3 Takeaways from Cowboys’ Week 5 Win

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Ron Jenkins/Associated Press

The Dallas Cowboys controled the short-handed New York Giants on Sunday, notching their fourth straight win of 2021. It was a close contest early, but injuries to key Giants Saquon Barkley, Daniel Jones and Kenny Golladay put New York in a serious bind.

Dallas was able to take advantage, rolling to an impressive 44-20 victory. While the team cannot feel great about only taking a 17-10 lead into halftime, it built plenty of momentum in the second half that can be carried into Week 6’s matchup with the New England Patriots.

The Cowboys are proving to be a consistently productive team with talent on both sides of the ball. They showed that throughout Sunday’s big NFC East win over New York, notching big offensive gains and defensive takeaways.

Here’s what else we learned during Dallas’ Week 5 win.

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Michael Ainsworth/Associated Press

It was Week 5 last season when quarterback Dak Prescott suffered the dislocated and fractured ankle that ended his campaign. A year later, he was able to put the injury behind him with yet another strong performance—he finished 22-of-32 for 302 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.

“I’m glad it’s over with, I’m glad I’m past that and I think this was the final shovel in burying this thing,” Prescott said, per ESPN’s Todd Archer.

With Prescott at the helm, the Cowboys offense has looked like an unstoppable force this season. It’s loaded with weapons like Ezekiel Elliott, CeeDee Lamb, Tony Pollard and Amari Cooper, and it’s playing as well as any unit in the NFL.

On the year, Dallas ranks first in total offense and second in scoring. On Sunday, Dallas racked up 515 yards of offense while converting on eight of 14 third-down attempts. New York had no answers during a second-half surge that saw Dallas score on all four possessions.

Opponents will struggle to find answers for Dallas’ balanced and explosive offense all season long.

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Matt Strasen/Associated Press

Dallas has been rolling thanks to its offense and an opportunistic defense that is finding its way under new coordinator Dan Quinn. The defense isn’t a lockdown unit—it ranks 25th in yards allowed—but big plays and takeaways have helped make it a problem for opponents.

Through five games, the Cowboys have produced 12 turnovers. They have had at least two in every game. Cornerback Trevon Diggs has been a driving force, and he’s an early favorite for Defensive Player of the Year.

The second-year cornerback leads the NFL with six interceptions, 100 return yards and 10 passes defended. He also has a defensive touchdown, a forced fumble and an opposing passer rating of just 28.4.

In short, quarterbacks who have tested Diggs have been disappointed more often than not.

Diggs was stellar again Sunday, finishing with two passes defended, a pick and five tackles. While the Alabama product may cool off eventually, his hot start continues. Diggs is proving to be a difference-maker on defense.

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Ron Jenkins/Associated Press

With an offense that can’t be stopped and a defense that regularly takes away the football, Dallas has a recipe for championship success. Sunday’s decisive win over New York further proved that, at the very least, Dallas is the team to beat in the NFC East.

While New York made things interesting before Jones’ exit with a concussion, the Cowboys dominated the second half. Dallas now has wins of at least 20 points over the Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles. The reigning NFC East champion Washington Football Team have been inconsistent all season and don’t feature the same quality defense that helped spark last year’s run.

The Cowboys are the only team in the division with a winning record, and they showed Sunday that they are in a different class than their NFC East foes.

While division titles are not awarded in October, it’s going to take a significant collapse for the Cowboys to cough up the crown in 2021. The offense is rolling, the defense is growing and the rest of the division is loaded with question marks.

             

Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference.