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Cowboys vs. Panthers: The good, the bad, and the ugly from Week 4
Going up against the highest-rated defense in the league in the visiting Panthers, it was the Cowboys defense who walked away with bragging rights on the afternoon. For while Prescott wasn't sacked a single time and threw no interceptions, Sam Darnold was hurried 11 times and sack five on the day, and the Flex Seal around his coffin door was provided by cornerback Trevon Diggs, who reeled in two interceptions on the day -- setting a franchise record in the process for most INTs ever by a Cowboys player through the first four games of a season.
The Panthers had their chances and a one-point lead at halftime, but the added possessions for Prescott turned into an assault on the tiring Carolina defense, all while the Dallas defense began thriving in the second half.
Why the Cowboys won
It felt like the Cowboys were only a handful of mistakes from having a strong lead in the first half, but instead had a one-point deficit going into the half. They did a lot of good things in the first two quarters, though, especially from Ezekiel Elliott and Randy Gregory, with Elliott running freely over the Panthers vaunted defense while Gregory racked up his first two sacks of the 2021 season. Those two sacks would add to a total of five on the day for the Cowboys defense, and toss in two interceptions by Trevon Diggs and Prescott and Co. had plenty of extra possessions to play with.
And played with them they did, once again tap dancing around the 40-point mark with an explosive third quarter that saw them never look back. Anyone who needed to step up for the Cowboys did, and at the most important times, too.
Despite what the final score may suggest, this was yet another dominant victory for the Dallas Cowboys. The 36-28 win improves the Cowboys record to 3-1 on the season with two more games on the schedule before their bye week in Week 7. It’s not completely out of the realm of possibility they improve to 5-1 between now and then, but the Giants and Patriots will have something to say about that.
Beating the Carolina Panthers rather decisively should be an eye-opener for teams around the league who have to play the Cowboys this season or who might see them in the playoffs. They’re playing like a serious contender right now, and as such, could have a bull’s-eye on their back the rest of the year. But, this isn’t time for them to get overconfident. They need to be on top of their game week to week, despite the Super Bowl aspirations.
THE GOOD - Flip a coin. Ezekiel Elliott or Trevon Diggs?
Against what was touted as one of the best, if not the best, run defenses in the league, Ezekiel Elliott finish Sunday afternoon’s game rushing for a total of 143 yards and one touchdown on just 20 carries. Not to be outdone on the opposite side of the ball, Trevon Diggs picked off QB Sam Darnold twice, bringing his INT total to five on the season. This is his fourth consecutive game with an INT and because of that he could be putting his name in contention to be the Defensive MVP this year. You can decide which player had the better game of the two.
THE BAD - Lack of first-half enthusiasm/energy
Blame it on a short week coming off a Monday Night Football game or whatever you want, but the Dallas Cowboys played flat in the first half against the Carolina Panthers Sunday afternoon. Both offensively and defensively they looked lethargic. They couldn’t match the Panthers energy early on and because of that they had to go in at halftime to do some soul-searching. Luckily, they were able to come out in the second half and play with a renewed energy. Their slow start didn’t come back to bite them in the end this time, but it could very well could have.
THE UGLY - Questionable coaching decisions
There were several head-scratching coaching decisions made by Mike McCarthy during the game against the Panthers on Sunday. From declining the personal foul penalty to the decision to give Trevon Diggs “player management” time to rest on the sideline with about 10 minutes to play in the game, McCarthy will have a lot of explaining to do. His tendency to play cautious/complacent not only against the Panthers, but so far this season are making some of these games a lot closer than they should be. It’s time for him to learn to go for the jugular to make a point with a clear and decisive victory.
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