DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys got that winning feeling back in Week 6 with their nail-biting 20-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. It was a big win for the Cowboys, who weren’t forced to head into their bye week on a two-game losing streak while having the football world questioning them.
Instead, the team has some good vibes at 4-2 and, despite some ugly moments against the Chargers, there were things to be encouraged about. Dallas remains a work in progress, but it’s hard to complain about a victory, especially on the road. They all count in the end and down the road, this might be seen as one of the season-altering games that helped propel Dallas where they’re looking to go.
Here are some of the things we learned about the Cowboys in their Week 6 bounce-back victory:
McCarthy doesn’t trust his quarterback
Head coach Mike McCarthy isn’t going to come right out and say this, but it certainly seems like he doesn’t have enough faith in his signal caller.
Actions speak louder than words and the decision to run the clock down in the final seconds of the first half, instead of taking a shot at the end zone, spoke volumes. With eight seconds remaining at the Los Angeles 14 yard line, and armed with a timeout, the Cowboys had the opportunity to take a chance at scoring a touchdown in a 7-7 game.
McCarthy decided to take the easy three points, proving that he doesn’t trust Prescott enough to know the situation and put the game in his hands.
If the head coach doesn’t trust his QB, that’s a bad sign for McCarthy’s tenure in Dallas. Prescott isn’t going anywhere, and his contract is too large to move off from; if the lack of faith continues, Jerry Jones will certainly move on from McCarthy sooner rather than later.
Prescott makes plays off-script
Dallas managed to score 20 points on Monday night, which turned out to be enough but most of that damage was done with Prescott ad-libbing when plays broke down. Prescott worked his magic outside of the pocket to keep drives alive, including some of the biggest gainers of the game.
The 60-yard pass to running back Tony Pollard occurred when Prescott was flushed out to his right on third-and-11. That play led to the Cowboys scoring a touchdown and taking a seven-point lead early in the fourth quarter.
Later in the fourth, Prescott again escaped to his right to find wide receiver CeeDee Lamb for 18-yards and moved the Cowboys into field goal range for the eventual final tally.
It wasn’t a banner day for the offensive line, or the play calling, but Prescott made the key plays when he had to improvise. The off-script success from Prescott reminded everyone what he’s capable of and why he’s still a top-tier quarterback.
Where were the tight ends?
The offense for the Cowboys usually includes a good deal of play fakes and throws to the tight ends. Against the Chargers, the TEs weren’t a big part of the game plan, garnering just two targets.
Starting TE Jake Ferguson had been averaging 5.6 passes per game, but just one was thrown his way in the win. That’s not enough for a team that likes to throw the ball to its TEs and has had success in doing it over the last few seasons.
Los Angeles’ defense struggles to cover the middle of the field, so it was strange to see the Cowboys not taking advantage with their talent at the tight end position.
For whom the Bell tolls
Undrafted free agent Markquese Bell, in his second year, got more snaps with starting linebacker Leighton Vander Esch out and he didn’t disappoint. Bell was flying around, and the converted safety had a noticeable impact on the defense.
Bell was tied for second on the team in tackles, while coming up big for the rushing defense with five run stops.
In addition, Bell was good in coverage, had one pass defensed and stopped a touchdown by downing Austin Ekeler in the flat. The Cowboys might have found an answer to their lack of LB depth if Bell can keep up a high-level of play.
CeeDee Lamb needs the ball
One of the things that the Cowboys needed to reassess after the offensive breakdown in San Francisco from Week 5 was getting the ball to their top playmakers. Their best skill player on offense is Lamb, who didn’t get enough opportunities to have an impact on that game.
Dallas wasn’t about to make that same mistake against the Chargers. Lamb got seven targets, all of which were completed, and all went for first downs. While totaling 117 receiving yards, Lamb helped move the sticks and five of his catches were on drives that scored points for the offense.
Seven balls still isn’t enough for Lamb, whom the Cowboys need to get more involved. The Prescott to Lamb connection has an 81% success rate and additional passes need to go to the elite WR to make the offense more efficient.
Do you think the Cowboys can learn from their Week 6 win in Los Angeles? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.