5 key defensive plays that helped Cowboys beat WFT

Make no mistake about it… the Dallas Cowboys’ defense won that Week 14 game against the Washington Football Team. Finally in full force, the defensive line and secondary put on quite a performance in the nation’s capital.

The offense… not so much. In a season that started with Dak Prescott in the MVP conversation and a prolific, impressive run game, the tables have turned. The Cowboys’ offense put on yet another dismal showing on Sunday. Prescott and his guys failed to convert on four of five red-zone possessions. The quarterback himself had yet another game with two interceptions, as well. This kind of offensive play isn’t going to cut it in the playoffs.

Although America’s Team is now 9-4 on the season and 3-0 against divisional rivals, the offense has A LOT of work to do. Without this defense, the Cowboys had no chance in this game.

In the first half alone, the defense had three sacks, a fumble returned for a touchdown, and an interception. They also only allowed the WFT to amass a pathetic 29 total yards in the first two quarters. With a full 60-minute effort, the defensive squad was also there to come up with big plays in the second half to make up for costly mistakes by Prescott.

If you weren’t able to watch the game yesterday, you missed out on watching an incredible performance on one side of the ball. But, we have you covered. Let’s take a look at the top five plays from the impressive defensive dominance on Sunday.

5 key plays that prove the Cowboys’ defensive dominance is what helped them win on Sunday vs WFT

5. Jourdan Lewis forces a fumble against Antonio Gibson

After going into halftime 24-0, Washington slowly started to creep back into the game. Inching towards the end of the third quarter, WFT had already scored a touchdown and completed a two-point conversion to put the game at 24-8. How did the dismal offense respond? By punting after just one first down. But, as was always the case in this matchup, the defense was there to save the day.

This time, cornerback Jourdan Lewis was able to punch the ball out of Antonio Gibson’s hands to force a fumble. He then recovered the ball, giving the Cowboys optimal field position.

It’s important to note that even though the offense got the ball on about the 25-yard line, they still couldn’t make anything happen after that huge defensive play. It has to be frustrating to be a member of this defense and do everything to help your team dominate this game just to have the offense do nothing with key opportunities.

4. Neville Gallimore returns and sacks Taylor Heinicke

After not playing a single snap this season due to dislocating his elbow in the preseason, Gallimore wasted no time asserting himself as a force on this team. Gallimore’s sack on Taylor Heinicke was another big moment for the defense late in this game.

What you are watching is a man who has been out for over 14 weeks, pushing through the center to both take down the center and sack Heinicke. That’s not easy to do.

Gallimore was understandably fired up about the big play. The Canadian hopped on Twitter immediately after the game to tell Cowboys’ fans that he was “back like [he] never left.” We love to see the confidence, especially when you can back it up with outstanding play. There is no doubt that Gallimore had a huge comeback performance on the defensive line.

3. Randy Gregory gets his first career interception

Another player who came off of injury was defensive end Randy Gregory. Gregory missed the previous four games with a calf injury. And, like his teammate, he wasted no time getting back to his normal self. This particular play was yet again another way the defense saved Prescott’s you-know-what.

After a Prescott interception in the first quarter, Gregory avoided being chop-blocked, tipped the ball, and caught it for an interception. This early impact play was a huge momentum changer that led to the dominant first half for the Cowboys. If you watch the video, you can even hear an overwhelming Cowboys fan presence, as the crowd is roaring after the play.

The big man had a big game. You’ll see his name again on this list…

2. Micah Parsons sack leads to a defensive touchdown

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know who rookie linebacker Micah Parsons is – whether you are a Cowboys fan or not. Parsons has had an absolutely stellar season, and Sunday’s game was no exception. In the first quarter, Parsons “easily” runs through WFT’s linemen to absolutely smash Heinicke to the ground.

Parsons also forced the ball out, which allowed defensive end Dorance Armstrong to scoop up the ball and return it 37 yards for a touchdown. The massive hit also shook up WFT’s quarterback, who had quite a brutal day.

The rookie would also have another sack in this game, bringing his season total to 12 sacks. There is no denying that Parsons will win Defensive Rookie of the Year, but now, he is asserting his name for Defensive PLAYER of the Year as well. His stat line just gets crazier with each week.

Cowboys fans at the game took notice as well. Sure, they may be biased. But we aren’t mad at the “MVP chants” that Parsons got leaving the stadium after the win.

1. Randy Gregory’s late strip-sack saves the Cowboys

As we mentioned earlier, the offense did the defense zero favors in this game – especially in the second half. Despite everything the defense was doing to help the team dominate, poor offensive play almost allowed WFT to come back and win this game.

With just minutes left in the fourth quarter, Prescott had tight end Dalton Schultz wide open for an easy gain for what seemed like hours. After waiting too long, Prescott ended up throwing it pretty much directly to Washington linebacker Cole Holcomb for a costly pick-six. This brought the score to 27-20 just over four minutes to go. And how did the Cowboys’ offense respond… a punt.

But… never fear, Randy Gregory is here!

As WFT tried to stage a comeback, third-string quarterback Kyle Allen’s attempt to escape Gregory’s pressure was not enough. Gregory sacked the QB and forced a fumble. You could confidently call this the play of the game. If  Allen didn’t turnover this ball (thanks to Gregory), WFT could have won this rivalry game.

Gregory’s incredible returning performance might have been one of the best games in his career. In fact, he is only the second Cowboys player in franchise history to have a sack, forced fumble, and an interception in the same game. The only other to do it was Tony Dixon in 2002 – ironically also against Washington.

And what did Gregory have to say after the game? “Bing bong.”

It’s easy to argue that without this defense, the Cowboys don’t win that game. Thankfully, they did. The Cowboys now head to New York to face the Giants in Week 15. Let’s hope we see some more defensive greatness (and an awakened offense) in the Big Apple as well.

Dallas Cowboys need Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard to get healthy

Ezekiel Elliott was having a resurgent season, while Tony Pollard was breaking out. Now, both are ailing and the Dallas Cowboys need to get them healthy.