How's that for a rebound performance? The Dallas Cowboys have seldom lost back-to-back games under Mike McCarthy and that narrative will surge forward after they demolished the New England Patriots by a final score of 38-3.
The offense's red zone struggles reared their ugly head, but they're reaching the red zone at a ridiculously highly rate. It stands to reason that the poor touchdown percentage will eventually sort itself out.
Let's not harp on the negatives after that performance, though. The Cowboys dominated in all three facets. Dak Prescott was surgical yet again, the defense added two more touchdowns to its collection, and punter Bryan Anger even tossed a two-point conversion to defensive lineman Chauncey Golston.
Fans couldn't ask for much more coming off an ugly loss. It was a collective effort from the entire roster, but these three Cowboys in particular silenced their critics in a big way.
3. Neville Gallimore
The entire Cowboys defensive front showed out defending the run, as Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott combined for 46 yards on 20 carries.
That said, Neville Gallimore feasted against the Patriots' interior defensive line. It unfortunately won't show up on the box score, but the 2020 third-round pick flashed on multiple occasions throughout the game. Granted, this defense is loaded, but when was the last time Gallimore was one of Dallas' standout players on defense?
It's been a while, but Gallimore's critics don't have a leg to stand on after Sunday. He quietly performed well during training camp and it's clear he's riding high on confidence after making the 53-man roster as one of five interior defenders.
Gallimore has been an easy target for Cowboys fans over the years. Much of the criticism was justified, of course. He was a healthy scratch for last year's playoff win against the Buccaneers and hasn't been able to replicate the success he had as a rookie.
Hopefully, Sunday will serve as a springboard for Gallimore. His ascension as a consistent player would transform an already-suffocating defense.
2. Michael Gallup
Similarly to Gallimore, when's the last time you can recall Gallup stringing together consecutive strong performances? Gallup was far and away the Cowboys' best offensive player in last week's loss against Arizona. He led the team with six catches for 92 yards on seven targets.
Sunday's lopsided scoreline didn't require a big showing from Dak Prescott, but Gallup posted a respectable five catches for 60 yards. Only tight end Jake Ferguson produced more catches and yardage than Gallup, who's slowly but surely showing glimpses of the playmaker he was before his torn ACL.
Very quietly, Gallup is Dallas' leading receiver over the last two games. It'd be great if he had a touchdown to show for it, but that should come once the offense remedies its red zone blues.
Gallup has been a point of contention among Cowboys fans post-knee surgery. He still ranks near the bottom of the NFL in terms of creating separation, but how much does that really matter if he produces every week?
Here's to No. 13's (hopeful) continued resurgence.
1. DaRon Bland
Most of Cowboys Nation recognizes how special of a player Bland is. He doesn't have many critics (how could he?), but folks have questioned how big of a step back Dallas' defense would take with him shifting outside in place of Trevon Diggs.
Bland struggled early against the Cardinals. He committed a long pass interference penalty on a touchdown drive and later was beat on a big third down. In a testament to his mental fortitude, he closed strong and piggybacked off that with arguably his best game as a pro against the Patriots.
Bland put the game out of reach in the second quarter with a textbook pick-six of Mac Jones that extended the Cowboys lead to 28-3. Early in the third quarter, Bland jumped another Jones pass for his second interception of the game.
Incredibly, less than five minutes of game time separated Bland's interceptions. He now has seven picks in his last 10 games and three in four games this season.
Again, tough to have critics with that level of production, but Bland quieted anyone and everyone who questioned how he'd perform in Diggs' wake.