The Dallas Cowboys quickly erased the spoiled opportunity in Week 10 with a 35-27 win over the Detroit Lions Sunday afternoon at Ford Field. While the Cowboys improved their record to 6-4 on the season, the fact they didn't demolish a 3-5-1 team, even trailing them at points of the game, doesn't inspire confidence about the direction of the team.
However, this was the type of game that provided the club the necessary "W" while also giving them plenty of material for coaches to correct.
Michael Gallup continues to excel
The former 2018 third-round pick from Colorado State continues to make strides, and his nine catches for 148 yards were just another step. Gallup match clutch catches to keep the chains moving and provided a reliable target for quarterback Dak Prescott.
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While Gallup did not collect a touchdown reception, that so-called deficiency isn't a problem given the plethora of red-zone options that the Cowboys have. Dallas needs Gallup to open up the intermediate and deep passing game, and he made the most of his 13 targets.
As No. 1 wideout Amari Cooper was limited with injury, and also Lions cornerback Darius Slay, to the tune of three catches for 38 yards, Gallup rose to the occasion and provided a genuine threat to the Cowboys' passing attack.
Of course, it also helps that Gallup has one of the best quarterbacks in the league this season throwing him the ball.
The defense and special teams were problematic
The Cowboys defense gave up 312 total yards to the Lions, allowed them to go 6-13 on third down, and pick up 19 first downs. Dallas also failed to force any turnovers. Quarterback Jeff Driskel, making his seventh career start and second start in relief of Matthew Stafford, produced a 109.3 passer rating. To say it wasn’t pretty would be an understatement, but for as much as they bent, they never broke like they had in other contests this year when challenged.
The defense was able to drop Driskel for three sacks, but he didn't seem affected by the Cowboys' plan of attack and gained 51 yards and a touchdown on eight carries. Not only did running back Tony Pollard have a near-disastrous, hesitant 18-yard return out of the end zone on the second kickoff of the game, but receiver Tavon Austin had two punt returns for two yards.
Meanwhile the Lions' Jamal Agnew had a punt return average of 17.5 yards, including a 32-yard return. In a scenario that is playing out more and more this year, the other two phases of the game were pedestrian and the offense bailed them out.
Mistakes were made
RB Ezekiel Elliott's fumble on his first carry; Pollard's aforementioned return from the end zone that should have been a touchback; 12 men in the offensive huddle; DL Michael Bennett's two neutral zone infractions, including one on fourth-and-2 in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys had penalties that could have cost them in the long run, and will against better teams.
Dallas has to clean up their execution and discipline, especially as their margin for error is getting smaller as the season progresses. However, the margin slightly widened Sunday night.
But did you win?
At the start of Week 11, the Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles were tied with a 5-4 record, though Dallas holds the tiebreaker and was technically in first. At the end of Week 11, with the Cowboys winning and the New England Patriots outlasting the Eagles 17-10, Dallas is 6-4 and Philadelphia slips to 5-5.
While losses at this point in the season are more devastating for Dallas, they are even more devastating for the Eagles, who host Dallas in Week 16 as one of their chances to overtake the Cowboys and/or neutralize their tiebreaker.
There are six more games to go, but it helps that the Eagles truly are in chase position behind the Cowboys. Such were the spoils of getting to play one of the lesser teams in the conference in Week 11. Of course, Dallas now has their own date with New England this upcoming weekend and a performance like the one they had against the Lions probably won’t cut it against the 9-1 Patriots. There’s work to be done in Dallas.
Do you think the Cowboys showed enough on Sunday to make you confident that they can pull off a playoff run? Share your thoughts on Sunday’s victory with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.
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