ARLINGTON, Texas — As Micah Parsons jogged off the field after Sunday’s 20-17 win over the Cincinnati BengalsA few loud cheers could be heard from the interior. Cowboys’ locker room.
It was more emotional than usual after a game.
“All the whispers,” Parsons said when asked about that emotion, “the Dallas Cowboys this, the Dallas Cowboys that. But we simply bought into each others and said that this was about us, regardless of what everyone else thinks. And I think we came out here and proved that.”
It was not expected that the Cowboys would win this game. They entered as a touchdown favorite. Their franchise quarterback Dak PrescottFollowing a Monday thumb operation, Prescott was wearing street clothes with his throwing arm covered in a brace. Prescott aside, the Cowboys looked just like any other team. NFL’s worst teams the previous Sunday night in a 19-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Backup is not possible without him Cooper Rush got his second career start against a Bengals team that played in last season’s Super Bowl. Dallas looked like it was going to be 0-2.
Rush, however, was a major player early on. He led the Cowboys in consecutive touchdown drives to begin the game. This was the first time this happened since Week 7 in the 2019 season. Philadelphia Eagles. Rush was 7-of-9 passing for just 116 yards and one touchdown in the first quarter. The Cowboys lead 14-3
Rush’s favorite target was wide receiver Noah Brown. The two connected on Rush’s first-quarter TD pass, a 9-yard completion as Brown moved left to right in the back of the end zone. It was not only the first score of the game, it was Dallas’ first touchdown of the season. Brown finished the game with 91 yards and five catches. No. No. CeeDee LambA better performance than Week 1 was achieved with seven catches of 75 yards on 11 targets.
“They had a different style,” Lamb said of the Bengals’ defense compared to what he saw from the Buccaneers last week. “They tended to bracket me a little bit, as you can see, got a couple of incompletions from the linebacker buzzing underneath me on the stop route. Every now and then, you just got to work our matchups.”
After the first two scores, the offense struggled to get going. It managed just a 54-yard field kick on seven of its next possessions. With the game tied at 17-17, Rush completed three consecutive passes, this time to Lamb, Brown, and Lamb again. This set up Brett MaherAs time expired, the 50-yard winner was awarded.
“You do go out there expecting to make every kick,” Maher said. “I feel like I’m in a good rhythm right now. (Long snapper) Jake McQuaideHolder Bryan AngerThe operation is absolutely cost-effective. They gave me a great look at it.”
DALLAS COWBOYS 50 YEAR FIELD GOAL FOR WIN! @dallascowboys #CINvsDAL pic.twitter.com/NpMsccEt4s
— NFL (@NFL) September 18, 2022
Despite it being his second game-winning drive in as many starts, Rush’s demeanor never seemed to change on the field. After the game, Rush maintained a similar demeanor making it difficult for anyone to determine whether the Cowboys had lost or won. A reporter asked him whether he was happy or excited at one point.
“Yeah, definitely,” Rush said with a laugh. “Winning an NFL game is a lot of fun.”
“We already understand that Cooper Rush is definitely ready to step in and handle the opportunity that has revealed itself,” Lamb said. “He showed it plenty of times. … It’s not too big for him. He’s been in this situation. For him to come through again, that’s Cooper Rush for you.”
Dallas’ offensive line also played well. Left tackle Tyler Smith, left guard Matt FarniokCenter Tyler BiadaszRight guard Zack MartinRight tackle Terence SteeleYou were allowed one sack, and you did not have to pay a penalty. Running backs Tony PollardAnd Ezekiel ElliottCombining them, they accounted for 96 yards with a touchdown on 24 carries.
Rush is needed by the Cowboys to continue their winning ways for at least a few games more. Prescott’s injury was originally expected to sideline him six to eight weeks. The Cowboys now believe the timeline has been extended. Nearly four weeks. Tracy Wolfson, sideline reporter for CBS, stated that Prescott said to her before the game he expected to be back sooner than four more weeks. He said that the swelling has subsided and that there is movement in his thumb.
