Dak Prescott's Cowboys: 'Good' or 'Lucky' in December? Top 10 Takes
Last week: Drama.
This week: Yawna.
In the wake of their scintillating Christmas Eve comeback, the Dallas Cowboys basically won a December preseason game against a junior varsity Thursday night in Nashville. After some sloppy, scary moments, they finally took care of the short-handed Tennessee Titans, 27-13, at rainy Nissan Stadium.
10. Slam. Dunk. - Nothing comes easy in the NFL. Unless, that is, you're playing against an opposing quarterback signed off another team's practice squad just eight days ago.
The Titans' Josh Dobbs was so hapless he reminded of a past Cowboys' visit to Tennessee. On Christmas night 2000, Anthony Wright filled in for injured Troy Aikman and was embarrassingly awful, completing only five of 20 passes for 35 yards and two interceptions. The Cowboys managed just 95 yards in a 31-0 shutout loss.
Dobbs threw for 232 yards and a touchdown, but never found a rhythm against Dallas' defense.
9. Points Producer - Kicker Brett Maher has quietly put together an impressive season. His only pressurized game-winning kick came in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals, but Maher has scored more points - 137 - than any other player in the NFL.
After another perfect night, he's made 29 of 32 field goals and 50 of 52 extra points.
8. Grass Always Greener? - This was the Cowboys' first win of the season on natural grass after losses at Philadelphia, Green Bay and Jacksonville. Their Wild Card game in two weeks just might be at Tampa Bay, which plays on a grass field.
7. Recovery Beer, Anyone? - KaVontae Turpin has played more pro football than any player this season, maybe ever. Including his USFL season, this game was his 30th game of the season. MVP of the USFL and Pro Bowl in the NFL. That's enough for Turpin to channel his inner Luka Doncic and say "I'm tired as Hell. I need a recovery beer."
6. Cold As Ice - We didn't hate the Cowboys' "Arctic White" alternate uniforms that featured white helmets and facemasks. Best thing about them: They aren't - like every other team's trend - black.
5. T.Y. Over T.O. - With the Cowboys still searching for a reliable fourth receiver behind CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup and Noah Brown, ol' pal Terrell Owens called The Star this week hoping for a tryout.
No, really. He did.
Thankfully, owner Jerry Jones politely declined. T.Y. Hilton has been productive so far and - for a reminder - T.O. last played in a game in 2010 and is 49 years old. Hilton had four catches for 50 yards.
4. Thursday's Team? - We know the Cowboys are America's Team, but they're not bad on Thursdays, either.
The win was their 39th all-time on Thursday, second only to the Detroit Lions (41). The bulk of the success, of course, came on Thanksgiving. But since the NFL began Thursday Night Football in 2006, the Cowboys are 11-5.
3. Friendly Flags - After converting a 3rd and 30 against the Eagles on Christmas Eve, Dallas took control of this one by turning a 3rd and 19 into a first down with the help of 51-yard pass interference penalty on Titans' undrafted rookie cornerback Tre Avery. Beaten by Michael Gallup, Avery clearly grabbed the receiver to set up Dalton Schultz' first touchdown for a 17-6 lead in the third quarter.
2. Christmas Gifts - Cowboys have enjoyed a good - lucky? - run throughout December.
The quarterbacks they've faced: Matt Ryan (since benched by the Indianapolis Colts), Davis Mills (4-18-1 as a starter for the Houston Texans), Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars), Gardner Minshew (subbing for Philadelphia Eagles' MVP candidate Jalen Hurts) and Dobbs (Titans). No wonder the Cowboys went 4-1 this month. Might be more of the same in Week 18 as Dallas finishes the regular season in Washington against a Commanders team likely to start Carson Wentz or Taylor Heinicke.
1. What, Not How? - Good news: The Cowboys scored 25+ points for a franchise-record ninth consecutive game and improved to 12-4 and kept alive their hopes for the NFC East championship and even a No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.
Bad news: They did it despite a troubling trend in which they down to their competition.
The Titans were without nine starters, including quarterback Ryan Tannehill and star running back Derrick Henry. But like they did recently against the inferior Colts and Texans, Dallas struggled to put the game away. The Cowboys couldn't run the ball (2.7 yards per rush), and in the first half they committed three turnovers and saw ball-hawking cornerback Trevon Diggs drop a Pick Six. Schultz' second score pushed the lead to 24-13 in the fourth quarter, but this one wasn't salted away until a Nahshon Wright interception and a fourth-down stop in the final five minutes.
Said coach Mike McCarthy, "Whether we don’t get any style points, that’s OK. We’re still at 12 wins.”
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