After a rough couple of weeks and a decent victory over the Chargers in week six, the Dallas Cowboys had a bye during week seven, then faced the Los Angeles Rams in week eight.
Looking for a bounce back victory to boost morale, the Cowboys faced the Rams. They took a 33-9 lead going into halftime. It was an impressive game on both sides of the ball: Dak Prescott threw for over 300 yards and four touchdowns, and DaRon Bland had his third pick-six of the season. Star receiver CeeDee Lamb stole the show, as he went off for 158 yards and two touchdowns on 12 receptions. The Cowboys beat the Rams 43-20.
Following their huge win, the Cowboys faced a tough matchup against their division rivals — the Philadelphia Eagles. They are one of the best teams in the NFL this season, and came into the game 6-1, compared to Dallas’ 5-2. It was certainly a tough matchup, as both teams went back and forth in the first half, with the Cowboys barely ahead at 17-14. Prescott looked strong throughout the first half, delivering pass after pass and completing two touchdowns through the air. Lamb also performed amazingly, along with star defensive end Micah Parsons.
Everything started to fall apart in the second half, though; the Cowboys couldn’t get anything going on offense and couldn’t stop the Eagles on defense. Though a late push gave Cowboys fans some hope — the Cowboys drove all the way down to the Eagles’ six yard line with 27 seconds left in the game. Six yards away from winning, there was a false start penalty. Still a chance only 10 yards away, Prescott was sacked. Twenty six yards and 5 seconds left, Prescott threw it deep to Lamb, but he came up five yards short and fumbled.
With the win, the Eagles are now 7-1, and almost guaranteed first place in the division. This means the Cowboys only chance to make the playoffs is to secure a wildcard slot. However, there are still some positives to take away from the game, since Prescott threw for 374 yards and three touchdowns while Lamb went nuclear with 191 receiving yards on 11 receptions.
After their defeat by the Eagles, the Cowboys had an easy two upcoming games against the New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers.
The Cowboys demolished the Giants 49-17, with Prescott throwing for over 400 yards, four passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. Lamb also had another monstrous game; he had 11 receptions for 151 yards and a touchdown. He became the first player in NFL history to have three consecutive games with at least 10 receptions and 150 receiving yards.
But it wasn’t only the offense that showed out against the Giants; their defense accounted for five sacks and a turnover. Bland had his fifth interception of the season, eclipsing the hole left by Trevon Diggs’s injury.
The Cowboys also made quick work of the worst team in the NFL, the Carolina Panthers, with a 33-10 win. Prescott looked decent and threw for two touchdowns. However, the defense was the real star of the show, they accounted for seven sacks, two turnovers and a touchdown against the No. 1 overall pick this year — Bryce Young. Parsons exploded for two and a half sacks along with three quarterback hits. The star who shined brightest that Sunday was Bland, he tied the NFL record for pick-sixes in a season with four.
The Cowboys have a lot of momentum heading into their Thanksgiving showdown against the Washington Commanders. Stay strong, Cowboys fans, and don’t lose hope — there’s still six to go, and things are somewhat looking good.