Some immediate offensive assistance could be available as soon as Monday night against the New York Giants. Wide receiver Michael GallupHe is on the verge of returning. Last week, he was able to work in full pads for the first time since his injury. season-ending knee injuryIn January.
“That’s 100 yards waiting to happen, and a touchdown,” Lamb said of Gallup’s return. “He’s very close.”
If Dallas’ defense plays as well against the Bengals, Dallas should be in great shape until Prescott returns. Star quarterback Joe Burrow was sacked six times Sunday — two by Parsons, two by defensive end Dorance ArmstrongEach by the defensive end Dante FowlerLinebacker Leighton Vander Esch. Burrow was also kept below 200 yards passing with only one touchdown. Start running again Joe MixonOn 19 carries, I managed to run only 57 yards.
“We have great confidence in our pass rush and the depth of it, too,” said Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, who improved to 6-1 in his head coaching career following a season-opening loss. “You go to the third-and-10, do you take the penalty there? I’ll take third-and-10 with our favorite package versus that matchup any day. That’s just how we feel about it. The chipping was a good part of the second half. They were able stymied a bit. That’s a big part of why we have so many defensive linemen on this team. We have great belief in our pass rush.”
Parsons has four sacks in his first two games and 17 in 18 of his career games. This is a NFL record dating back to 1982, when sacks were officially made a stat.
“I don’t care what the offense puts up,” Parsons said. “They can have zero (points), but we got to do our part. I think we’re doing a damn good job at doing that. We’ve held two of the most elite offenses to one touchdown the last two games, and we’re making them earn every little bit of it. That’s how you be relentless. That’s what we’ve been preaching. Every guy in this room has bought in.”
Crown him the 👑! @MicahhParsons11Add another bag!
📺:#CINvsDAL ➡️ @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/EV4zg0qQTB
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) September 18, 2022
Parsons had the defense’s best individual performance, but there were plenty of big plays from other defenders like Armstrong, Vander Esch, Fowler, end DeMarcus Lawrence, linebacker Anthony BarrSafety Donovan WilsonCornerback Trevon Diggs.
“One lion can’t do it by himself,” Parsons said. “You need a pride. A pride is 10 hyenas plus one lion. The lion is likely to lose. But the fact that I got 10 other guys out there that I feel I can rely on, that’s what makes this boat go.”
Last week, Bengals star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase told reporters that Diggs is “not too much technique-sound” and “a little hit or miss.”
“He’s all the way on or he’s not on at all,” Chase added.
Diggs didn’t shadow Cincinnati’s No. Diggs was not Cincinnati’s No. 1 wide receiver but he was there often. Chase had 10 catches and a touchdown for 129 yards last week. He was also targeted nine times Sunday, totaling five catches of 54 yards.
Diggs may also have made the play of football, tackling the receiver Tyler BoydHe was in the flat, and he held him to a 1-yard gain at third-and-3 with less than a minute left.
“The drive before I had given up a catch,” Diggs said. “I was kind of mad about that. I wanted to play for my team. I just went and did that.”
“That was huge,” Parsons added. “We even said that’s the hardest we’ve ever seen Diggs tackle. He came out firing like a cannon. He made me proud. When I saw No.7, I was stunned. I was stunned when I saw 7. That was huge.”
The NFC East seems to be more powerful than it was one year ago. WashingtonSunday’s loss was to the Giants, who fell to 1-1. However, they improved to 2-0. Monday night is the Eagles’ game. Three of Dallas’ next four games are against those three opponents. Prescott is likely to miss at most two of these, or all three. On Sunday, the Cowboys were encouraged by Rush and company’s belief that they can win all three. That wasn’t exactly the outside belief before kickoff.
“Sometimes you got to go through some stuff to get to where you want to go,” Parsons said. “Right now, we’re still going through the storm. As we’re going through the storm, there’s going to be light at the end of the tunnel. And I think that’s where we’re heading.”
(Top photo of Joe Burrow being sacked by Micah Parsons: Cooper Neill / Getty Images
