Dallas Cowboys: Top 3 stars of Week 2 victory over Los Angeles Chargers

The Dallas Cowboys are officially 1-1 after a game-winning kick off the foot of Greg Zuerlein helped sink the Los Angeles Chargers 20-17. This was a game the Cowboys needed to win and while it was not pretty they were able to get the job done.

This was a total flag-fest as the teams combined for 20 penalties and many of those flags were on game-changing plays. For the Cowboys’ sake, they definitely need to clean up the penalties and play cleaner football moving forward.

But, a win is a win, and here are the three stars (one offense, one defense, one special teams) that helped the Cowboys secure the Week 2 victory.

Dallas Cowboys Special Teams Star: Greg Zuerlein

Coming off the terrible Week 1 performance, where he missed two field goals and one extra point, Greg Zuerlein was on the hot seat. He answered all the criticism with a spectacular performance on Sunday.

“The Leg” was 2/2 on extra points and 2/2 on field goal attempts including the 56-yarder to win the game. That last kick was incredibly gutsy from Zuerlein especially after the Cowboys’ botched clock management forced them to try the kick from 56 yards out, instead of having it possibly 10 yards closer.

The kick sailed through the uprights with plenty of yards to spare as Zuerlein sealed the deal on the Cowboys’ first win of the season. It was great to see him bounce back and hopefully, he can keep it going next week versus Philadelphia.

Dallas Cowboys Defensive Star: Micah Parsons

This may come as a surprise to some especially because the Cowboys intercepted Chargers QB Justin Herbert twice. But, Parsons was the most impactful player for the defense in this game.

The rookie linebacker was moved to defensive end for most of his snaps due to the absences of DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory. Parsons finished the game with two tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, four quarterback hits and eight pressures.

It seemed like Parsons spent a majority of the game in the Chargers backfield as he consistently beat Chargers right tackle Storm Norton. According to Pro Football Focus, the eight pressures recorded by Parsons were the most by a rookie since Nick Bosa in 2019.

For those wondering, Seth Walder also mentioned that a 40% win rate would have been the fifth-highest in the NFL for an edge rusher in Week 1. This game by Parsons and his position flexibility continue to show everyone why the Cowboys picked him in the first round.

He should continue to shine wherever he lines up in this Dallas defense for many years to come.

Dallas Cowboys Offensive Star: Tony Pollard

With all the star power on the Cowboys’ offense, seeing backup running back Tony Pollard as the star of the game is definitely not something I thought I would be typing. But, Pollard was awesome for Dallas on Sunday.

His explosiveness was quite evident as he recorded 13 rushes for 109 yards and a touchdown, while also chipping in three catches for 31 yards. He provided the Cowboys with many runs outside the tackles that resulted in big plays while Ezekiel Elliott did most of his running between the tackles.

The change of pace that Pollard presents allows the offense to be more creative with their formations. As seen on the first touchdown of the game for Dallas.

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The defense had no chance of stopping Pollard on this play because by the time the defensive end realized he had the ball Pollard was already past him and on his way to the endzone. The Cowboys’ offense is better when both Zeke Elliott and Pollard can be utilized so look for him to continue to get touches in space with hopes of busting a big play.