For the second consecutive week, the Dallas Cowboys put together a complete game on both sides of the ball in defeating the Carolina Panthers 36-28 in front of a sold-out crowd at AT&T Stadium. The win moves Dallas into first place in the NFC East, nearly one-quarter of the way through the 2021-22 season. The Cowboys have looked consistently better each week after opening the season with a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Quarterback Dak Prescott turned in another stellar outing, throwing for 188 yards on 14 completions and rushing for another 35 yards. Prescott tied his career-best by throwing four touchdown completions. Prescott hit tight end Blake Jarwin for an 18-yard score in the first quarter, then connected with wide receiver Amari Cooper for a 35-yard touchdown in the third. Seven plays later, Prescott found tight end Dalton Schultz uncovered for an easy six-yard score set up by a short field. In the third quarter, the back-breaking touchdown pass from Prescott to receiver Cedric Wilson made any chance of a Carolina comeback nearly impossible.
For the 29th time in his career, running back Ezekiel Elliott had over 100 yards rushing, finishing the game with 143 yards on 20 carries. Tony Pollard, who has gotten the majority of snaps in the previous contests, added 67 yards on 10 tries against Carolina. Elliott’s first-quarter rushing touchdown put him in rarified air as he joined Emmitt Smith and Tony Dorsett as the only Cowboys players with 50+ touchdowns.
After a 2020 season that saw the Cowboys defense become the team’s Achilles heel, new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has the Dallas D firing on all cylinders now. Even as injuries force the team to shuffle players into different positions, Quinn is showing an exceptional talent for making excellent decisions and preparing his team for success regardless of the player personnel in the lineup on game day.
First-round draft pick in 2021, Micah Parsons had another big day. Parsons recorded four individual tackles and logged a sack on Panthers QB Sam Darnold. Darnold was sacked a total of five times during the game, including two sacks by defensive lineman Randy Gregory and a combined sack by lineman Chauncey Golston and Osa Odighizuha. Tarell Basham also recorded a sack in the game, his first of the season.
Cornerback Anthony Brown led the team in tackles with six and defended three passes during the game. The defensive line was disruptive throughout the contest and created opportunities for take-aways. Cornerback Trevon Diggs picked off Darnold twice, including one interception that set up the offense at the Carolina 37-yard line. Three plays later, the Cowboys scored to put the score to 33-14, the widest lead of the day.
One of the most important aspects of the Cowboys’ three victories on the season has been ball security. The team was perfect on Sunday against the Panthers, avoiding turning the ball over throughout the game. Prescott has thrown only two interceptions so far this season against 10 touchdowns. In the season, the Cowboys have lost only one fumble against eight recovered.
The Cowboys are now 3-1 and 1-0 in the NFC East Division. The Cowboys host the rival New York Giants next Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. The Cowboys hold a 69-47-2 advantage over the Giants in a rivalry that began in 1960.
