| A new week, a new sense of optimism surrounding the Dallas Cowboys. The best part for Dak Prescott, Mike McCarthy, Jerry Jones, et al.? They’ve gotten rid of the dreaded s-word. Slump. The Cowboys did a lot of things on Sunday night, but none was more important than freeing themselves of the troublesome term that had been plaguing them for a few weeks. Before trouncing the Washington Football Team, 56-14, they were, according to commonly held opinion, slumping. Prescott hates the word and he wasn’t buying it, but the facts were stark. They went from 6-1 to losing three of four in November, and from 460 yards of offense per game to seeing Prescott’s unit stutter and stumble. The discussion in Texas was “slump this,” “slump that.” The lowered level of performance was starting to look like the new norm. And then, suddenly, they turned it back again, with a resoundingly comprehensive thrashing of Washington. “I think it’d be hard for you to say [we’re in a slump] now,” Prescott told reporters on Sunday night. “I wouldn’t say that I was in a slump. I wouldn’t say that. Now, I would also agree I wasn’t playing my best ball. But at the same time, I’ve just continued to work and continue to work at the things I know, trust the guys around me.” Prescott threw for 322 yards and four touchdowns in the opening two quarters alone. Having already secured the NFC East title before kickoff, the Cowboys rubbed last year’s division winners’ noses in it. By the third quarter, Prescott was chilling on the sidelines and allowing Cooper Rush to get some minutes, having become the first NFL QB to ever throw a touchdown pass to a running back, wide receiver, tight end and offensive lineman in the same game. Slump no more. The Cowboys now look as dangerous as anyone, with a truly elite defense and a bevy of weapons for Prescott to aim at. On Sunday, Amari Cooper, Dalton Schultz, Malik Turner, CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup all had more than 50 yards receiving. Only the Green Bay Packers have a better overall record than Dallas’ 11-4, and the Cowboys will secure at least the No. 2 seed in the NFC if they win out. “They have the highest upside of any team in the NFC because their offense can score with Green Bay or Tampa and their defense, flatly, is better,” FS1’s Nick Wright said on “First Things First.” “They have elite playmakers at every level of the defense. The Cowboys, if they are healthy and rolling, they feel as dangerous as any team in the conference.” There are different ways of looking at the way the Cowboys played during their slump dip in form. One is that it was a sign of weakness and inconsistency that could easily come back to haunt them when it really matters. Another is that they’ve gotten the bad games out of their system and are gaining ground at just the right time. A third is that they’ve worked out what was wrong and are now on track. Either way, the Washington game was a marked improvement. “It was hard to believe this was the same Prescott we have seen in recent weeks,” Tim Cowlishaw wrote in the Dallas Morning News. “The big plays from the passing game had nearly vanished. The Cowboys looked as good as they have in every phase in every way in years.” Dallas has two games to go and the next in particular, against the Arizona Cardinals, might serve as a decent barometer for the playoffs — as well as a potential first-round preview. The Cardinals have fallen into a hole since beginning the campaign 7-0 but deserve their place in the postseason even if the NFC West slips away. Dallas is a 4.5-point favorite this Sunday. Because of the high-octane nature of the Cowboys’ offense and the way it lends itself to big plays and flashy numbers, there is a danger of overreacting to their most positive performances. Yet at the bare minimum, it must be said that they’ve shown what they are capable of, a genuine sense of balance and, with that kind of scoring punch, to never be out of contention if they find themselves in a hole. No slumping here. Not anymore. Perhaps not really that much before, but certainly not now. |
