The Dallas Cowboys made it look easy against the New York Giants in Week 5. Here’s a look back at their studs and duds from win No. 4 on the season.
Make it four wins in a row for the Dallas Cowboys as they took it to the New York Giants in Week 5. Dallas won by a score of 44-20 and what’s scary is, they still didn’t play their best game.
The home team started out slow and allowed the Giants to hang around but then turned it on in the second half. They took advantage of a hurting New York team to improve to 4-1 with a trip to New England on the slate for Week 6.
Here we take a look back to their latest win and identify some of their studs and duds from Week 5.
Dallas Cowboys Dud: First half Dak
Stay with me here, because Dak Prescott played a great game. He just didn’t start out on fire.
In the first half, he was a little off and even threw a pick on fourth down to Lorenzo Carter on their opening drive. Also, right before the end of the first quarter, he took his eyes off the snap from shotgun and fumbled the ball in the red zone. That one was also recovered by the Giants as linebacker Reggie Ragland came in and picked up the ball
Then at roughly the 10-minute mark in the second quarter, Dak nearly had another pick as his pass was batted at the line and nearly was caught by the defense. Then in the second half, the real Dak Prescott stood up.
Dallas Cowboys Stud: Second half Dak
Prescott was on fire in the second half and finished the day with 302 yards and three touchdowns while completing 22-of-32 passes. It was a stark contrast to how he started and is a great reminder that he’s a player this team can believe in since he just keeps fighting no matter what.
Dallas Cowboys Stud: Ezekiel Elliott
The stories of Ezekiel Elliott’s decline were greatly exaggerated.
Zeke has been playing fantastic this season and it makes those Week 1 takes that he was washed up feel silly. On Sunday, he was dominant with 110 yards on 21 carries with a touchdown. He also added two receptions for two yards, one of which ended with a receiving touchdown.
The coaching staff deserves some credit for this as well since they’re finally allowing Elliott to share the backfield with Tony Pollard. The No. 2 back had 14 carries for 75 yards and that was 14 fewer hits that Elliott had to take.
This approach is clearly working as not only is Pollard doing a phenomenal job behind Elliott, but No. 21 is staying explosive.
Dallas Cowboys Dud: Tyler Biadasz
Tyler BIadasz continues to be the weak link on the Cowboys line. In this one, he found himself guilty of a false start that hurt the offense. In the game, the call actually went against “everyone but the center,” but in reality, that means the center didn’t know the count and failed to snap the ball when he was supposed to.
Biadasz also whiffed on a block that led to a two-yard loss on a screen to Ezekiel Elliott. It feels like he’s being picked on at this point but it wouldn’t be a shocker to see Dallas looking for a new center in 2022.
Dallas Cowboys Stud: Trevon Diggs
Trevon Diggs is becoming a star before our eyes this season. For years, Dallas fans have been clamoring for a defensive back who could get interceptions and Diggs has answered that call — and is making up for the many years of futility before him.
Diggs entered the day with an interception in each of the first four games of the season and then made it five in a row when he recorded his sixth pick of the season. Diggs intercepted a deep pass from Mike Glennon, continuing his insane streak.
Now after five games, Diggs can start thinking about team records. Right now, Everson Walls has the most in a single season for Dallas, picking off 11 in 1981. With 12 games to play, Diggs is more than halfway there.
Dallas Cowboys Dud: Terence Steele
Once again filling in for La’el Collins, who is dealing with the most bizarre suspensions in recent memory, was Terence Steele. The second-year player has improved upon a rough rookie season but Week 5 was not his best game.
Steele made some solid blocks, including when he set the edge on Ezekiel Elliott’s fourth-quarter touchdown run. However, he also had his share of gaffes in this one. He had a holding call that eliminated a 37-yard run from Pollard and then was hit with a 15-yard penalty in the fourth quarter after a big play from CeeDee Lamb
Collins is clearly the better player but overall, Steele is holding the fort down nicely. He just needs to play better than he did against New York.