The sky fell in love with the Dallas Cowboys during the first three weeks of the 2024 season after consecutive home losses in which they were run over. of the New Orleans Saints (44-19) and the Baltimore Ravens (28–25).
Dallas stemmed the tide, at least for a week in Week 4, continuing its long-running dominance of the New York Giants in a 20-15 win on “Thursday Night Football.” That evened their 2024 record at 2-2, keeping their postseason hopes alive for another week. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is now victorious over his NFC East rival for his 13th consecutive start, which is tied for the second longest streak by a quarterback against a single opponent since at least 1950 with San Francisco 49ers Hall of Famer Steve Young (13). wins in a row against the Rams) and the GOAT Tom Brady (13 wins in a row against the Bills). Only Miami Dolphins Hall of Famer Bob Griese has a longer winning streak against a single squad with 17 wins in a row against the Bills.
Prescott let it rip Thursday night, throwing precision lasers from start to finish. He finished his night with an efficient 221 yards on 22 of 21 passing, including a 15-yard touchdown pass on a screen to running back Rico Dowdle and a 55-yard catch-and-run score to All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. The Cowboys took an early 14-6 lead early in the second quarter following the Lamb score before padding their lead with field goals of 60 yards and 40 yards by 2023 First Team All-Pro Brandon Aubrey. However, Aubrey missed the first 50-yard-or-deeper field goal of his career, missing from 51 yards with 32 seconds left to play. He is now 16 of 17 from 50-plus yards, and his streak of 16 in a row to start his NFL career is the longest such streak in league history.
Lamb made good on his claim that he would bounce back a week after taking full responsibility for his poor play and sideline outburst in the Week 3 loss to the Ravens. He totaled 98 yards on seven catches, including his 55-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter in which he bobbed and weaved through the Giants’ secondary like he drove through Tri State area traffic.
Defensively, Week 4 was a make or break moment for the Cowboys defense. A week ago, Dallas surrendered the most rushing yards in a game this season (274) in its home loss to the Ravens, a game that was never as close as the final score indicated. Four-time Pro Bowl defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence said Dallas needed to “get out of playing little league football.” Three-time All-Pro running back Micah Parsons said “we don’t need any Supermen at all. We just need 11 guys playing together. Right now, it’s just not in unison.” Veteran cornerback Jourdan Lewis said the Cowboys defense needs to “be credible, f—ing responsible every single play.”
Dallas entered Week 4 ranking dead last in the league in rushing yards per game allowed (185.7) and yards per carry allowed (5.4).
They answered the call on Thursday night, allowing a meager 26 rushing yards on 24 carries. That figure marked the Cowboys’ fewest yards per carry allowed (1.08) in a game while facing 20 or more carries in franchise history, per CBS Sports Research. Dallas second-year defensive tackle Mazi Smith, the team’s first-round pick in 2023, looked like a player worthy of his draft spot, plugging a rush all game. Cowboys backup corner Amani Oruwariye hauled in a game-sealing interception with 15 seconds left to play just four yards short of the end zone. That’s a critical play made on a night in which Dallas was without 2023 interception leader DaRon Bland (stress fracture in foot) and fifth-round rookie Caelen Carson (shoulder), who started in Bland’s place.
Bigger problems ahead
The Cowboys are walking injured after Week 4. They lost both of their Pro Bowl-ranked rushers in Micah Parsons (ankle) and DeMarcus Lawrence (foot) in the second half Thursday night. Lawrence was seen getting his foot worked on and taped on the sidelines, but he did not return to action after leaving the third quarter. Lawrence said The Athletic that he is in pain but will be fine. Priests told Prescott, through The Athletics“I’ll be good” regarding his ankle. The Prime Video postgame show said Parsons had an X-ray done, and the results were negative. He will get an MRI when the team returns to Texas, via NFL Media.
Dallas’ run defense put on a historic performance in Week 4, but it’s a lot easier to do that when a team doesn’t fear the opposing quarterback. It’s clear the Cowboys aren’t afraid of Daniel Jones as New York hasn’t scored a touchdown in each of their last four home starts. The Giants’ rushing offense, on the other hand, continued to struggle Thursday night, rushing for 80 yards on 23 carries, for a yards-per-carry average of 3.5 yards.
The Cowboys’ 75.3 rushing yards-per-game average ranks third-worst in the NFL this season, and their 3.5 yards per carry total ranks as the fourth-worst in the league so far in 2024. Lamb, wideout receiver, has their longest rush of the season: 12 yards. Running back Rico Dowdle has a 10-yard rush with Ezekiel Elliott’s 9-yard rush as the third-longest Cowboy rush this season.
Their next two games before their Week 7 bye will provide much tougher challenges than what they faced Thursday against the Giants. Dallas will hit the road in 10 days to face the currently 3-0 Pittsburgh Steelers on the road in prime time for “Sunday Night Football” in Week 5, and they will then return home to host the currently 2-1 Detroit Lions, the 2023 NFC- runner-up, in Week 6. Detroit will be thirsty for revenge after losing controversially in Dallas at the end of the regular season (2023). Can the Cowboys show consistent improvement on the ground on both sides of the ball beyond Thursday night? We’ll have a much better picture of what the 2024 Cowboys will be starting in 10 days.
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