Tuesday morning coffee: Cowboys win their second straight under Cooper Rush

A usual Monday morning coffee turns into a Tuesday morning coffee following a warmly welcomed Monday night victory against the New York Giants. A 2-1 start seems highly acceptable each season, but missing Dak Prescott for both of those wins is something none of us would have believed could happen. As always, we will talk about the good, bad, what’s working, what’s not, and everything in between. Enjoy your coffee and your Cowboys win.

Let’s start with the positives. This defense is downright special. They are deep at just about every level and have difference makers throughout. Five sacks is something to be proud of for sure, but a more impressive stat is the Giants did not run a play in the red zone all game. This Cowboys defense is dominant and will keep them in just about any game for the rest of the season.

Another glaring positive has been this offensive line. More of a surprise than the defense, but a well-received surprise at that. Cooper Rush was not sacked and their run blocking paved the way for a monster game on the ground. They still had a few penalties, but they have been playing really well.

Back to that last point and to get specific, Tony Pollard is “him,” as the kids say. He nearly out-touched Ezekiel Elliott, which we alluded to as a path to victory in an earlier article. He finished the night with 105 rushing yards on just 13 touches, averaging over eight yards per carry. Elliott had a decent night, running the ball 15 times for 73 yards and a touchdown.

Rush has been playing really well, too. He has been doing what has been asked of him and then some. He makes really smart decisions and doesn’t force balls, Rush has led this team to a 2-1 start.

Noah Brown continued to play well, CeeDee Lamb had a nice bounce back second half after a shaky drop earlier, and Brett Maher and KaVontae Turpin had their moments.

As for some negatives, which there are not many of, the time management can improve. The blunder at the end of the half made little to no sense by Mike McCarthy and company. The biggest, most glaring negative, though, is the discipline. This team just seems like they can’t get out of their own way with debilitating penalties that cost them drives and halt them from putting points on the board.

Other than that, it becomes hard to nitpick too much. A 2-1 start and the Washington Commanders coming to town next week means the Cowboys will be favored for the first time all season. If they can start 3-1, there will be something to grasp onto here with some confidence gained in this team.