The Dallas Cowboys say they got back to their run-first identify and physical DNA
For the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday’s 44-21 statement victory against the Los Angeles Rams was like a breath of fresh air.
The energy and life had almost been sucked out of the team during a three-game losing streak that had them saying the right things and seemingly doing the right things in practice but looking lost and discombobulated on the field.
Not only had the Cowboys lost three straight but they also had dropped four of five and seven of 10 before the breakthrough against the Rams.
“It was good to get that win,” vice president Stephen Jones said. “As we all know, it’s just what the doctor ordered. This team really needed one. We needed to get some oxygen in that building.”
Linebacker Sean Lee agreed that some air needed to put back in the Cowboys locker room.
“There was frustration that grew,” Lee said. “You have a bad game and the next that comes out and you don’t play very well, a couple of games in a row. I don’t think we were used to that. We haven’t played like us the last three weeks. We needed to step up. For us to come up and play a tough offense and play the way we did was great but we got more games ahead of us. We have a big game this week.”
It goes without saying that the Cowboys (7-7) have a renewed air of confidence heading into Sunday’s showdown for the NFC East title at the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Cowboys believe they got back to their true identity and real DNA against the Rams as they were led by running back Ezekiel Elliott behind dominant play from the offensive line rather than the pass-happy attack they had tried much of the season.
Quarterback Dak Prescott is still second in the league in passing yards and third in touchdown passes but he was a complementary piece against the Rams, with 212 yards passing on season-low in attempts (23) and completions (12). He had several timely third-down conversions and two key touchdown passes to tight end Jason Witten and receiver Tavon Austin.
But a physical running game was the foundation of their success with 263 yards on 45 carries. Elliott had 24 carries for 117 yards and two touchdowns and backup Tony Pollard added 131 yards on 12 carries, including a 44-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter to put an exclamation point on the blowout and their dominant performance.
“We just have gotten away from our ball control offense where we run the ball well, control the time of possession, and keep our defense fresh,” Stephen Jones said. “That’s when we’re going to play our best football.”
The Cowboys offensive line set the tone with their physicality at the point of attack against a strong Rams defense, led by defensive tackle Aaron Donald, the 2018 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
Dallas recorded 16 rushing first downs, the most in a single game as far back as 1994.
The Cowboys controlled the clock for 36:06, the highest time of possession total in 2019.
The 263 rushing yards were the 14th-highest total in team history and the most since the team had 265 yards at San Francisco in 2017.
The Rams rushed for just 22 yards in the game, the seventh-fewest allowed by a Cowboys defense in team history.
Star running back Todd Gurley had 11 carries for 20 yards, the third fewest rushing yards of his career.
“There was no question we needed to play our kind of game,” coach Jason Garrett said. “I thought we did that. It was going to be a physical game. I thought our guys in the offense line did a really good job coming off the ball and controlling the line of scrimmage against a really good defensive front. Obviously, our ability to run the football for us was critical not only offensively, but I thought it helped our whole football team.
“On the flip side of it, a No. 1 priority for us defensively was to get lined up and stop the run against them. I thought we did a good job of playing fundamentally sound, disciplined run defense. I thought we were physical at the point of attack. We challenged our guys to step up and stop the run and try to make them a one-dimensional offense.”
Having nose tackle Antwaun Woods back in the lineup helped. He had missed three games with a knee injury. The Cowboys also did a better of discussing their defense.
But the biggest difference defense was simplifying things, keying on their fundamentals and getting 11 hats to the ball.
And getting back to their DNA.
“I think particularly the last two games, the execution, the hustle, the hitting wasn’t what we have shown the last five years and it wasn’t what we prided ourselves on,” Lee said. “We said we are going to do one thing right, it’s going to be hustle, it’s going to be hit and it’s going to be execution, even if we play one defense the whole time. The coaches had an unbelievable game plan and we executed it. For us, it was establishing who we are.”
Again.
