The Dallas Cowboys improved 8-1 and still hold a two-game cushion over the rest of the NFC East division with the impressive win over the Pittsburgh Steelers yesterday afternoon.
What a performance! WOW!
Watching the game the only thing I could think was how the Dallas Cowboys were doing their best to try to lose the game, but the way everything ended couldn’t have been scripted better if it was a Hollywood movie.
If I was physically able to jump up and scream when Ezekiel Elliott scored the winning touchdown with just seconds left on the clock, I would have. I couldn’t think of a better way to end the game.
This game was incredible and is exactly what we have all come to expect when the Dallas Cowboys face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This rivalry is the real deal and seeing these two historic franchises play one another always proves to be entertaining to watch.
This week’s edition of The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly was a little more difficult than usual because I’m still riding the high of the Cowboys victory, but below is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy.
The GoodÂ
I think we can all agree that the good for the Dallas Cowboys against the Pittsburgh Steelers yesterday afternoon was Ezekiel Elliott.
Elliott exploded for 114 yards on the ground and scored two rushing touchdowns. He also took a screen pass 83 yards for another TD and finished the night with two catches for 95 yards.
How fitting was it that Ezekiel Elliott was able to score the winning touchdown with seconds left in the game?
Elliott is still on pace to break Eric Dickerson’s rookie rushing record, but his performance yesterday afternoon against the Pittsburgh Steelers might have entered him into the MVP conversation as well.
What more can I say? Ezekiel Elliott is a BEAST and he proved it against the Pittsburgh Steelers yesterday.
The Bad
It was really difficult to decide what to put in this category for the bad, but I finally decided to go with the defensive performance against the Steelers.
This was really the first game the entire season that the defense for the Dallas Cowboys was exposed. It really shouldn’t come too much of a surprise considering they were down two of their best defensive backs and facing a talented Steelers offense that features two of the best playmakers in the NFL (Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell).
Heading into this matchup the defense had yet to allow a 100 yard receiver or a 100 yard rusher, but Antonio Brown ended that streak, finishing the game with 154 yards and one TD.
We all know that this defense has a mentality of bending and not breaking, so I will give them credit for continuing to fight the entire game and doing enough to come away with the W.
It might’ve been their worst performance of the season, but coming away with the victory is all that matters.
The Ugly
The ugly for the Dallas Cowboys against the Pittsburgh Steelers happened on the opening drive of the game when Dak Prescott fumbled the ball after being stripped from behind.
You may think this is nitpicking, but that particular turnover allowed the Steelers to jump out to an early lead and get the momentum in the game on their home turf. Fortunately, that turnover didn’t determine the outcome of the game.
Luckily, Prescott was able to put it behind him and play an outstanding game. He finished the afternoon throwing for 319 yards and two touchdowns.
Who would’ve guessed that Dak Prescott would be the victor over Ben Roethlisberger in a shoot out on the road?
Prescott continues to impress and should remain the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys as long as he is able to perform like he has been.
What is your good, bad, and ugly for the Cowboys against the Steelers?
Please feel free to use the comment section below to share your thoughts and opinions on this topic.
My ugly is definitely the penalties. They occurred on both sides of the ball regularly. Whether we were giving the Steelers shorter distance to get the first down or on offense making it harder to keep Dak and Zeke on the field. Those were extremely frustrating and had me hurling words at the television that I wouldn’t say in front of my mother.
Mario, I would definitely agree. It’s almost like they were doing their best to lose the game. Like you, I was muttering some four letter words under my breath. That is definitely an area they need to get better if they want to continue their winning streak.
Agreed, my pick for the “ugly” is definitely the penalties. We can win a lot games as long as we don’t beat ourselves. Can this o-line win “MVP”??? I’d vote for the entire group!!!
Brian, I definitely agree with you that the penalties could’ve been in the ugly category. I also agree with you about the o-line beimg the MVP. In fact, that’s who I awarded the mid-season MVP in the article I wrote last week. They are not only opening up running lanes for Ezekiel Elliott, but keeping Dak Prescott upright with their pass protection.
Good: Obviously the offensive line, Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott, Dez Bryant, and Jason Witten.
Bad: Not much. The defense did just enough against the most complete offense they’ve faced all season. Cole Beasley had some uncharacteristic drops but came through when it mattered and survived his head nearly being ripped off.
Ugly: The officiating of the Dallas offensive line. Several holds were borderline.
John, I agree with everything you said. The one call I really hated was the roughing the passer call against Justin Durant. Ben Roethlisberger was outside of the pocket and scrambling when Durant’s forearm hit him in the head. There is no way that Cam Newton would’ve got that call.
The Good
That offensive line. There were holes created by the o-line that even Zek was surprised to see! They also did a nice job of allowing Dak time to hit open targets.
The Bad
Cole Beasley had an off day. He dropped a couple of key passes and just did not seem too comfortable out there.
The Ugly
The secondary, though without two key starters, played horribly as a group. I’m not too concerned since the Cowboys were still able to get the win and the backups will play better with more reps.
Thanks for taking the time to read and leave a comment Deon. I agree with everything you said. The offensive line has been playing outstanding and Ezekiel Elliott is hardly being touched until he reaches the second and third levels. I also agree about Beasley. I’m not too concerned about him though. I know he will bounce back. I am however concerned about the Cowboys secondary. With Claiborne and Church injured they are in depth wise. I also worry about Scandrick staying healthy. I don’t think they secondary can afford another injured player.
The good – our oline
The bad – our coaching decisions 3Rd and 1 and we don’t run it. THEN we decided to throw it 3 times with out taking time off going into to half and forced to punt pit comes down and gets a field goal.
The ugly we need to attack the ball sooner them later all coaches know what I’m talking . And the refs. Boooooo.
Angel, thanks for taking the time to read and leave a comment. There were definitely some questionable coaching calls in the game. I was really surprised that they decided to pass in some situations when they were having so much success in the running game.
The American team need to get better is defense have to get better like secondary have to cover WR good don`t let them get open and find the way to intercept and run all the way to endzone offense can find the way play big is passing, flee flicker like Roger Staubach play for Cowboys , and special team can play kickoff return/punt return big like 40-80 yards and maybe you can make touchdown but no foul that is how to win the game and go to win Super Bowl …If I coach for the team I like coach for offense/WR…
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment Tony. I agree with everything you said.