Dallas Cowboys Report Card: Passing Grades for 'Texas Coast Offense' Over Rams
The Dallas Cowboys came out of their bye week shot out of a cannon, and it was the Los Angeles Rams on the business end of a "Texas Coast Offense'' explosion at AT&T Stadium.
The 43-20 win was as good as fans could have hoped for, and the Cowboys now move to 5-2 on the season with a date against the Philadelphia Eagles up next.
Dak Prescott was masterful in his performance, completing 25 of 31 for 304 yards, four touchdowns, and an unfortunate interception, while CeeDee Lamb again had a monster game, catching 12 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns.
Before the clash, we highlighted five keys to win for the Cowboys as they looked to build on their win over the Los Angeles Chargers. So, what are our ;post-game grades?
1. Stop the Rams' dominating trio: PASS Aaron Donald grabbed two sacks early on as he looked destined to wreak havoc, but after the first quarter, he was kept in check.
Receivers Cooper Kupp (four catches, 21 yards) and Puka Nacua (three catches, 43 yards) were also kept quiet as neither threatened to break the game apart as coordinator Dan Quinn's defense was stifling. Job done.
2. Convert third downs: PASS Dak Prescott and the offense were nearly automatic on third down in the first half (5 of 6) as they compiled 251 yards of total offense and averaged 7.2 yards a play.
With Prescott withdrawn early in the fourth, the Cowboys would end their day going 6 of 12 on third down as the game script dictated how aggressive the offense was.
When the game was on the line, Prescott and the offense were money, and again, the Rams' defense couldn't stop opposing teams from picking up third downs.
3. Get CeeDee Lamb the ball: HUGE PASS. Lamb had earlier in the week said, "Get me the ball and see what happens," and against the Rams, No. 88 was unstoppable.
Lamb would have 12 catches on 14 targets for 158 yards and two touchdowns as, again, the Rams showed they can't stop an offense's No. 1 receiver.
The offensive message going forward is simple. Get No. 88 the ball.
Dak Prescott (4) and the Cowboys offense were firing on all cylinders against the Rams.
© Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
4. Get the run game going: PASS (sort of) The Cowboys had 48 rushing yards in the first half and would finish with 102 yards total, as Tony Pollard (12 attempts, 53 yards) was the leading rusher.
The numbers don't look great, but Dallas picked up yards when it needed to. Both Prescott and Pollard averaged over four yards a carry as the run game did enough to complement the passing attack that was white hot early on.
5. Knock down Matthew Stafford: PASS The Cowboys made sure to make life uncomfortable for him. On 21 first-half dropbacks, Stafford was pressured on 13 of them and was sacked once (hello, Micah Parsons).
DaRon Bland grabbed his third pick-6 of the season as Stafford never got comfortable in the pocket. Several hits eventually forced him out of the game with a thumb injury.
All in all, the Cowboys obliterated the Rams and made it 11 straight wins at AT&T Stadium, and it seemed like they had the answers to this test before stepping on the field. As a result, they aced it.
