The Dallas Cowboys won a football game on Sunday. For real. The win was hardly the prettiest that the Cowboys have ever had, but it counts just the same as the ones that left us feeling happier than that one did. A win is a win, as they say.
While the end result was the desired one, the path there was bumpy to say the least. There were players who rose to the occasion and others who left us wanting more in several types of ways.
Let’s discuss in this week’s stock report.
Stock Up: Caleb Downs
It has felt like Caleb Downs
was trending upward already, but Sunday was officially his announcement to the world. The game-sealing interception is what everybody will remember, but Downs was all over the place.
He had a critical sack on an early third down. He was credited with two passes defensed and three tackles. Simply put, he was everywhere. It was needed in the worst way.
Stock Up: Quinnen Williams
Similarly, the Cowboys officially have a new war daddy. Like Downs, Williams had really been coming along as of late.
The start to his season, his first full one with the Cowboys, was a little bit bumpy, but he singlehandedly disrupted so much of what the Colts wanted to do. We have dreamt of having a force of this nature along the interior.
Stock Up: Ryan Flournoy
It was nerve-wracking when the Cowboys announced that George Pickens would be inactive for this game. Sure, Ryan Flournoy has been very good this season, but elevating to the WR2 role is a very different thing.
Flournoy proved more than capable. He was hardly CeeDee Lamb, but he provided the necessary moments opposite of him. Dak Prescott targeted him when the team absolutely needed a spark at the end of the game.
The future of George Pickens remains unknown, but the way that Flournoy is playing is going to make those conversations very interesting to say the least.
Stock Up: Rashan Gary
Obviously there was only up to go for Rashan Gary. But he is a stock up nonetheless.
The Cowboys were able to really stifle the Colts’ offense (hardly something to be proud of, but you can only play who’s in front of you) and Rashan Gary even picked up his second sack of the season as the team kept the heat on Daniel Jones. He also contributed six tackles and two TFLs.
There has been far and few in between to choose from regarding Cowboys pass rushers this season so we have to take what we can get.
Stock Up: Tyler Goodson
Caleb Downs is obviously the best new player on the Cowboys (as in players who weren’t on the team at all last season), but Tyler Goodson has a very strong argument for number two. Goodson runs so hard and everything he does is with every bit of his energy.
Goodson averaged 6.4 yards per carry and finished with 77 yards. He has been such a breath of fresh air and is a really proper counterpunch to the attack that is Javonte Williams.
Stock Up: Christian Parker
This is also a “nowhere to go but up” situation, and the quality of the opponent is certainly worth keeping in mind. But let’s say that Christian Parker’s defense generated eight different stops on Sunday, including the one that sealed the game in Caleb Downs’ interception.
Is this representative of a turning tide? That would be a huge leap to make. But it is definitely representative of a group that is getting better and that is awesome to see.
Stock Up: Brevyn Spann-Ford
Jake Ferguson deserves a lot of kudos for the touchdown that he had in this game, especially given that it came on fourth down. To call it clutch would be to not do it due justice.
Noting that, Brevyn Spann-Ford is really making the most of his opportunities as of late. He is becoming someone who Dak Prescott clearly trusts and has assimilated well into his new role with the offense at large.
Stock Down: Brian Schottenheimer
We just mentioned it, but the Ferguson touchdown really was quite fortunate. In that respect it really bailed Brian Schottenheimer out.
That touchdown came on fourth and short in the redzone, but the third down play that Brian Schottenheimer called right before it was so silly. While the Cowboys were gashing the Colts their play-caller decided to call a trick play for CeeDee Lamb that lost yardage. You can argue that the decision to go for it on fourth down, even though it worked out, was pressing a bit.
This doesn’t even cover the fact that the Cowboys barely beat a really bad Colts team. Heck, they were losing to the team in question late in the game. They almost did lose. Schottenheimer’s squad pulled this one off with zero room to spare. He has to be better.
Stock Down: Brandon Aubrey
Brandon Aubrey is still fine in an overall sense, but his trustworthiness from downtown certainly has to change. Rather the Cowboys’ trust in him has to change.
Aubrey missed a 50-yard field goal that would have given the Cowboys a 23-20 lead in this game late down the stretch. Given that it was such a deep attempt the miss gave Indianapolis the ball at their own 40-yard line and they took advantage by netting a go-ahead field goal themselves.
Stock Down: DeMarvion Overshown
Drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for being out in the middle of the field when you are not even active for the game is peak silliness.
Overshown’s penalty put a drive that should have started at the Cowboys’ 30-yard line at their own 15. They wound up punting and surrendering points. Those 15 yards were consequential, even if the Cowboys wound up winning.
The Cowboys have a clear lack of a lot of things and therefore cannot afford to make silly mistakes. This was a silly mistake in the silliest of ways.
