Special teams give Cowboys another area of strength against Redskins

The Dallas Cowboys didn’t let wet conditions get in the way of a key road win against the Washington Redskins.

The Cowboys pushed back the Redskins 33-19 on Sunday in a steady rain at FedEx Field.

Special teams were the guiding force as newly-signed kicker Mike Nugent made four field goals and Orlando Scandrick had a momentum-changing 86-yard return of a blocked field goal that led to a touchdown.

RUN OFFENSE: B The only reason the Cowboys don’t get an A is that Ezekiel Elliott had a fumble on the opening play of the game and tackle Tyron Smith negated an Elliott touchdown run with a holding penalty.

But Elliott did yeoman’s work in the rain, rushing 33 times for 150 yards. It was a career high for carries and it was the third time in his career he gained more than 150 yards. It was also his third consecutive game with more than 100 yards.

PASS OFFENSE: C Dak Prescott’s play is not something he will be proud of, but the bottom line is that he got the win. He completed 14 of 22 passes for 143 yards. The best he did was not turn over the ball.

Prescott completed just five passes in the second half. The wet conditions played a factor as receiver Dez Bryant dropped a touchdown pass. It was strange because Prescott opened the game six for six and completed nine of his first 10 passes for 105 yards.

RUN DEFENSE: B The Redskins rushed 15 times for 49 yards. They got eight for 19 from Rob Kelley. And while Chris Thompson had 18 yards on four carries, one was for 16 yards.

Linebacker Sean Lee keyed the run defense with a team-leading nine tackles. But this was a collective effort with defensive tackle David Irving recording two tackles for losses. Defensive lineman Richard Ash and DeMarcus Lawrence had one each.

PASS DEFENSE: A The Cowboys recorded four sacks and got a tipped pass interception return for a touchdown from safety Byron Jones. David Irving had two sacks. Tyrone Crawford had a sack and a forced fumble. DeMarcus Lawrence had a sack and a recovered fumble. Orlando Scandrick had eight tackles and two tackles for losses.

Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins had his moments with a number of big plays, completing 26 of 39 passes for 263 yards and a touchdown. But he had no chance against the Cowboys pass rush behind the Redskins’ banged-up offensive line.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A While Ryan Switzer continues to be a curiosity on returns because of a litany of poor decisions, the special teams won the game for the Cowboys.

Mike Nugent kicked four field goals in his first game as an injury replacement for Dan Bailey. Tyrone Crawford turned the game around with a blocked field goal and Orlando Scandrick’s 86-yard return. Fullback Keith Smith forced a fumble on a kickoff that was recovered by cornerback Bene Benwikere and led to a field goal.

COACHING: B Give Jason Garrett credit. He has the Cowboys riding the momentum of a two-game winning streak following a 2-3 start. Even after a slow start against the Redskins, he kept the Cowboys aggressive and focused on burying an injury-challenged opponent.

This story was originally published October 30, 2017 at 10:46 AM with the headline "Special teams give Cowboys another area of strength against Redskins."