Dallas Cowboys Have Become One of NFL’s Most Intriguing Contenders

For the third straight week, the Dallas Cowboys got it done.

It hasn’t always been pretty, and it hasn’t come against particularly stiff competition, but Dallas has moved to 3-1 despite the absence of a slew of key players on both sides of the ball. 

Pro Bowl quarterback Tony Romo has yet to see the field, superstar wide receiver Dez Bryant has contributed just 11 catches and stalwart left tackle Tyron Smith has missed the last two games. Suspended defenders DeMarcus Lawrence, Rolando McClain and Randy Gregory remained sidelined on Sunday, as did injured cornerback Orlando Scandrick.

And yet despite falling behind 14-0 in a cross-country road game against the San Francisco 49ers, the Cowboys stormed back to get it done by a score of 24-17. 

Romo’s supposedly temporary replacement, rookie fourth-round pick Dak Prescott, has given his team enough to win each of their first four games. If not for a clock-management gaffe by wide receiver Terrance Williams late in a one-point Week 1 loss to the New York Giants, the Cowboys might still be perfect. 

It’s fair to hold your applause until after the Cowboys have beaten some clear-cut contenders.

Prescott and Co. have victories over the Redskins, Bears and 49ers, none of whom have played well this season. Washington started slow despite winning the NFC East last year, Chicago has been ravaged by injuries and San Francisco has now lost three in a row. The Bears and 49ers likely won’t sniff the playoffs. 

But you also can’t blame the Cowboys for their schedule, and the fact is they’ve beaten two of those teams on the road. Winning away from home is never easy. Try doing it with a rookie quarterback, a rookie running back and a depleted defense. Or against a reigning division champion in prime time (Washington). Or despite facing a 14-0 first-half deficit (San Francisco). 

The key might be that the Dallas offense has kept it simple, remaining disciplined and focused with so many losses to overcome.

Incredibly, Prescott has yet to commit a turnover. He’s taken 361 snaps. He’s thrown 131 passes. No interceptions, no fumbles. 

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