The Dallas Cowboys (4-2) took their first divisional loss of the season against the Philadelphia Eagles (6-0) on Sunday Night Football. The game started pretty ugly for Dallas but they did show some fight in them in the second half. Although moral victories mean nothing in the NFL, there are some positives from the Cowboys’ second loss of the season. Here are three takeaways from Sunday night:
No Need to Overreact
Any loss in the NFL hurts, but in week six Cowboys fans need to breathe. When Prescott went out in week one, no one expected the Cowboys to be 4-2 after six games. That is a huge accomplishment for not only Cooper Rush but also this team as a whole. This team is one of the best teams in the NFL and they will only get better with Dak under center.
Sunday night the Cowboys came out flat and looked BAD. It looked from the beginning like it was going to be a blowout but the Cowboys started the second half hot after forcing two three-and-outs and scoring touchdowns on both ensuing possessions. The run game was working all night, rushing for 134 yards on a defense that only gives up 109.8 yards per game. The defense held Jalen Hurts to 155 passing yards when he averages 252.3 yards per game.
If Rush did not turn the ball over three times, this game could have gone a whole lot differently. Losing by nine points to the only undefeated team in the NFL with a backup quarterback is not something to be angry about at this point in the season. But what there is to be mad about is the Cowboys consistently beating themselves. Countless penalties, missing assignments, and coaching mistakes. All are fixable, if this team wants to be great and play to its full potential they need to limit hurting themselves week in and week out.
Dak is Obviously QB1
After four weeks of talk shows and fans thinking Cooper Rush is the better fit in Dallas should be laid to rest after Sunday night. Cooper Rush threw for 18/38, 181 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions. He has been a perfect backup in place of Prescott and was able to limit mistakes while keeping the team afloat. Cooper Rush should still be held in high regard in Dallas, and there should be no speaking bad about his name. But is evident that Prescott is the man and would have played better against the Eagles.
Prescott is expected to return next week against the Detroit Lions. This offense should be able to get rolling against the Lions’ 32nd-ranked defense, giving up 428.6 total yards per game. It is a great game for Prescott to return to and hopefully get back into his last season self. This team will be in good hands with Prescott at the helm.
Defense Still Played Well
This Cowboys defense gave up the most points this season and let up two touchdowns for the first time this season. The defense played quietly well. They were able to sack Hurts four times, only gave up 155 yards passing, and held one of the best offenses in the league to only two touchdowns while having their QB throw three interceptions with great field position. However, the run defense has to improve, they are giving up 120.7 rushing yards per game which is in the bottom half of the NFL.
There are plenty of things the Cowboys as a whole need to improve on, but we are only through six weeks and it is a LONG season. As long as Mike McCarthy can fix the little mistakes, this team has the potential to make a deep playoff run. There is too much talent for the team to not go far this season.
Final Thoughts
To reiterate, there is no need to overreact over this week six loss. The Cowboys will see the Philadelphia Eagles again on Christmas Eve and hopefully come out with a different outcome. Although currently third in the NFC East the Cowboys can make up ground and somehow come out on top of the division before playoffs roll around. The Dallas Cowboys will take on the Lions (1-4) in Dallas this Sunday, hoping to get back on track.
