For all the good things that came out of Sunday’s win over the Commanders, Michael Gallup returning to football was number one. The fact that he caught a touchdown pass made it even better.
His return also gave us a glimpse into what had been missing during the season’s first three games—a deep threat.
Twice Cooper Rush dialed up the launch codes for Gallup, and twice he drew flags for defensive PI. That deep threat wasn’t there for the first three games, and it now gives the Dallas offense a different element that opposing teams have to factor in.
For the most part, all of Cooper Rush’s throws have been in the short to medium range from the line of scrimmage, aside from the odd long ball to Noah Brown (usually 25-30 yards), but I am talking the real field flippers.
The 40-to-50-yard bombs on which Rush took a chance both resulted in the field being flipped and set the Cowboys up in good field position. The other thing that Gallup’s return will do is force coverage into his direction, allowing Lamb to get more one-on-ones. That can only end well for the Cowboys.
The run game, which was reasonably solid throughout the first three games, failed to get going against the Commanders. Still, more often than not, Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard have been getting yards at a decent clip, which is going to open up passing lanes for Rush to utilize both Lamb and Gallup.
The Cowboys, under Kellen Moore, love to use play-action. With two receivers who, for me are number one caliber in Lamb and Gallup, the running game is essential to unlocking the duo’s potential. Elliott averages 3.8 yards per carry, while Pollard averages 4.5 per carry.
Both backs were in good form until Sunday when they failed to muster much at all, so the numbers are a tad skewed, as they have been running the ball really well.
As the saying goes, sometimes players get valued higher when they aren’t playing. People forget how good Gallup is when he is up and going. While his stats of just two catches for 24 yards and a touchdown don’t stand out, given that it was his first game in nine months, we can’t expect too much.
But we did get a glimpse of what he can bring to this Cowboys offense on Sunday, and with the run game complementing it, we could see Dallas be a little more proactive in the passing game. Rush hasn’t thrown over 235 yards in his three games; that could easily change with Gallup back on the field.
With the handbrake applied a little since Rush has taken over, now could be the chance for Moore to get more creative for Rush now that he has both Lamb and Gallup as his go-to guys. We aren’t forgetting Noah Brown either, don’t worry.
With Gallup’s return, there will be less pressure on Brown and Lamb to consistently make plays in the passing game.
Cooper Rush has been good in Dak Prescott’s absence, and on Sunday, he will be hoping to utilize Gallup more as the receiver will likely see his snap count go up, which can only mean good things for the Cowboys.
