Against the Panthers, the Cowboys performed admirably, but three players stood out above the others.
Embrace the good times. In front of their “home” crowd, the Dallas Cowboys triumphed decisively once more in Charlotte. Cowboys supporters crowded Bank of America Stadium to witness their team defeat the Carolina Panthers with yet another resounding victory. The offensive unit of the Cowboys executed flawless football. In the meantime, the defense forced numerous turnovers, and the team capitalized on them for ten points, matching Carolina’s total. The Cowboys recorded seven sacks in all. Even though the Cowboys won handily, a few of their players stood out as the game’s standout performers.
Special mentions
Markquese Bell
Markequese Bell is adjusting to his new role quite nicely. It makes no difference if you refer to him as a safety or a linebacker. Bell possesses both the physicality to take on offensive linemen in order to defend inside runs and the lateral quickness and speed to neutralize runs to the perimeter. Although Bell tried his best to contain the Panthers, Carolina did have some success running the ball. With ten tackles, six of which he made alone, Bell led the team in tackles made.
Tony Pollard
Although it was a tough standard to meet, the Cowboys offense was not nearly as effective as it was the previous week. The Panthers’ running game proved to be somewhat effective, cutting the length of the game for the Dallas offense, and the Cowboys did not control the time of possession. Nevertheless, Tony Pollard put up a tough fight against a defensive front that gave Dallas little room to maneuver. Pollard continued to lead the offense and finished with 80 yards from scrimmage. (19 receiving yards, 61 rushing yards) Early in the 4th quarter, Pollard’s perseverance paid off with a touchdown play worthy of a highlight reel.
McCarthy’s reaction to Pollard’s score was eloquent. Pollard has never been considered a power back, but the play of the day was undoubtedly the strength with which he barreled over the Carolina defense and dove into the end zone. Given that it was Pollard’s first touchdown since the opening week of the season, the score was a release of his frustration. The fact that Pollard took part in the offense is a positive development.
3 Stars
DaRon Bland
Right now, DaRon Bland is incredible. Since Trevon Diggs’ season-ending injury, Bland has been an incredible substitute for Stephon Gilmore as the outside corner. This year, Bland has intercepted six passes and returned four of them for touchdowns. An NFL record of four pick-sixes has been set by the young corner, who consistently finds the end zone.
The throw from Bryce Young was well-placed, but Bland’s exceptional closing speed and strong hands allowed him to make the catch. What’s equally impressive is Bland’s mindfulness to realize he was not touched down by contact by the intended receiver, got off the ground, and raced past Young for the score. In the postgame interview, Bland credited his previous experience as a receiver as the catalyst for his playmaking ability.
Bland’s coverage statistics are astounding when looked at outside of the Carolina game. Bland only let 50% of passes thrown in his direction to be completed prior to today’s game. Bland has allowed a passer rating of 34 in that same sample. With the former fifth-round selection, the Cowboys have struck gold. Bland is performing like an All-Star and exceeding expectations.
Micah Parsons
A good man is impossible to stop, much less a standout player like Micah Parsons. As everyone knows, Parsons is more than just statistics. Nevertheless, it is unexpected that Parsons did not make an impression on the box score after the New York Giants game last week. But Parsons was great against the Panthers. After settling in the Carolina backfield, Parsons recorded two and a half sacks and three quarterback hits on Bryce Young.
Parsons’ variety of pass-rush techniques and explosiveness off the line of scrimmage helped him win multiple snaps against the offensive line. Parsons wreaked havoc while lining up in a variety of positions, including defensive tackle. He cut through the Panthers’ offensive line like a hot knife through butter because of his unparalleled speed. The Panthers got mauled by the “Lion.” On Thanksgiving, Parsons has a great chance to exploit Sam Howell, the quarterback for the Washington Commanders, who has been sacked 47 times this year.
Dak Prescott
Don’t be duped by the unremarkable numbers. Daks Similar to last week, Prescott left the game early, but he was excellent against Carolina. Prescott performed flawlessly and kept the offense ahead of schedule once more. Sunday saw the Cowboys, who rank third in the NFL in terms of third-down conversion percentage, go 7 of 16 (43%) on third downs. Prescott found it easy to manoeuvre the pocket and locate open receivers beyond the sticks despite the Panthers’ frequent blitzing of him on third and long. Speaking of his receivers, Prescott spread the ball among the offense’s playmakers by completing a pass to eight different players.
On third and goal, the Panthers put pressure on Dallas after one of Prescott’s touchdown passes. Just before halftime, Prescott altered the offensive line’s protection and found CeeDee Lamb with a great pass in the back corner of the end zone to give the Cowboys a 17-3 lead. Prescott has thrown 13 passing touchdowns against just two interceptions in the previous four games. Over the past month, Prescott has improved at every level of quarterbacking and is possibly having his best season yet.