- Messages
- 15,169
- Reaction score
- 2,355
ARLINGTON -- The Cowboys earned their biggest win of the season Sunday, improving to 5-3 at the midway point with an impressive come-from-behind win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Here are my thoughts on Dallas' 28-17 victory at AT&T Stadium.
1. The D
The Chiefs entered 6-2 and the best team the Cowboys played up to this point. Not even a huge blunder seconds before halftime could stop Dallas on a day when the defense played their best game of the season. David Irving got his sixth sack in four games. Sean Lee had a game-high 12 tackles, including two for loss. Taco Charlton got a key sack late, the first of his rookie year. Jeff Heath had a big interception, the first against Alex Smith this season.
More importantly, the group held the NFL's leading rusher Kareem Hunt to nine carries for 37 yards.
This Cowboys defensive unit deserves a lot of credit. When everyone is healthy like they are now, they're better than I expected entering the year.
2. WRs
Huge day for the wide receivers room. Terrance Williams had nine catches for 141 yards, making him the first Cowboys receiver to go over the 100-yard mark in the last 15 games. Cole Beasley came up huge as well with two more touchdown catches. Dez Bryant left early with an ankle injury, but he made several impact plays also, catching six passes for 73 yards. Dak Prescott did a nice job spreading the ball around and not turning it over. He was also effective again with his feet when it was needed most. The offense looked a lot like the 2016 Cowboys on Sunday.
3. Zeke
Did the missed practices cost Ezekiel Elliott? Was he rusty? I don't believe so. But he didn't have his best game. After turning in three consecutive 100-yard performances, Elliott finished with a touchdown and 93 yards on 27 carries. As usual, he helped run out the clock late in the fourth, which was expected if the Cowboys got a lead against a Chiefs defense that entered Sunday's game as one of the NFL's worst against the run, allowing 131 yards per game.
"We know how much he means to this team," Dez Bryant said. "Zeke is our No. 1 weapon. That's our guy. He's an animal. We're behind him regardless of any situation. ... With him, that's why we get those [defensive] coverages. We need him."
4. Hill Mary
As good as the defense was, Tyreek Hill's 57-yard catch and run touchdown at the end of the first half can't happen. High school? Sure. College? Maybe. NFL? Never. Instead of going into the locker room up 14-3, the Chiefs pulled within four and gained all the momentum, which carried over to the first series of the third quarter. Give the Cowboys credit for bouncing back, but that play could've been the difference if the Cowboys had lost. Momentum is a powerful thing. The Cowboys' ability to overcome that blunder was probably the most impressive aspect of Sunday's win.
"Obviously not a very good play for us," Jason Garrett said at halftime. "Give them credit. We have to put that behind us. Move forward to the second half."
5. Romo's return
How did Tony Romo do calling his first Cowboys game? The afternoon began with a two-minute tribute video that was narrated by Jason Witten. Romo appeared to be very appreciative when he was shown on the big screen. Perhaps he was thrown off a little bit by the video early on because Romo didn't seem like his typical self during the first half. He was much more reserved than he has been on previous telecasts. He seemed to be back to his old self in the second half.
My favorite Romo line of the day: "Marcus Peters doesn't want to tackle. He makes Deion Sanders look good at tackling sometimes."