If 2020 wasn't bizarre enough, the Dallas Cowboys in Atlanta Falcons had to step things up Sunday afternoon in what could only be described as a roller coaster type of game. There was all kinds of ups and downs, loop de loops, and just about everything in between. It was one of the strangest games I've personally ever witnessed in my lifetime.
I think there is a lot we can take away from the way the Dallas Cowboys played in Week 2. There's no questioning it was anywhere close to their best performance, however, they did do enough in the end to come away with the victory. That's the ultimate goal after all, regardless of how you get there.
With all of that in mind, I thought I'd share with you 10 takeaways I saw in this Week 2 matchup with the Atlanta Falcons. Let's take a look…
- The Dallas Cowboys “never quit” attitude was really impressive in Week 2. They could've easily laid down after being down 20-0 in the first quarter, but instead continued to battle it out. Hopefully this is something that continues throughout the season.
- After being inactive in Week 1, it was really good to see Brandon Knight play as well as he did as an injury replacement for Tyron Smith. He only allowed two QB pressures against the Falcons and in doing so could have cemented himself as the swing tackle moving forward.
- Dak Prescott is the real deal and should've quieted any doubters with his Week 2 performance. Not only is he the first player in NFL history with 400 passing yards and 3 rushing TDs, but he also tied Tony Romo for the most 400-yard games (5) in Cowboys history.
- Dalton Schultz looked like a bona fide starting caliber TE against the Atlanta Falcons. I was skeptical of his starting ability, but his nine catches for 88 yards and a TD turned me into a believer. Consistency will be key for him, but at least he's off to a good start.
- I think we just caught our first glimpse of the big plays the Dallas Cowboys WR trio are capable of producing. Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and CeeDee Lamb all had explosive plays against the Falcons and those types of plays should only become more frequent as the season progresses.
- I never thought of Mike McCarthy as an aggressive risk taker with the Packers, but he's proven he's more than willing to roll the dice so far this season. I guess we should get used to seeing more fake punts, 2-point conversion attempts, and going for it on 4th-down this season.
- The Dallas Cowboys were fortunate to have Joe Thomas as a backup. He was thrust into action as a starter after Leighton Vander Esch broke his collarbone and hasn't disappointed since taking over. I believe he was the Cowboys best offensive player in Week 2.
- Players still seem to be struggling to adjust to Mike Nolan's hybrid defensive scheme. The pass rush isn't playing up to their talent and the secondary looks overwhelmed/outmatched so far. Both areas of the Cowboys defense need to improve and quickly.
- Trysten Hill still needs to play with more consistency, but he's flashing some really good stuff through the first two weeks of the season. He is looking more and more like the player the Dallas Cowboys thought they were getting when they drafted him in the 2nd-round last year.
- Trevon Diggs is proving he's the real deal. He's held up extremely well against two of the more potent aerial attacks in the NFL already and is just getting started. He has the makings of being something truly special and could already be the Cowboys best defensive back.
