NFL
Cowboys Take 1st In Third-Straight Win
By virtue of a tie-breaker, the Dallas Cowboys are in first place now in the NFC East. Their win over the rival Washington Redskins on Thursday also happens to be their third in a row. Dallas has found its groove at the right time. This was a competitive game, but the Redskins just couldn’t overcome an overwhelming defense and a breakout game from Amari Cooper.
Hanging With Mr. Cooper
The Cowboys had plenty to be thankful for in regards to their mid-season acquisition of wide receiver Amari Cooper. He made a strong case for why Dallas gave up a first round draft pick for his services. Cooper racked up 180 yards on 8 catches for 2 touchdowns. He even broke one for 90 yards. This is what the Cowboys have needed in their offense. A threat down the field that can take the pressure off of the running game. Sure, the Cowboys’ success relies within the legs of Ezekiel Elliott. They need to run him as often as they can, but Amari Cooper doing what he did on Thursday helps to spread the defense and prevent teams from loading the box.
Elliott ran the ball 26 times for 121 yards and one TD. That’s nothing new for the all-pro running back, but the holes he ran through were bigger than they have been throughout the season. This was due to the fact that Washington’s defense had to respect the speed and big-play capability of Cooper. However the player to benefit the most from Cooper coming to the team is Dak Prescott. Prescott came very close to achieving 300 yards passing for the first time this season on Thanksgiving. Prescott had 289 yards on 22 of 31 attempts with the 2 TD’s. Most importantly, he didn’t turn the ball over for the third game in a row. It’s not a coincidence that Elliott averaging 22.3 carries and Prescott having zero turnovers has contributed to this win streak.
Colt McCoy Fought Valiantly
The Redskins had to rely on Colt McCoy to try to hold onto their lead in the NFC East, but it just didn’t work in their favor. McCoy looked strong in a number of drives throughout the game, but the Cowboys’ defense stepped up when it needed to. They recorded 3 interceptions along with 3 sacks. It was just too much for McCoy who completed 24 of 38 pass attempts for 268 yards and 2 TD’s. Dallas did hold Adrian Peterson to just 35 yards on 12 carries, but Washington probably could have gone to him a little bit more to help take some of the pressure off of McCoy’s shoulders. It was clear from the start that they wanted to try to win with the arm of a QB who hadn’t won a game in 4 years.
Look Ahead
The Cowboys are really starting to gel right now, and they’re riding high on a three-game win streak. However the New Orleans Saints are waiting for them next Thursday night. That’s right. The hottest team in the NFL awaits them. Which is why their win against the Redskins was so important. They couldn’t have afforded to possibly go 5-7. Washington has another division matchup next week as they face the Eagles. The defending champs desperately need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. That game will be a tough one.
Photo Credit: hannah choi via Flickr
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