The Dallas Cowboys are thankful for their 13th straight home win as they dominated the Washington Commanders 45-10. With all eyes on the Cowboys during prime time on Thanksgiving, the team came together and pulled off another impressive win, now making them 8-3.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders Highlights
Thankful for DaRon Bland
Cornerback DaRon Bland continues to set a new bar for the Cowboys and add some spice to the defense.
He had a 63-yard pick-six in the fourth quarter, which made NFL history for the most pick-sixes in a season. Keep in mind that there are still six games left in the regular season.
DaRon Bland just set an NFL record with his fifth pick-6 of the season. His teammates celebrated by throwing Bland in the red kettle pic.twitter.com/WvBI9fCSGO
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) November 24, 2023
Bland already set the Cowboys’ franchise record for the most amount of pick-sixes, but now he holds the NFL record. He’s a household name that opposing offenses are scheming to avoid.
Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn found the diamond in the rough with Bland. Considering he is only 27 games into his NFL career, the young CB has a bright future ahead.
Bland has been absolutely dominant on the outside and looks like a wide receiver when he gets the ball.
Mike McCarthy’s Play-Calling Fed Everyone
After growing pains at the start of the season with the offense adjusting to head coach Mike McCarthy calling the plays, the unit seems to have found its groove.
The West Coast offense that McCarthy adopted was an adjustment from Kellen Moore’s system, a run-based scheme that opened up the passing game. However, McCarthy and QB Dak Prescott have clicked, and everyone on the offense is playing their best football.
This game showed how efficient the offense can be, especially with Prescott utilizing all the weapons around him, including the younger talent. This game also shows how much better the offense can be when Brandin Cooks is involved.
Let them Cook(s) 🤝 @dak ➡️ @brandincooks for the TD!
📺: #WASvsDAL on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/N5H8Nc0xKc pic.twitter.com/WiTYcrkG0g— NFL (@NFL) November 23, 2023
But don’t get it twisted, CeeDee Lamb is still Prescott’s elite and clutch receiver. He had 53 yards on four receptions for the day, which is lower than the numbers he was putting on the last few weeks, but with the other receivers getting involved, it’s expected that he will have lower stat numbers.
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This doesn’t mean Lamb’s importance as the starting receiver diminishes, but it allows other guys to get the ball, making the offense more unpredictable to scheme against.
Turkey day? Nah, Lamb day 🙌 🐑 @_CeeDeeThree | @dallascowboys
📺: #WASvsDAL on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/N5H8Nc0xKc pic.twitter.com/AOLhWNieAw— NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2023
Dak Prescott Is Feasting
Dak continues to play freely under the offensive scheme. After the game, during the CBS broadcast, Prescott said the way he has been playing boils down to the coaching, the players around him, and the offensive line.
The unit plays very well and allows Prescott to play freely in all aspects of his game.
It’s another week of him using his legs to scramble out of the pocket and play some of the best football we have seen from the 30-year-old.
During the game, he was 22 of 32 pass attempts for 331 yards and four touchdowns. Prescott has a passer rating of 107.3 so far this season as well, which is a career high for him.
If he can stay at this pace and continue to utilize the team around him, this offense could click at the perfect time.
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