DALLAS — When the Denver Broncos flummoxed the Dallas Cowboys 30-16 in Week 9, there was talk about a blueprint being shown on how to stop Dallas' offense.
In a similar vein, the Cowboys may have laid a blueprint for just how disruptive and formidable their defense can be in the final month of the regular season.
Throughout the 2021 campaign, coach Mike McCarthy and the Jones family front office publicly speculated about how good the defense could be if only defensive tackle Neville Gallimore could overcome his hyperextended elbow from preseason, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence could recover from his broken foot in Week 2, and defensive end Randy Gregory could heal from his calf strain from Week 10.
Throw in sensational rookie linebacker Micah Parsons, and the Oort Cloud was the limit for how impactful the defense could be.
The world finally got a glimpse of Dallas’ full defensive arsenal against Washington, and it was frightening.
"We’re just now starting to play our better football," said Gallimore, who finished with two tackles and 1.0 sack. "I’m not even going to say our best football. We just need to put our head down and keep working to understand that we have a lot to prove."
The defense proved enough on Sunday as they limited Washington to 224 yards total offense, forced three fumbles, picked off quarterback Taylor Heinicke along with knocking him out of the game, and generated five total sacks.
Gregory, who had an interception and the game-sealing sack and forced fumble, says the results are the product of players being locked in throughout the week.
"We expect to do a lot of great things," Gregory said. "It’s really about our preparation and going out there and executing. When guys have their laser focus, about their game plan, we really go out there and ball out. Guys are going to make plays. We have guys who can rush the passer. We have guys who can play the run. A lot of guys who really want to go out there and make a play, and be that guy who makes a play. We just have to give the guys the opportunity to do that."
Defensive end Dorance Armstrong, who made his own return from injury in Week 8 against the Minnesota Vikings, recovered a Parsons forced fumble for a touchdown in the first quarter. To the former 2018 fourth-round pick, the defense's output against Washington had been long awaited since late July training camp practices in Oxnard, California.
"To be able to play off each other, we’ve been looking forward to this since camp. We knew what the potential of having everyone together could do. Now, it’s the time to show it," said Armstrong.
The Cowboys aren't going to rest on their laurels after crushing Washington; they know it is a weekly league and what happened in Week 14 won't matter if the momentum doesn't continue.
"It’s December football," Gallimore said. "It’s going to be gritty. Guys are going to be hungry and guys are going to give us their best shot."
Do you feel confident that the Cowboys have a defense that can win games come playoff time? Share your thoughts with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.
