What Dallas Cowboys win over Bengals means
The Dallas Cowboys grabbed its fourth win of the season on Sunday by knocking off the Cincinnati Bengals by a score of 30 to 7. It was not the prettiest blow out win ever, but the Cowboys got the job done. Andy Dalton was able to hit on some key throws, Tony Pollard found the […]
The Dallas Cowboys grabbed its fourth win of the season on Sunday by knocking off the Cincinnati Bengals by a score of 30 to 7.
It was not the prettiest blow out win ever, but the Cowboys got the job done. Andy Dalton was able to hit on some key throws, Tony Pollard found the end zone, and the defense was able to do something that they have largely struggled with over the years: create turnovers.
Defensive end Aldon Smith gave the Cowboys their first touchdown of the game on a scoop-and-score, while the team forced two other fumbles during the action. Even when accounting for how bad the Bengals are offensively — especially without Joe Burrow and Joe Mixon — it is a positive sign that the defense came away with multiple takeaways.
The implications of the Cowboys-Bengals game were discussed leading up to the week 15 matchup. One of the biggest storylines surrounding the contest was the draft position for each team.
The Dallas Cowboys grabbed a win and did not move at all in the projected draft order.
As it stands now, both the Cowboys and the Bengals are headed for a spot in the top-five of the 2021 NFL Draft order. Both squads are without their franchise quarterback, and a top draft selection will allow them to either take the best player available approach or trade back and surround their signal-caller with more talent thanks to the draft compensation that the team would receive.
Had the Cowboys lost to the Bengals on Sunday, their chances of grabbing a top-three overall pick would have skyrocketed — putting them in prime position to either A) draft offensive tackle Penei Sewell or B) trade back with a quarterback-needy team looking to acquire the draft's best quarterback after Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields, the likely first two picks in April.
Nonetheless, the Cowboys came out victorious — and it did not hurt their draft position! Sure, the team did not move up in the order, but they still were able to grab a win and not move down, either. That is a win-win scenario in my book.
Thanks to the Washington Football Team beating the San Francisco 49ers on the road and the Philadelphia Eagles upsetting the New Orleans Saints at home, the Cowboys are currently slotted at the fourth overall pick.
That said, there are five teams sitting with a 4-9 record at the moment; meaning that a lot can still change over the next three records. If the Cowboys are able to find a win or two in the next three weeks (vs. 49ers, vs. Eagles, at Giants), they could potential be picking closer to 10 than the top-three.
Every game counts. If you are on Team Tank, you are hoping that the Cowboys get back into the loss column and that the teams around them grab some wins down the stretch of this season.
Dallas is still a long shot to win NFC East.
If you are on team Win The Division, you are hoping that the team stays in the win column. That said, the chances of winning the NFC East and clinching a berth in the playoffs are still very unlikely.
In order for the Cowboys to win the NFC East crown for the third time in the last five seasons, this has to happen:
The odds of that all happening seem slim-to-none. But as we all have come to realize, it would be unwise to rule out anything in the year that is 2020.
For now, though, the Cowboys are still on track to secure a top-five draft selection in April. That is an important element for the long-term future of this team.
Featured image via Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
