Cowboys vs. Bengals: The good, the bad, and the ugly from Week 2

The Dallas Cowboys pulled off the unthinkable with a 20-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2. With Dak Prescott watching from the sidelines, Cooper Rush led the team to victory in a matchup that heavily favored Cincinnati this week.

Surprisingly, the Cowboys looked nothing like the team who completely bombed in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Unlike last week, they executed the game plan and made the plays they needed to make when they needed them the most.

All in all, the Dallas Cowboys did just enough to secure the victory this week. It was far from perfect, but in the end they did what they needed to do in order to put a “W” in the win column. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly from Week 2.

THE GOOD: A complete team win

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While Cooper Rush will be praised for his performance this week against the Bengals, and rightfully so, he alone didn’t win this game. It was a complete team effort that led the Cowboys to victory this week. The defense was able to keep Joe Burrow and Company in check, the offense moved the ball and found the end zone twice, and Brett Maher was perfect on the night on extra point attempts and field goals. If they can keep this up, they could be a dangerous team moving forward.

THE BAD: Self-inflicted wounds

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In all honesty, there wasn’t a whole lot of negative to come out of this Week 2 matchup with the Bengals for the Cowboys. If we had to point to one thing though, it was once again the self-inflicted wounds Dallas continues to commit week after week. The lack of discipline and accountability continue to result in boneheaded penalties for the Cowboys. Those penalties made this game a lot closer than it probably should’ve been, but luckily for Dallas, they were able to overcome those blemishes this week.

THE UGLY: Micah Parsons and the pass rush

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This week being ugly isn’t something to be viewed in a negative way. Instead, it’s actually a positive, and that’s exactly what Micah Parsons and the Cowboys pass rush were Sunday afternoon against the Bengals. From start to finish, Dallas’ pass rusher’s continually harassed Joe Burrow in this Week 2 matchup. They pretty much humiliated Cincinnati’s offensive line, and as a result, limited one of the league’s more talented offenses. The Cowboys pass rush is shaping up to be a difference maker this year.