5 stars from the Cowboys’ 54-19 rout over the Colts 

Dec 5, 2022 - 10:00 PM

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After defeating the Indianapolis Colts 54-19 to improve to 9-3, the Dallas Cowboys are undoubtedly one of the hottest teams in the league. They’ve now won five out of their last six games after blowing out Indianapolis on a national stage. If the intent was to send a message to the NFL, or a certain free agent receiver visiting on Monday, then the message was received.

As stated by Cris Collinsworth during the game, Dallas was very confident heading into Sunday’s game. Perhaps a bit too confident, as they were overly aggressive in the early stages of the game which led to some self-inflected errors. The offense wasn’t perfect by any means, but they were able to capitalize in the red zone.

Meanwhile, the defense, save for a few mistakes, was outstanding. Turnovers came in bunches. Five of them to be exact, as did points from said turnovers. Although the game was close for a while, it always felt like Dallas was clearly the better team. Eventually, the cream rose to the top, as Dallas scored 33 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. We already awarded DaRon Bland the game ball, so let’s examine the other five stars that were integral in Dallas crushing the Colts.

CeeDee does it again

Over the last few weeks, CeeDee Lamb has become more and more consistent within the offense and the team has found a variety of ways to get him involved. Against the Colts, Lamb caught five passes, had two carries, and had one pass attempt on a two-point try. Although the Cowboys are advertised by some as some equal opportunity offense, it’s plain to see CeeDee Lamb is their centerpiece.

Once again Lamb led the team in receiving yards and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore has a hand in that. Moore is placing Lamb in so many different spots throughout the game that defenses don’t have an answer for how to keep the ball out of his hands. Where Lamb arguably is most potent is in the middle of the field.

On his touchdown catch, Lamb starts on the right side of the formation, before being motioned across the field and given a clean release off the line of scrimmage. Not only does he look to turn the ball up the field for the first down, but the football awareness to know he wasn’t down by contact and score a touchdown to give Dallas an early lead.

The ball hawk swoops in

Be honest. We’ve all wanted to get revenge on our old job after leaving the company. Sure, you might still be friends with some of your old coworkers, but nothing compares to knowing they messed up. Knowing they were wrong for letting you go and making them regret not valuing you as an asset. That must be what Malik Hooker is feeling like after tormenting his old team, the Indianapolis Colts.

Hooker had two takeaways on Sunday. His second takeaway was a scoop and score in the fourth quarter. However, his first allowed the Cowboys to take the momentum just before the half. Trailing 14-13, the Colts were trying to orchestrate a drive before the break to take the lead. Indianapolis was set to receive the second-half kick and any points before the half would have been critical.

On a tipped pass by Matt Ryan, Hooker makes a diving catch to secure an interception and has the presence of mind to get up and return the interception deep into the Colts’ territory. On the ensuing drive, Dallas manages to score a touchdown and take a 21-13 lead to halftime.

When the Cowboys signed Malik Hooker last season, Cowboys Nation was excited over the prospect of getting a player that had the versatility and pedigree of Hooker at safety. If this is the player we can come to expect over the rest of the season, the wait was worth it.

Double trouble

If there’s one thing that Kellen Moore deserves credit for, it’s how he’s managed to incorporate his personnel. The offensive line that has made changes at left guard and left tackle intermittently, and how he has used all four tight ends. Yet, his best management of personnel is the work he’s done with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard as a duo. Both are effective if used properly, and sometimes together.

On the Cowboys’ first scoring drive, they were going for it on 4th and 1. On this play, as they’ve done before, Elliott was the up back, while Pollard was the tailback. Prescott hands the ball to Elliott and they’re able to pick up the first down, but the threat of Pollard in conjunction with Elliott is a good problem to present to opposing defenses.

Both backs used in tandem were a lot of trouble for Indianapolis. The two combined for 29 carries and 168 yards rushing. Pollard and Elliott also combined for three touchdown runs. Pollard’s 30-yard touchdown run may have been the longest among the pair, but Elliott also had a big run for 22 yards. At this point, it’s inconsequential if one runner is the starter or the other one is the closer. Both are playing so well interchangeably that the only quandary is on the opposing side.

Dak Prescott makes history

Dak Prescott continues to make his mark in the record books. After throwing three touchdowns on Sunday, Prescott has moved into third place on the Dallas Cowboys’ all-time list for most touchdown passes, trailing only Troy Aikman and Tony Romo. Maybe more impressive than the milestone was Prescott’s response when asked about the feat. “Let me know when I have more wins or championships.” For Prescott, it was another day at the office.

His numbers Sunday evening weren’t staggering in any way, but they were efficient. He completed 66% of his passes for a QB rating of 100.7 and made timely throws. His first touchdown pass to Michael Gallup is a prime example. Facing a 3rd and 9 towards the end of the second quarter, Prescott is flushed from the pocket. Scrambling to his right and keeping his eyes downfield, he’s able to hit Gallup in stride, who falls in the end zone for the score.

His second touchdown pass to Gallup was even better. Down in the red zone, and only leading by two points, the Cowboys must score to have any chance of making it a two-score game. Prescott drops a perfect pass on a fade pattern to Gallup over the head of Isaiah Rogers. Pinpoint Prescott. Since his return from injury, the Cowboys have scored 34.1 points per game and there may be no stopping them at this rate.

Donovan ‘missile’ down the Colts

Donovan Wilson has carried a reputation as a heavy hitter since arriving in Dallas. Tabbed Donovan missile by NFL analyst Brian Baldinger, Wilson was full steam ahead on Sunday night. Entering the game, the Cowboys’ defense knew they had to handle the running game better than they have in weeks past. That was especially the case with a talented and explosive runner like Jonathan Taylor.

On Sunday night, Wilson was making his presence felt. As a result, Taylor was held firmly in check by the Cowboys and only managed 3.9 yards per carry. That is largely due in part to Wilson playing down in the box and rallying to the ball career. Wilson’s ten tackles were a team-high. He also recorded one sack on Matt Ryan and on a crucial third down, where it looked like he was shot out of a cannon.