ARLINGTON, Texas – During the first quarter the Dallas Cowboys offense was limited on the field with 4:15 time of possession, while the Detroit Lions had the ball for 10:45. The offense got off to slow start and Dallas had to settle for a 32-yard field goal by Brett Maher.
Beginning in the second quarter, Cowboys’ fans got a glimpse of the dynamic duo from the 2016 13-3 season: Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott stole the show with an explosive performance in the ground game amassing 25 carries for 152 yards and a 6.1 average. Elliott caught a 38-yard touchdown pass from Prescott to put the Cowboys up 13-10 heading into half time. Zeke became a weapon in the Cowboys’ passing game leading the team in receiving yards with four receptions for 88 yards. With the man-on-man coverage, the Cowboys used Elliott in a variety of ways and it worked to their favor. Dallas’ receivers wore out Detroit’s safeties providing opportunities for Elliott to find the end zone and gain yardage on carries.
In the locker room following the game Elliott stated, “ Dak and I are each other’s biggest cheerleaders. “
Quarterback Dak Prescott has been under scrutiny and many have questioned his ability since the Cowboys’ have had fewer than 200 passing yards since the week 15 game against the Raiders in 2017, but against the Lions he broke out of the slump. He finished 17 of 27 for 255 yards and two touchdowns. He utilized the tight ends, targeting Geoff Swaim in the third quarter for a one-yard TD pass that mimicked his former reliance on TE Jason Witten. A lot of exciting new things taking shape in the Cowboys’ offense.
On the opposite side of the football, DeMarcus Lawrence led the defense with three sacks on Matt Stafford and six tackles. Chido Awuzie was a threat in the backfield with five tackles and Jaylon Smith had great instincts off the snap and an innate ability to be around the football, ending the night with five tackles as well. During the third quarter, Dallas’ defense kept the Lions to 46 passing yards and -1 rushing yards. The Cowboys’ defense tired out the Lions’ offense and the hotboyz came to play.
The new kicker on the block is certainly earning his star. Brett Maher was four for four on field goal attempts, with his longest being 43 yards. He sealed the Cowboys’ win with a 38-yarder to put the Cowboys up 26-24 in the final three seconds of the game. Maher performs well under pressure and is filling out the shoes left by longtime kicker Dan Bailey.
