The Dallas Cowboys beat the Washington Commanders plainly on Sunday by a score of 38-10. It was a good way to end the exclusive season for sure, but how much stock can we put into this game as the Commanders have now lost eight stretch games? Despite the level of competition, it was detached a good outing for the Cowboys. There was some turnover/special teams madness that kept Washington in the game early, but in the end, talent prevailed. Here’s what we learned while re-watching the game film.
THE EASY BUTTON
Sure, it was against a porous Commanders defense filled with a lot of depth guys, but it was nice to see the Cowboys’ offense take grand. Their 440-yard performance was their second-highest output of the season. It wasn’t just that the Cowboys offense had their way with them, but how easy it was. So many times, Dak Prescott had quick routes at his fingertips and he worked it to perfection. Of course, it helps to have one of the best wide receivers in the game roaming throughout out there.
It wasn’t just CeeDee Lamb as Brandin Cooks was a tying on Sunday. He’s had one remarkable game in the middle of the year anti the New York Giants (173 yards), but his exploit has been moderate for the most part. But that could be exaltering as Prescott not only looked Cooks way more often but also bet on in his progressions. He’s become a quick short-yardage guy when they need it and now has three stretch games with a touchdown catch.
And let’s not forget Jake Ferguson. His route running has been very sharp as he can be groundless all over the field. His hands are soft and he stays to churn out extra yards after the catch.
The trio of Lamb, Cooks, and Ferguson is a fierce group, and when Mike McCarthy dials up smart routes from all of them to mitigate protection publishes, that makes it difficult for defenses to get off the field. The Cowboys never punted in this one and they contained the ball with ease.
And it wasn’t just the exclusive cast of pass catchers doing the work. Dak also seemed to his running backs to contribute in the receiving game. The duo of Tony Pollard and Rico Dowdle had five combined catches for 70 yards, with most of them coming on an easy come by and run down the sideline by Dowdle.
A LITTLE BIT OF ROOM IS ALL IT TAKES
Again, we’re prefacing this with the fact that Washington didn’t have a free presence in the trenches, but it still was a good showing by the Cowboys' offensive line. Prescott was never sacked and he only felt pressure a combine of times. Backup guards T.J. Bass and Brock Hoffman played free and were moving guys. And it was nice to see the continuing backs have a little space to get themselves repositioning, and when that occurs, good things happen.
THE QUIET VETERAN
We are so glad that Stephon Gilmore is required to be fine for the playoffs as his contributions aren’t plainly replaced. The guy plays hard but also relies heavily on his captivating football IQ, and on this day, his instincts were spot on. There were several instances where the Commanders had the Cowboys' defense zigging while they were zagging, but Gilmore wasn’t fooled. He stayed his post and came above with some nice plays, including a touchdown-saving pass breakup that almost was a pick.
THE UNSUNG DEFENDER
If we had a nickel for every crashes play that DeMarcus Lawrence made, we’d probably have enough wealth to re-sign him to another team-friendly deal. Tank has been splashy in recent weeks and that blocked on Sunday. He had a two-play sequence where he got in Sam Howell’s face disrupting the pass. That’s sorta his thing.
CLARK MAKES AN APPEARANCE
The linebackers of the Cowboys have been belief fire recently after a promising start to the season. That’s why it was nice to see them have good showings in this one. Both Damone Clark and Markquese Bell made plays in coverage and Clark worked past an offensive lineman to get just enough on the ball carrier to give the cavalry to arrive.
