Prescott got better and better and then caught fire. His ball placement was terrific, putting the ball in tight windows where only his receivers could get it.
On one occasion, the Giants tried to double-team CeeDee Lamb on third down, using linebacker Bobby Okereke to bracket Lamb, but Prescott put the ball perfectly between the two Giants defenders, where Lamb snatched the ball away from their awaiting hands. In the pocket, he was under a lot of pressure from the Giants and stood strong to make difficult throws, knowing that he was going to get hit hard by a blitzing linebacker or pass rusher. Despite the team having their backs against the wall after surrendering not one, but two, long touchdown passes late in the fourth quarter, Prescott brought his team into field goal range to tie the game to force overtime.
Finally, Prescott broke the pocket for a 14-yard scramble at the end of overtime, placing the team in a comfortable range for the game-winning kick. With the win, his dominance against the Giants continues, having last lost to the Giants when he was a rookie in 2016. The game marked Prescott’s 24th game-winning drive of his career and his third against New York.
Brandon Aubrey
Brandon Aubrey is the best kicker in football. There’s nobody better at making long kicks look so routine that it’s almost mundane. His steely demeanor exudes a calmness that permeates into the coaches who trust him to make these long attempts, and likely that extends to the fans who expect him to make these kicks. When he lines up to kick a field goal, it’s nearly a foregone conclusion that he is going to split the uprights, as he has made nearly 90 percent of his kicks for his career. He’s like the NFL’s version of Stephen Curry, kicking field goals from the midfield logo with ease. Against New York, he was perfect. He made all four of his field goals and his four extra point attempts. His 64-yard kick to force the game to overtime was a thing of beauty.
The broadcast was critical of the team’s decision to settle at that depth before attempting the long try, namely, Javonte Williams downing himself well short of the line to gain. Yet, Aubrey casually stepped up, nailing the kick under perceived pressure, which was no sweat to him and validated the coaches’ faith in their kicker. His presence changes the dynamic of how the Cowboys and their opponents approach end-of-half situations because of Aubrey’s practically unlimited range. He accounted for 16 points, and the Cowboys couldn’t have won the game without his timely and reliable kicking.
Jake Ferguson
Jake Ferguson endured a lot of criticism last week for a drop in tight traffic in the end zone against the Philadelphia Eagles. Ferguson had made those difficult plays in the past, so the critiques are somewhat warranted. However, Ferguson responded in a big way against the Giants. With Prescott under so much pressure, he needed to get the ball out quickly, and Ferguson was consistently available for his quarterback. He owned the middle of the field, often taking advantage of the Giants’ linebackers’ inability to cover. He had nine catches (tied for most on the team) for 78 yards.
His 14-yard connection with Prescott at the end of regulation is easily one of the most important moments of yesterday’s win. With Ferguson working up the seam, Prescott fired the ball with Ferguson’s back still turned, but Ferguson turned and located the ball for the critical catch, setting up Brandon Aubrey to force the game into overtime. The connection with Ferguson up the seam is one of the staples in a high-functioning offense led by Prescott. For as much as is made about Prescott’s success versus the Giants, let’s not forget Jake Ferguson. Ferguson was big time yesterday, and if the Prescott-to-Ferguson connection if functioning, the rest of the offense will fall into place.
George Pickens
While CeeDee Lamb is certainly deserving of being named one of the stars of the game, as he tied Ferguson for the most receptions, and had the most receiving yards, it felt like another day at the office for the incredible Lamb. Instead, we’ll highlight his partner and spotlight the contributions of George Pickens. His impact on the game was felt outside the conventional sense. The role he played in the win was partially offloading some of the offensive burden from Lamb in the passing game. He can stretch the field vertically and provide another red zone threat as we saw against the Giants.
His touchdown catch, his first as a Cowboy, was a prime example. Pickens used his strength and strong hands to hold on to the catch in the end zone against Paulson Adebo.
You also have the impact outside of the box score. He drew two defensive pass interference penalties that resulted in 45 yards of field position. His excellent body control and penchant for making circus catches cause defensive backs to panic when the ball is thrown to Pickens, resulting in penalties that can flip the field. He finished with five receptions for 68 yards, including the aforementioned touchdown, while leading the Cowboys with 13.6 yards per reception. You get the sense that Pickens is still incorporating himself into the offense and hasn’t yet optimized his connection with Prescott. There may be much more on the way.
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