Oh, boy. Didn't we all miss this Dallas Cowboys victory feeling? I sure did. The Cowboys beat the Arizona Cardinals 28-17 last Monday Night and it was a good one. After a long loss week, the Cowboys are 2-1 and ready to roll.
It was an ugly start, no doubt. The Cowboys were slow at the beginning of the game but fortunately, they picked it up.
A win is a win. At the end of the day, that's what matters.
And like losses, you learn a lot from victories. Here are my takeaways from yesterday's win over Arizona.
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DeMarcus Lawrence Is a “War Daddy”
This franchise has been looking for a legit “War Daddy” for a long time now. The Cowboys may have depth in their defensive line, but they need someone who can consistently pressure the quarterback for this defense to get to another level.
DeMarcus Lawrence is proving to be that guy. Lawrence has been in this team for a while, but this is the first season he is completely healthy. And he is killing it.
Demarcus Lawrence continues to ball pic.twitter.com/08lTJRFrdx
He currently leads the NFL with 6.5 sacks in just three games. He is one and a half sack away from his career record. We're three weeks into the season. These are All-Pro kind of numbers.
D-Law and the Cowboys have faced three pretty bad offensive lines, but a healthy and confident #90 might keep it up all season.
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Yes… Dak Is Still Dak
It's amazing how two weeks of NFL action are enough for people to claim a player isn't good anymore. And while it is true that Dak has struggled a little bit, it isn't fair at all to say he isn't a good QB.
Dak Prescott remains a very talented and poised player. And he still has a great arm. He showed it twice in two amazing plays with Brice Butler. While running to the sidelines on both plays, Dak threw two great throws to #19.
The offensive line hasn't been as good as it should be. The running game could be better, to be honest. Dak will inevitably struggle more than he did last season because of this same reason. Teams want to stop Zeke.
Without a great running game, he will need to pull these wins off. Let's hope he does. I'm sure he will.
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The Cowboys Need Their Playmakers
For a moment, the game was feeling exactly like the Denver Broncos game. The Cardinals easily drove the ball down the field to get a TD, the Cowboys had a three and out, and it simply felt like the Cowboys were being dominated.
Then Dak Prescott injected life into the offense. After throwing a precise throw to rookie WR Noah Brown to get the first and goal, Dak executed the best play of the game. From the 10-yard line he faked the handoff to Zeke just to keep it and dive into the end zone to score six points upside down.
On another drive, Zeke ran for 20 yards even though he was contacted at the line of scrimmage. Elliott's run set up the next Cowboys TD, featuring Dez Bryant.
Dez had to shake off two defenders before dragging about half of the Cardinals' defense for the TD. It was awesome, and it was one of those plays only Dez could pull off.
These three guys, these three playmakers gave this team life when they needed it the most. And if the Cowboys want to keep winning games this season, especially with such a tough schedule, they will need them just about every week.
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Jourdan Lewis Will Be So Good
DeMarcus Lawrence may have had three sacks last night, but Jourdan Lewis could easily be awarded the MVP of the game award. He saved this defense from a lot of problems.
With six tackles and a deflected pass, all of them in key moments, Lewis shined in his second NFL game. His open field tackling and awareness skills are truly insane. The guy didn't have a single preseason snap!
Jourdan Lewis has ball skills. pic.twitter.com/REgDhUg80o
— Cowboys Nation (@CowboysNation) September 26, 2017
Lewis should get a lot more snaps from now on, even if Awuzie and Carroll return. He is better than both of them, and he is proving it. He has a certain aggressiveness to him, it seems natural. Not many players have that… that's special.
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The Dallas Cowboys Are Fine
I won't lie by saying the Cowboys don't have a single problem. Because they do. For some reason, the offensive line hasn't lived up to the hype, the team has had slow starts and more issues. But there's no reason to press that panic button yet.
Last year, after week three, the Cowboys were 2-1. They are 2-1 after three games now, too. This team has a lot to work on, but they are okay for now.
We're talking about a league were neither of the two defending conference champions are winning in dominant fashion.
This team can be better. And they probably will get better. That doesn't mean they're not contenders… they are. They'll get there.
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The Dallas Cowboys will be back at AT&T Stadium next week, ready to face the 2-1 Los Angeles Rams. It will be an interesting matchup… But hey, it's Tuesday… How about we enjoy another victory week?
