Dallas Cowboys: 5 Standouts vs. Redskins in Week 2
The Dallas Cowboys ground out a win on the road against the rival Redskins in Week 2 and these were their standout performers in the victory.
Coming into Week 2, many people assumed that the Dallas Cowboys would steamroll the rival Washington Redskins on the road. Yes, the game was at FedExField but Jason Garrett‘s team looked that dominant in their season-opener against the Giants. Early on, though, that wasn’t the case.
The Cowboys found themselves in a defensive struggle early against Washington and actually blinked first when the Redskins intercepted a tipped pass from Dak Prescott and converted a touchdown on the ensuing drive. Dallas wouldn’t tie the game until midway through the second quarter but then pulled ahead 14-7 on a long touchdown pass just before halftime.
It was smooth sailing in the second half for the Cowboys after that. Their offense set the tone with a touchdown drive to begin the third quarter and they never let up, moving the ball with ease, even if their defense had its lapses. That ultimately allowed Dallas to maintain control of the clock and, thus, the game to secure the 31-21 win over their NFC East rivals.
Sunday was another strong outing for the defending division champs as they moved to 2-0 on the season. In the win against Washington, though, let’s look at the standout performers for the Dallas Cowboys — but first, some other notable players.
Notable Omissions
Second-year wide receiver Michael Gallup once again looked to be primed for a breakout season as he was a target monster, hauling in six of his eight targets for 68 yards. Amari Cooper and Jason Witten found the end zone again and Ezekiel Elliott was strong, though not spectacular as he amassed 111 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, including icing the game in the fourth quarter.
As for the defense, Byron Jones had an up and down day for the Cowboys, making some big plays but also having some occasional issues in coverage. Overall, he was solid though. Meanwhile, Tyrone Crawford was strong in this game, registering a sack and several other pressures on the day.