3 Cowboys role players whose stock is soaring after win vs Titans

With the entire country watching, the Dallas Cowboys once again played with their food. Just like they did against the Giants, Colts and Texans in consecutive weeks, the Cowboys let an inferior opponent stick around in primetime.

This time it was the Titans, who were without several key players and started a quarterback in Josh Dobbs whom they signed just last week.

Given the lopsided spread and the NFL’s unpredictable nature, you knew the Cowboys weren’t going to make this an easy win. They’ve played down to their competition all year, and this performance won’t quell concerns among fans who worry about the team’s ability to play mistake-free football in January.

Still, though, a win is a win, right? While some folks won’t be in a celebratory mood after that slog of a game (can we ban Thursday Night Football already?), these role players deserve to be celebrated for their respective performances.

3 Cowboys role players with rising stock after win vs Titans

3. Malik Davis, RB

Ezekiel Elliott might’ve opened the scoring on Thursday night, but it was Davis who marched Dallas’ offense deep into the red zone.

On the drive, Davis ripped a 23-yard run on 2nd and 9. The undrafted free agent out of Florida showcased excellent vision and shiftiness on the run. Aspiring running backs should take notes on Davis’ jump-cut, which left a (hopeless) Titans defender in the dust and allowed Davis to spring upfield for a big gain.

A gorgeous run from Davis, and it marked the start of a special night for the former Gator. With Tony Pollard ruled out with a thigh injury, Davis exhausted Tennessee’s defense to the tune of 62 scrimmage yards. In impressive fashion, the rookie out-gained Elliott on the ground on nine-fewer carries.

If you paid attention during training camp, Davis’ performance wasn’t surprising. He impressed from the start of OTAs and parlayed that into a strong camp and preseason, where he took 31 carries for 132 yards and a touchdown.

With the Cowboys potentially having nothing to play for in Week 18 vs Washington, Mike McCarty and Kellen Moore should give the rookie all the work he can handle. Not only will it keep Elliott and Pollard fresh for the first round of the playoffs, but Davis flat-out deserves the opportunity to start.

2. Brett Maher, K

The NFL is so funny. Cowboys fans spent the entire offseason complaining — and rightfully so! — about the front office’s complacent effort to address the kicker position. For nearly all of training camp, undrafted rookie Jonathan Garibay and former CFL standout Lirim Hajrullahu competed for the starting job.

Even when Maher was re-signed, fans revolted. Again, hard to blame them for that, as Maher wasn’t exactly a beacon of consistency during his last stint in Dallas in 2019, when he nailed a ghastly 66.7% of his field goal attempts.

In 2022, Maher’s been one of the league’s best kickers. Go figure, right? Coming into Thursday night, the 33-year-old was 27-of-30 (90%) on field goals, including an incredible 17-of-19 from inside 50 yards. He also drilled 47-of-49 extra points, good for a 96.5% percentage.

Maher was perfect against the Titans. He converted all three extra-points and both of his field goals, the second of which put the Cowboys up by two touchdowns (27-13) midway through the fourth quarter. That’s a clutch kick, and he did it in rainy conditions.

With that make, Maher became responsible for 137 points, which leads the NFL, and is a Cowboys franchise record for most points in a season.

Take a bow.

1. TY Hilton, WR

The first three catches of Hilton’s Cowboys career picked up first downs. Talk about making an instant impact in a limited role. On Christmas Eve vs the Eagles, Hilton was on the receiving end of 52-yard bomb from Dak Prescott on 3rd and 30 in the fourth quarter that kept Dallas afloat before they pulled out the win.

By early in the second quarter vs Tennessee, Hilton converted two more third downs. The efficiency will regress to the mean at some point, but those grabs mean Hilton produced a first down on each of his first four targets. One of those came via a drawn illegal contact with Dallas trailing against Philly.

We don’t have to tell you it takes time for new Cowboys receivers to earn their stars. Just ask CeeDee Lamb, who’s faced his fair share of criticism over his first three years. Hilton, however, has made that task look easy. He moved the sticks yet again on a 3rd and 5 in the third quarter with Dallas clinging to a 17-13 lead.

That’s the value of adding a veteran with Hilton’s experience. With sticky hands and plenty of speed to burn at age 33, the four-time Pro Bowler is going to be such a clutch outlet for Prescott in high-leverage situations. With more reps together, their chemistry will cause more headaches for defenses come playoff time.

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