Cowboys beat Giants mostly because they outclassed them in obvious way: 4 biggest takeaways from Thanksgiving win
The Dallas Cowboys improved 5-7 after beating the New York Giants on Thanksgiving. The offense needed a crucial first down to secure the win with under two minutes on the clock and Cooper Rush and Brandin Cooks delivered, giving Cowboys Nation something to be thankful for for the second consecutive week. It wasn't an easy game […]
The Dallas Cowboys improved 5-7 after beating the New York Giants on Thanksgiving. The offense needed a crucial first down to secure the win with under two minutes on the clock and Cooper Rush and Brandin Cooks delivered, giving Cowboys Nation something to be thankful for for the second consecutive week.
It wasn't an easy game by any means but the Cowboys defense kept showing up in big spots, including a defensive score and six sacks, to propel Mike McCarthy's team to victory.
Let's dive into our biggest takeaways from the game.
Cowboys outclassed the Giants in the trenches in large part thanks to Micah Parsons
The Cowboys sacked Drew Lock six times on Thursday, including 1.5 sacks from Micah Parsons, who has sparked an entirely different version of Mike Zimmer's defense since he returned to the field. In a game that ended up coming down to the wire, that was the obvious reason why Dallas came away victorious.
The win over the Giants was yet another example of how having Parsons on the field opens all kinds of possibilities for special pressure packages. A clear example of this was Donovan Wilson, who recorded a sack himself in a blitz off the edge as Parsons stunted inside after lining up on the same edge.
Zimmer has been able to be much more aggressive because of Parsons' presence on the field and the mere fact that the pass rush is much better, which indirectly lifts the coverage in the backend.
On the other hand, the Cowboys kept Cooper Rush completely clean on the pocket, allowing no sacks on Thursday. Games are won in the trenches and that was the biggest difference tonight.
Cowboys LB DeMarvion Overshown is truly special
Speaking of special players, how about Overshown? The young linebacker has been a bright spot even in a losing year for Dallas and his touchdown on Thursday was his best plays yet. Blitzing off the edge, Overshown blew up the running back, tipped Drew Lock's pass, and intercepted the ball for a pick six. Call it a three-course Thanksgiving meal for the youngster.
Bear in mind, this is Overshown's first regular season actually playing after he missed his entire rookie season with a torn ACL. He has the makings of a special linebacker. Cowboys Nation should be thankful to have him around.
Cowboys injuries at DB are getting ridiculous
You've got to feel for Cowboys cornerback Josh Butler. The former UFL player who quickly rose through the ranks to be a captain for this game suffered a seemingly painful leg injury and paired with Caelen Carson being placed on Injured Reserve, Thursday's game showed how thin Dallas is at DB right now.
The Cowboys were able to turn to only Kemon Hall, who was recently promoted to the 53-man roster, and Israel Mukuamu. They even pushed Jourdan Lewis from his usual nickel role to the outside. Hopefully, Trevon Diggs is able to return soon.
Rico Dowdle is absolutely legit
Another game, another positive outing for Cowboys RB Rico Dowdle, who averaged 5.1 yards per attempt as he totaled 112 yards on the ground. Dowdle has been quite underrated this season, as he's been consistently among the top ten backs in success rate.
The Cowboys will likely have to address the running back room next offseason but part of that has to be trying to bring back Dowdle. Additionally, Dallas should simply feed him much more than they have been at times. Thursday was at start as Dowdle carried the rock over 20 times for the second time this season.
CeeDee Lamb has to be better for his backup quarterback
CeeDee Lamb entered the week tied for the most drops in the NFL at seven, which might not be as bad as it sounds based on the fact that he's been targeted so much this season. However, by halftime, CeeDee had already added three more to his total.
Lamb gets the benefit of the doubt because of how good of a playmaker he is but there's no denying consistency has to improve. Two of his drops could've gone for explosive gains after the catch.
