2021 NFL Power Rankings Week 15: Chiefs explode, Broncos remember a hero

7. Dallas Cowboys

It was a tale of two halves.

The Dallas Cowboys entered Week 14 with some extra pressure on themselves when head coach Mike McCarthy decided to make a claim that his team was going to win the game against Washington. Dak Prescott added that they would then have to back up the coach’s words, and a 24-0 first half made it seem as though that would be easy.

However, they were outscored 20-3 in the second half, making this a much closer game than it should have been. Dallas had five sacks including a strip-sack from Randy Gregory — who also had his first career interception — which sealed the game.

Defensively, they continue to surprise as this is one of the more aggressive units in the NFL. They’re also finally healthy with Gregory, Micah Parsons, and DeMarcus Lawrence all playing together for the first time since Week 1.

There are still some issues though. They’re very unhealthy at running back as Ezekiel Elliott still looks beat up and Tony Pollard missed the game with plantar fasciitis. They also have to figure out what’s up with Dak Prescott who threw some ugly passes including a pick-six in the fourth quarter that allowed WFT to make it a one-score game.

Dallas should win their division but they have to clean a few things up on offense, or it could be a quick playoff run.