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The Dallas Cowboys vanquished the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night and it was exhilarating in every way, shape, and form. Wins like those sit with you for a long time and are fond to look back on. The season is young, but the Cowboys look like they can firmly handle anybody in the NFC East and like they can be somewhat competitive overall.
We discussed everything that we saw from the Cowboys win on Monday night in our live postgame show. You can listen to it right here. Make sure to subscribe to the Blogging The Boys podcast network so you don’t miss any of our shows. Apple devices can subscribe right here and Spotify users can subscribe right here.
When performances like this come along there is rarely anything to be upset by, but the Cowboys obviously were not perfect on Monday night.
We have put together a list of winners, losers, and honorable mentions as we do every Tuesday here at Blogging The Boys. Let’s begin.
Winner: Trevon Diggs
He has never not had an interception against the Philadelphia Eagles, and he has had one in every single game this season. The Cowboys have a true and bonafide top cornerback on their hands and it is beautiful.
Diggs did more than take one to the house against Philly. He shut down their offense and got physical with the Eagles wide receivers. He set the tone and never let up. It was amazing to watch.
Winner: Ezekiel Elliott
It is still true that Tony Pollard also looks good while running the ball, but wow, this was a different version of Ezekiel Elliott than we had seen in some time.
Averaging 5.6 YPC Elliott reminded people of the elite running back he has been in the past. Kellen Moore clearly has a plan for how he wants to handle things on offense and it seems more than clear that Zeke is capable of carrying his end of the bargain when he’s called upon.
Winner: Osa Odighizuwa
If not for Micah Parsons, we would all be falling even more in love with Osa Odighizuwa. My goodness is he a treat. Odighizuwa led the Cowboys in sacks on Monday night (1.5) and was constantly generating pressure on Jalen Hurts. He has been a welcome surprise in the absence of Neville Gallimore and is proving to be a very reliable option along the interior of the defensive line.
Winner: Cedrick Wilson
The expectation was that Cedrick Wilson would pick up where Michael Gallup left off last week against the Chargers, but the game script didn’t exactly call for that. One week later Wilson showed up and showed up big. Wilson was the only wide receiver to catch a touchdown on the night, but his greatest catch didn’t even count as he pulled off an incredible circus act while only getting one foot in bounds.
The Cowboys have depth at wide receiver. It is no longer just an idea. It is fact.
Winner: Dalton Schultz
We have known for a long time that Schultz is the better blocking tight end on the Cowboys, but he is more than valuable in the passing game. Six catches for 80 yards and two touchdowns is hardly anything to scoff at. Dalton Schultz is a top 10 tight end in the NFL.
Loser: Mike McCarthy
It is important to credit McCarthy for the team’s dominating win, but it is difficult to look past the way he handled the end of the first half.
McCarthy refused to call timeouts to give his offense the ball back with a hopeful opportunity to score. He seemed content to settle for a 20-7 lead (keep in mind Philly got the ball back after halftime which Trevon Diggs took care of as mentioned).
The Cowboys won this game and that’s what matters, but what if the margin had gotten closer? What if they had needed those points? We have seen some really questionable decisions from McCarthy near the end of halves this season. There was the decision to kick a 60-yarder late in the first half against Tampa, the way he handled the clock at the end of the Chargers game, and now this.
It’s a pattern.
Loser: Tyler Biadasz
It is a tough situation at center. There is no denying it. Tyler Biadasz is still early into his NFL career, but he is becoming a liability. Obviously playing center is a tall order but he is the weakest link along the entire offensive line.
Fletcher Cox was able to score a defensive touchdown early in this game because Biadasz got beat badly. Javon Hargrave gave him fits all night. We can’t have that.
Loser: Greg Zuerlein
Greg Zuerlein has played in 19 games for the Dallas Cowboys. He has missed at least one kick of some kind in nine of them. 9 out of 19. That is 47%. What’s more is that Zuerlein has now not only missed a kick, but an extra point, in two of three games this season.
Again the Cowboys won so there were no real consequences to take as a result of this game. But this has to stop.
Loser: NFL officiating
Dak Prescott scored on that quarterback sneak and there is no justifiable reason to say that he didn’t.
Honorable Mention: Anthony Brown
The first turnover of the game belonged to Anthony Brown which is totally worth celebrating. It was a bit of an easy interception, but let’s give the man his due. Stable play at the cornerback position is always valued.
Honorable Mention: Tony Pollard
This wasn’t the same performance for Pollard that he had against the Chargers, but he showed a lot of burst and explosion all throughout the game. There is no doubt that he is a great weapon for the team to use when they want to.
Honorable Mention: Dak Prescott
The broadcast (the main one) made a huge deal about this being Dak’s first game back at AT&T Stadium since suffering a season-ending injury last October. Dak thrived and was really gutsy at different times and even extended a handful of plays that kept things alive for the Cowboys.
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