Cowboys studs and duds Week 7: Sam Williams breaks out

Dak Prescott came back as the Dallas Cowboys hosted the Detroit Lions in Week 7 and he looked like a quarterback who hadn’t played since Week 1. Prescott missed a wide-open Noah Brown on the first play of the game and led his team to two three-and-outs to start things off.

By the second half, he turned things around and the Cowboys ended up with a 24-6 win. With the offense slow out of the gate, the defense got it done as they had two interceptions and three fumble recoveries.

Here we look at who stood out for the Cowboys as studs and duds in their fifth win of the season.

Cowboys studs and duds Week 7

Stud: DeMarcus Lawrence, EDGE

DeMarcus Lawrence doesn’t rack up the stats the way Micah Parsons does, but he continues to be a savvy veteran who makes one good play after another. On Sunday, he started out with a big stop that forced a punt. It was a third-and-seven and Detroit tried to catch them off guard with a draw play but Lawrence sniffed it out and stuffed Craig Reynolds for no gain.

Later, he made the play of the day as Detroit was going for a touchdown to take the lead in the fourth quarter. From the one-yard line, Jamaal Williams got the ball but it was hit free by Lawrence and recovered by Anthony Barr. Detroit scored no touchdowns and Lawrence was the reason they failed on their best opportunity to do so.

Dud: Anthony Brown, CB

Anthony Brown is a better player than he gets credit for but this wasn’t his best outing. With Amon-Ra St. Brown knocked out early, the Cowboys’ secondary should have been in good shape. However, they had way too many openings including one where Brown left Kalif Raymond wide open for a 19-yard gain on third-and-14.

Dallas was able to clamp down in the second half but Raymond had a career day with 75 yards and a bulk of that came against Brown.

Stud: Trevon Diggs, CB

Trevon Diggs continues to play well this season. On Sunday, he held the Lions to a field goal when he broke up a pass intended for Kalif Raymond on third down. Detroit was moving the ball well, going 49 yards on 10 plays but the stop by Diggs kept it from being a potential touchdown — which was a win for the defense, especially with how slow the offense started out.

The star cornerback stepped up again in the second half when he picked off a deep pass from Jared Goff.

Dallas responded by going 82 yards on seven plays to take a 10-6 lead thanks in large part to Diggs getting them the ball. It’s dangerous to throw the ball anywhere near him, as he now has three picks on the season and 17 in 35 career games.

Dud: Michael Gallup, WR

As the Cowboys were driving late in the first half, Prescott threw it to Michael Gallup who had defenders around him. Despite the coverage, the pass hit Gallup in the hands but he was unable to haul it in. The ball instead bounced, hit his facemask, and then Amani Oruwariye was able to knock it loose to set up a second-and-10. It would have been a tough catch but he was given the extension this offseason with the expectation that he would pull in such passes.

Gallup ended up being held without a catch which isn’t the most impressive stat line considering how much the Detroit defense has struggled this season. Dallas is fortunate to be sitting at 5-2 even though they were without Prescott for five weeks but they’re going to need more from No. 13 if they want to make a run in the NFC East.

Stud: KaVontae Turpin, Returner

Once again, KaVontae Turpin was inches from ripping off a touchdown.

He hasn’t scored one in the regular season yet but he continues to provide a spark on special teams. In the third quarter, he broke a 52-yard punt return, and had he avoided one last player, he would have gone for six.

Unfortunately, the offense stalled and had to punt but Turpin put them in a perfect position to expand on their 10-6 lead. He’s going to wind up taking one to the house but just his ability to flip the field has already paid dividends.

Dud: Noah Brown, WR

So far this season, Noah Brown has been a pleasant surprise. He’s stepped up as the second wideout with James Washington and Michael Gallup injured. Even with Gallup back, he continues to see pass targets. Having said that, this wasn’t his best game.

Following the Lions taking a 6-3 lead, Brown was hit with an illegal block in the back which made it second-and-20 and unsurprisingly led to a punt. The following drive, he nearly made up for it as he hauled in a 14-yard pass at the Detroit three — but then fumbled after taking a huge hit. The Lions took over and were content to go into the half but the Cowboys missed out on a chance to either tie it or take the lead going into the half.

Brown finished strong with 50 yards on five receptions but he has to protect the ball better in the red zone.

Stud: Sam Williams, EDGE

Second-round pick Sam Williams has been playing well this season but due to the depth on the defensive line, he hasn’t gotten as many snaps as he hoped for. That changed this week as he was out there throughout the day and made the most of his chances.

Williams recorded two sacks and made an emphatic tackle for a loss on a running play where he picked Justin Jackson up and slammed him to the turf — WWE style.

On his second sack, Williams stripped the ball out of Jared Goff’s hand and scooped it up to set up the final Dallas touchdown. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see more of No. 54 going forward after his impressive showing in Week 7.

Dud: Kellen Moore, Offensive Coordinator

They got the win, which is what matters, but it wasn’t nearly as easy as the 24-6 score makes it seem. The Cowboys struggled throughout this one and needed several turnovers and two fourth-quarter touchdowns to put this one away.

Dallas started the game with back-to-back three-and-outs and had one more in the second half, which came after the Turpin return gave them the ball at the Detroit 41. There were also two drives where they punted following just four plays.

Kellen Moore has been praised for his playcalling, and he has been rather creative in his career. Having said that, he’s also struggled in games such as this where he should be able to dominate.

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