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Cowboys Drub Cleveland, Push Expectations Through the Roof

By Ben Davila

Aug 19, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Lucky Whitehead (13) and wide receiver Dez Bryant (88) joke with running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) on the sideline during the second half of the game against the Miami Dolphins at AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys defeat the Dolphins 41-14. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 19, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Lucky Whitehead (13) and wide receiver Dez Bryant (88) joke with running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) on the sideline during the second half of the game against the Miami Dolphins at AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys defeat the Dolphins 41-14. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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Start dreaming a little, Dallas Cowboys’ fans. This team is racking up wins and conjuring up images of past championship contenders.

After surviving a street fight last week, the Dallas Cowboys entered yesterday looking at a classic “trap game”. Yes, the Cleveland Browns were awful. Sure, they hadn’t won a game this season. But as anyone knows in this age of NFL parity, records don’t necessarily mean as much as they used to. If ever a stage was set for a letdown, yesterday afternoon was surely the occasion.

The Browns, to their credit, came out firing on their opening drive. The Dallas defense looked alarmingly leaky. But as has been the case all year, they showed that bend-but-don’t-break characteristic that has marked their resilience. Cleveland could only muster a field goal for a 3-0 lead.

It may be a stretch to say the game was decided on the subsequent drive, but the tone was definitely set. Rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott keyed a methodical ten-play march that culminated with Prescott’s first touchdown pass to an inexplicably wide open Jason Witten for a 7-3 lead. It was a sign of things to come.

The Browns managed to piece together a late first half drive to pull to within 21-10 at the break. But any sense of Dallas complacency went away when they took the second half kickoff and promptly scored another touchdown. the 28-10 lead made the outcome a foregone conclusion. In fact, as crazy as it sounds, the 35-10 final could have been even more lopsided. The Cowboys could have hung forty-plus on the scoreboard if they’d seen fit.

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Granted, the Browns made plenty of mistakes to help the Dallas cause. But the Cowboys also must be given full marks for their overwhelming win. Critique the level of competition all you want, but a team can only play the schedule they’ve been given. Thus far, the Cowboys have proven that they can win in a variety of ways. This versatility has become their calling card, and the foundation of their resurgence is very simple to pinpoint. The road graders on the offensive line protect the quarterback, open gaping alleys for their running backs, and most importantly, they limit exposure to the defense.

For anyone who is old enough to remember their nineties heyday, stop me if you’ve heard this before. A dominant offensive front keys a punishing rushing attack.

This opens up the play action game for a deadly accurate passer. The offense holds the ball for massive chunks of the game, thereby allowing a ball-hawking, play-making defense to stay fresh.

Of course, right now it’s a long reach to compare Dak Prescott to Troy Aikman. The former is a rookie with no skins on the wall. The latter is a three-time champion and Hall of Famer. The 2016 defense doesn’t resemble the 1992 juggernaut, either. But it was a different time back then. That was just before the salary cap was ushered in. Dynastic teams are now the anomaly, not the rule.

What makes this season so exciting is that the Cowboys are that exception this year. Better yet, because they drafted smartly (Elliott) and luckily (Prescott), they appear to be built to sustain this for at least a few years. Couple that with the youth of the offensive line, and you have the ingredients for prolonged success.

Now, in the NFL, “prolonged” is relative. The era of parity that began in the mid-nineties evolved into the largely mediocre product currently on display. Spates of injuries at key positions will put the kibosh on success very quickly. If you need evidence, simply look at the 2015 Cowboys. That bunch was ill-prepared to deal with life after Tony Romo or Dez Bryant.

Incidentally, picking up Elliott and Prescott in the 2016 draft now appear to be strokes of genius. It might be obvious genius in the case of Zeke Elliott, but this is also Jerry Jones we’re talking about. If scuttlebutt is to be believed, we were a snatched draft card away from seeing Johnny Manziel in silver and blue back in 2014.

With Prescott, however, sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. He has surprising accuracy on his passes, especially when he is on the run. He has also now displayed a gutty resilience in addition to the poise and confidence we already knew he possessed. His Romo-esque spin move to best the Eagles two Sundays ago was the embodiment of clutch. It was also a perfect example of pulling out a win when you don’t have your best stuff. That kind of moxie from a rookie is almost unheard of.

Next: Dallas Cowboys Stay Hot in Cleveland, Win 35-10

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What this means to the Cowboys’ fortunes this year is still up for grabs. Injuries are always the great equalizer, and while it isn’t likely at this point, the quarterbacking could take a nosedive back to reality. What is certain is that this bunch can play .500 ball down the stretch, finish 11-5, and likely win the division. If I had been presented this option going into the regular season, I would have asked where to sign up.

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