The Dallas Cowboys opened their 2017 campaign with a convincing 16 point win over the New York Giants. Considering where both teams are expected to be towards the end of the season, this week one victory could prove key in the division race.
To get to the point of victory, multiple key plays had to be made. Each week, as I did a season ago, I will run you guys through the top 5 most impressive and most important plays from the Cowboys previous game.
So, let’s get into this week’s top 5 plays of the week from the Cowboys 19-3 win.
Dak Prescott + RPO = Touchdown
This play makes me happier than it would make a normal person, and not just because it resulted in a Cowboys touchdown. The play design here is beautiful. With the RPO for Prescott and Witten running down the seam at the top of the screen, and Cole Beasley executing a bubble screen at the bottom, the Cowboys kept the Giants on their heels during this red zone snap.
Prescott finds Witten for the touchdown here, and Dallas extends their lead to 13-0. This play proved crucial to the final result, as the Cowboys failed to score a touchdown the remainder of the game.
Contract Year DeMarcus Lawrence
On the Giants first offensive series of the game the Cowboys defense forced a quick and impressive three and out. On third down, Eli Manning dropped back to pass only to find defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence right in his lap.
The Cowboys executed a tackle-first twist on the inside here, and did it to perfection. Maliek Collins occupies both the guard and tackle, forcing the right guard to completely turn his hips. That hip turn leaves the guard no chance to recover and get back to Lawrence, and the result is Lawrence’s first sack of the season.
Take Flight Chuck
DeMarcus Lawrence played out of his mind Sunday night, coming away with his first two sacks of the season. Most expect him to be the team’s sack leader, and possibly come away with around 8-10 by the end of the year.
Charles Tapper, however, will be relied upon heavily as a rotational defensive end going forward. Sunday night, he showed that he is up to the challenge.
On a key second and goal here, Tapper explodes off the ball and beats Ereck Flowers with an inside move, getting to Manning and finishing a huge sack. This sack kept the Giants out of the end zone and proved to be vastly important to the Cowboys’ win.
Anthony Brown, CB1
https://streamable.com/py26k
The Cowboys felt comfortable letting veteran starters in their secondary walk away for nothing this offseason for an abundance of reasons, but cornerback Anthony Brown was at the top of that list.
Brown had himself a game on Sunday, blanketing Brandon Marshall and all of the Giants’ pass catchers throughout the night. With the Giants looking to get back into the game midway through the fourth quarter, Brown jumped in front of an Eli Manning pass to force an interception.
This pick basically sealed the deal for the Cowboys en route to their 19-3 win.
Too Much Sauce
https://streamable.com/cg6h6
What is there to even say about this play?
On this third down, needing to keep the offense on the field and kill the clock, Cole Beasley made the play of the night. Prescott’s pass was a bit behind Beasley, and on live viewing it appeared that the Giants defensive back may have been about to come away with a pick six.
Instead, Beasley showed tremendous focus and hand-eye coordination to bring in the catch of the week. Immediately after the play was made the comparisons between it and Odell Beckham’s grab over Brandon Carr began.
No matter where you stand on that argument, there’s no denying that Beasley made a fantastic catch Sunday night.
