Dallas Cowboys star furthers All-Pro argument: 3 takeaways from win over Panthers
The Dallas Cowboys won their sixth game of the 2024 NFL season with a 30-14 outing against the Carolina Panthers. Though playoffs are a distant notion, there are still a few things we learned from the game, from a Cowboys star furthering his own All-Pro argument to to Mike Zimmer's defense stepping up week in and […]
The Dallas Cowboys won their sixth game of the 2024 NFL season with a 30-14 outing against the Carolina Panthers.
Though playoffs are a distant notion, there are still a few things we learned from the game, from a Cowboys star furthering his own All-Pro argument to to Mike Zimmer's defense stepping up week in and week out.
Let's dive in.
CeeDee Lamb furthers All-Pro argument with 116-yard outing
By halftime, Lamb was over 100 yards already and though he didn't do much else in the first half, his game was a reminder of how special he can be. Most of Lamb's nine catches were largely possible because of his adjusting for the ball, including a touchdown catch which was far from an ideal ball from backup QB Cooper Rush, who bounced back in the second half and might've saved himself from being benched.
In that touchdown drive, Lamb had three third-down grabs. Six of his nine catches went for first downs, by the way. Of his 116 yards, 71 were picked up after the catch.
CeeDee is up to 1,089 receiving yards, which ranks third in the NFL. Considering he's been doing it without Dak Prescott for a good chunk of the year, Lamb is looking like a legit All-Pro candidate.
Mike Zimmer's defense breaks Bryce Young
After putting together a few impressive performances, Young mightily struggled against the Cowboys defense. He was sacked six times and turned the ball over four times, including two fumbles and two interceptions.
Part of the magic was the pass rush, which pressured Young in 40% of his dropbacks despite being blitzed a total of four dropbacks (10.8% blitz rate), per PFF. Osa Odighizuwa and Micah Parsons did their usual thing, combining for 13 pressures.
When Zimmer did dial up the blitz, he did so creatively, once dropping back Parsons and DE Carl Lawson, who were lined up to the same side, while sending Eric Kendricks and Jourdan Lewis on a blitz on the opposite side through the same gap. With the OL naturally sliding to Parsons, the call sent Lewis on an unblocked path to Young.
Zimmer's defense is up to 11th in total takeaways, a huge improvement from where the unit was earlier in the season. Naturally, there's a conversation to be had about Zimmer's future in Dallas as he's earning the right to stick around as DC.
Another week, another Rico Dowdle dominant game
This is getting repetitive by now but Dowdle is leaving us no choice. He's the first Cowboys running back with three consecutive 100-yard games since 2019! That's pre-COVID.
Dowdle averaged 6 yards per carry to get to 149 rushing yards, and he did so in style. The offensive line is playing much better but there are many examples of runs that would've been downed much earlier if it weren't for Dowdle's strength, patience, and vision. He forced six missed tackles and picked up four explosive gains, leading to 100 yards after contact. The dude's a legit RB1.
