The Dallas Cowboys cleaned up the ledger on Sunday, beating the New York Jets 37-22, evening their wins and losses columns with two apiece. The 2-2-1 Cowboys were in the driver’s seat all day, dominating for three quarters and coasting to the finish as they allowed 16 garbage time points in the final quarter.
Building on the momentum from the previous week when they somewhat shockingly tied the Packers, Dallas showed they belong in the playoff conversation, putting up 37 points and solidifying themselves as one of the deadliest offenses in the league.
While the Cowboys were favored to win, it was far from a forgone conclusion and unclear how exactly such a win would look. Struggling to cover receivers and floundering at creating a pass rush, the Dallas defense has been quite possibly the worst unit in the NFL. As if that wasn’t enough, the offense had been dealing with obstacles themselves. CeeDee Lamb and four-fifths of the offensive line were sidelined, meaning backups at key positions would have to carry the weight in Week 5.
Thing we haven’t learned No. 1: Do the Cowboys have a pass rush?
Prior to Week 5 the Cowboys have had one of the most hapless pass rushes in the NFL. With just five sacks through the first four weeks, Dallas entered the game tied for fourth-fewest sacks this season. In Week 5 the Cowboys appeared to put those struggles behind them, doubling their team sack total by posting five additional sacks.
Led by James Houston and Dante Fowler, the Cowboys posted a total of 28 pressures per PFF initial stat tracking. Donovan Ezeiruaku continued to build on his solid rookie season, becoming a force in both phases. Kenny Clark and Osa Odighizuwa played like the interior stars they are, while rotational players contributed across the board on the defensive line. Did the Cowboys turn a corner or was this just the byproduct of an inferior opponent?
Skepticism is understandable but there is reason to believe the production is sustainable. While the Cowboys were bottom five in sacks entering the game, they were top five in pressure rate. Given that pressures are stable stats and sacks are notoriously wishy-washy, there’s a good chance the pass rush is for real and more good things are to come.
Thing we haven’t learned No. 2: Is Nate Thomas a real starting OT?
The Nate Thomas murmurs began in training camp and after sloppy start to the season by the starters, those murmurs picked up in recent weeks. The second-year offensive tackle replaced the injured Tyler Guyton at left tackle this week and looked right at home, causing many to wonder if Guyton will get his job back when healthy.
PFF tagged Thomas for four pressures allowed, which led the team, but he didn’t allow a sack and only allowed one hit. It was far from flawless but after weeks of struggles from Terence Steele and Guyton, he, at the very least, presented an alternative solution.
More will have to be seen from Thomas before anyone can determine if he’s a top two OT on the Cowboys, but after Week 5 he’s firmly in the conversation and should have both starters on notice.
Thing we haven’t learned No. 3: Does Javonte Williams even need a big play complement?
From the day Javonte Williams was signed, Cowboys fans asked what complementary running back he’d be paired with. Williams has long been seen as a chain-mover but not a game-breaker. Williams’ lackluster reception from fans was born in his seemingly inability to break off big plays. It made calls for the lightning-fast Jaydon Blue to join him this week almost deafening.
Fans finally got their wish in New York with Blue making his debut as the Cowboys’ No. 2 (rhyme shamelessly intended). While the sample size is small, it was Williams, not Blue, who impressed with big-play ability. Williams broke a 66-yard run on first-and-10 in the second quarter. By EPA standards it was the biggest play of the game, posting a value of 5.2 in Dallas’ favor.
Williams has been the best of both worlds for the Cowboys. Against the Jets he posted an enormous 0.41 EPA/play running the rock, adding a 53% success rate to boot. Comparatively Blue posted a -0.33 EPA/play with a 25 percent success rate.
Every team needs a complementary back, and Blue looks like a solid choice for that role going forward. But the need to match the reliably of Williams with a big play machine doesn’t carry as much weight these days because Williams has been the best of both worlds.
You can follow Reid on X @ReidDHanson and be sure to follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: 3 key questions arise from Cowboys dominant win include possible Wally Pipping 1st rounder
Reporting by Reid D Hanson, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
