Dallas Cowboys Week 5: The good, the bad, and the ugly

It is seemingly hard to believe but we are already five weeks into the NFL season. Even with the additional game put on the schedule, we are now 30% done with the 2021 campaign. For your Dallas Cowboys, things could not be going any better.

At 4-1, Dallas sits atop the NFC East, with two wins already within the division. The hated Philadelphia Eagles have one divisional loss, thanks to the Cowboys. The New York Giants, meanwhile, have two and are arguably the most banged-up team in the NFL at this moment. Lastly, Washington, the team most people thought would be the Cowboys’ toughest competitor has just two wins, one over the Giants and the other against Atlanta.

Not only is Dallas sitting pretty in the division, they compare very favorably to the best teams within the NFC. The Cowboys have scored the most points through five games of any NFC team, totaling 170 points so far. Their point differential of +53 is second only to the undefeated Arizona Cardinals. Dallas is also tied with the Rams, just one game behind Arizona for the best conference record in the NFC.

Riding a four-game winning streak and about to take their show on the road to New England, let’s take this moment to look back on the good, the bad, and the ugly from a 44-20 victory over the New York Giants.

Dallas Cowboys Week 5: The Good

The last time the Giants were in Dallas, we all know the terrible outcome that occurred. Exactly 367 days to the day of this article, quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a compound fracture of his lower leg and ankle. Many wondered what version of the young quarterback we would see once he made his comeback.

No one is wondering any longer. Besides an interception on his opening drive (an incredibly athletic play by outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter I might add) and a fumble later on (we’ll get to that later), Prescott was his usual phenomenal self. Throwing for three touchdowns and eclipsing the 300-yard mark, Dak was in complete control of whatever the Giants defense showed him.

To be able to finally vanquish the demons that come from the combination of the field he was injured on and the team he was playing at the time was even sweeter. All year, the media has been relentless in bringing up the situation. Now, it is truly just a part of history.

Having the game that Prescott had while earning such a decisive victory should just add to his already sky-high confidence. If that is the case, the rest of the league has more to fear than Prescott ever does of extending another play with his legs.