Dallas Cowboys: Top 3 stars of Week 4 victory over the Carolina Panthers

Another week is in the books and the Dallas Cowboys have recorded their third straight victory. This time by beating the previously undefeated Carolina Panthers by a score of 36-28. After starting slow in the first half and trailing 14-13 at the break, the ‘Boys came out firing in the third quarter and outscored the Panthers 20-0 to take a 33-14 lead entering the fourth.

That third quarter might have been the best quarter of football the Cowboys have played all season. The defense forced Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold to throw two interceptions, both picked off by Trevon Diggs. Along with Dak Prescott throwing three touchdown passes to give the Cowboys a huge cushion.

Even though they did not finish as strong as they would like in the fourth quarter the offense was able to seal the deal late in the game picking up three crucial first downs on their final drive. Without further ado, here are the top three stars of the game for the Cowboys.

Dallas Cowboys: 3. Running Back, Ezekiel Elliott

There was much talk in the offseason as to how running back Ezekiel Elliott was in the best shape of his career entering 2021. Well, it certainly looks like it with the way he has performed this season, especially with the great performance he put on Sunday against the Panthers.

Zeke rushed the ball 20 times for 143 yards and one touchdown, including a 47-yard run which was his longest run since his rookie year in 2016. Elliott showed quickness, burst, and patience to identify the holes and hit them without skipping stride.

This was a Panthers defense that was only allowing 45 yards rushing per game enter Sunday. But it is safe to say that number will skyrocket after allowing 245 yards on the ground to the Cowboys.

Zeke does so much for this offense not only carrying the ball but also in the passing game. He is a very capable receiver despite having no catches on Sunday. But, where he is really unique is in pass protection.

Not many running backs want to stick their nose in and pick up a blitzing linebacker, but Elliott has no problem doing it and that just goes to show how complete of a player he is. Next week Elliott gets a New York Giants team who just surrendered 120 yards on the ground to Saints running back Alvin Kamara. Look for Zeke to eat once again next Sunday.

Dallas Cowboys: 2. Cornerback, Trevon Diggs

I mean what can you say about the way Trevon Diggs has played so far this year? With his two interceptions on Sunday, he has five on the season through the first four games. As expected his five interceptions on the year currently lead the NFL.

Since 2000, the Cowboys have only had one player with more than five interceptions in a season and that was Anthony Henry back in 2007 when he had six. For Diggs, to have five through four games is quite mind-boggling. He has the potential to be the first Cowboys with double-digit interceptions since Mel Renfrow all the way back in 1969. That would be quite a historical season.

After winning defensive player of the month for September, Diggs has firmly put himself in discussion for defensive player of the year. He should continue to shadow the opposing team’s top wide receivers and hopefully come up with many more takeaways for this improving Cowboys defense.

Dallas Cowboys: 1. Quarterback, Dak Prescott

Dak continues to be the straw that stirs the drink for the Cowboys’ offense. This season it looks like he has mastered the quarterback position by his pre-snap reads and his poise and comfort in the pocket.

Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and Dak seem to be in great cohesion with the play calls, and the offense is really hitting its stride. The Cowboys have now scored 41 and 36 points in consecutive games producing like the top 5 offense we expected them to be.

Dak completed 14 of 22 passes against the Panthers for 188 yards and four touchdown passes. He even tacked on 35 yards rushing, which was a season-high. His passer rating was 130.3 and his quarterback rating was 88.1, also his highest mark of the year.

Prescott continues to spread the ball around to all the weapons as all of his TD passes came to a different receiver. Tight ends Blake Jarwin and Dalton Schultz had touchdowns along with wide receivers Cedrick Wilson and this beautiful pass to Amari Cooper…

Dak continues to play great and live up to the contract the Cowboys gave him in the off-season. With him, under center, the Cowboys have a chance to beat any team they match up against.

Dallas Cowboys: Honorable Mentions

There are a bunch of defensive players I want to mention because they have continued to improve week by week.

Safety, Jayron Kearse: Cowboys have struggled to find quality safety play the last few years. But, Kearse has stepped up and played very well for the ‘Boys. Sunday he recorded 6  tackles and two tackles for loss.

Linebacker, Micah Parsons: The first-round pick is playing awesome for the Cowboys. Has played snaps at both linebacker and defensive end Sunday. He just wreaks havoc in so many different ways and recorded another sack on Sunday.

Defensive End, Randy Gregory: Stepping up in the absence of DeMarcus Lawrence, Gregory had two sacks on Sunday and has been pressuring opposing quarterbacks all season.

Defensive Tackle, Osa Odighizuwa: Three tackles, 0.5 sacks, and a tackle for loss against Carolina. The third-round pick has been a huge part of the defensive front and will continue to be relied on for interior pressure.