The Dallas Cowboys took down the Washington Commanders in Week 7 behind an impressive performance by both the offense and defense.
Dallas secured a 44-22 victory, marked by multiple big-time plays from the offense and a dominant defensive performance.
The Cowboys now sit with a record of 3-3-1 and are currently second place in the NFC East division, with the team needing to string together some more wins before making a run at the division title.
With that in mind, here are two significant takeaways from the Cowboys’ victory in Week 7:
Defensive Scheme Shifts Lead To Major Turnaround
The Cowboys’ defensive unit put together one of their best performances of the season against the Commanders, holding this team to just 22 points and forcing multiple turnovers for the first time this year.
Entering this week, the Cowboys’ defense had been one of the worst units in the entire league, allowing 30.7 points per game and 411.7 yards per game through the first six weeks of the season.
However, Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus seemingly made one significant change that helped this unit’s performance.
Eberflus chose to call man coverage on 47.5% of the snaps in this matchup, representing a season high and notable shift from the Cowboys’ tendencies in previous matchups, according to Patrik Walker.
Prior to Week 7, the Cowboys had run man coverage on just 7.8% of defensive snaps, which was easily the lowest percentage in the league through the first six weeks of the year.
The biggest issue Dallas faced was that many of its top defensive backs excel in man coverage, with DaRon Bland, Kaiir Elam, and Trevon Diggs each performing better in this style.
Although Diggs did not play this weekend due to a concussion, the increase in man coverage worked well for Dallas.
The Cowboys allowed a completion percentage of just 33.3%, 57 passing yards, and a passer rating of only 45.7 during those snaps in man coverage.
Dallas will likely need to put together more solid defensive performances to fully regain the trust of fans and coaches, but this dominant showing was a solid start for a team that has not been able to find a rhythm all season.
Offense Continues Hitting New Heights
The Cowboys’ offense entered this matchup as one of the most explosive offenses in the entire NFL, and that trend continued after the team had multiple key pieces return for the first time in weeks.
Prior to Week 7, the Cowboys had been playing without wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, offensive guard Tyler Booker, and wide receiver Kevontae Turpin, yet they were simultaneously ranking near the top of most statistical categories.
The Cowboys also remained without center Cooper Beebe and wide receiver Jonathan Mingo.
Unsurprisingly, the return of three key offensive players took this Cowboys offense to new heights, as the team managed to score 34 offensive points through the first three quarters of the game.
Dallas opened the game hot, scoring two touchdowns and kicking one field goal in the first quarter of this matchup, including multiple big plays to both Lamb and wide receiver George Pickens.
The Cowboys likely could have continued to score points at an explosive rate during this game, but the team quickly shifted to a run-first mindset after taking a three-score lead on Washington.
Lamb discussed the Cowboys’ offensive performance after the game, saying it is the best offensive unit he has ever been a part of.
“This is the best one I’ve been on, and I’ve been on some great ones,” he explained, per ESPN.
“The way we move around, the pieces and these players and everybody knows where we’re going. We can line up fast. It’s tough.”
Moving forward, this Cowboys offense is expected to remain one of the best in the NFL, which could be a necessity for the team even if the defense continues to show slight improvement.