https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/broncos-maul-cowboys-porous-defense-and-blow-out-dallas-to-remain-atop-afc-west-233221658.html
After the Dallas Cowboys improved to 3-3-1 last week, there seemed to be a lot of optimism about the direction they were going. The thought of the Cowboys being a playoff team started to get bounced around.
Part of that is the constant overreaction to anything good or bad that happens with the Cowboys. But it might have been OK to get excited about the Cowboys if they never had to play defense.
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The Cowboys’ problem is and will continue to be what happens when Dak Prescott is on the sideline. A Denver Broncos offense that had been underperforming most of the season had its best game against the Cowboys on Sunday, which shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. Denver scored 27 first-half points and won 44-24. The Broncos are 6-2, quietly in first place of the AFC West ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs. Bo Nix had four touchdown passes against a beleaguered Cowboys secondary. Rookie running back R.J. Harvey had three touchdowns too, two rushing and one on a catch from Nix.
The Cowboys aren’t a terrible team but they have a flaw that won’t be easy to fix, even if they’re active before the upcoming trade deadline. The defense had given up the most yards in the NFL before Sunday’s games and once again was the reason Dallas was handed a loss.
Broncos offense explodes
The Broncos offense, aside from fourth-quarter explosions against the Eagles and Giants, has been poor for most of this season. Enter the Cowboys defense.
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Denver had 264 yards, 15 first downs and four touchdowns in the first half alone against the Cowboys. Two weeks ago against the Jets, the Broncos had 246 yards and 12 first downs the whole game. Bo Nix, who has struggled for most of his second season, threw touchdown passes to Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant. RJ Harvey, who hasn’t been much of a factor as a rookie, had two touchdowns before halftime.
Dallas hasn’t been able to slow anyone down on defense all season. The offense is playoff quality and the defense is nowhere close. It might not have been passable with Micah Parsons, but it’s certainly not good enough after Parsons was traded to the Packers.
The Cowboys defense played better after halftime, but it’s hard to come back in a game after you’ve given up 27 points in the first half.
Broncos hold their own vs. Cowboys offense
Denver’s offense has had its issues, but the defense is very good. The Cowboys had been lighting up most opponents this season, but it was a lot harder against Denver even with Broncos star cornerback Patrick Surtain II out for the second half with a shoulder injury.
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The Cowboys put together a touchdown drive in the third quarter to cut Denver’s lead to 27-17. With an offense as explosive as the Cowboys, making up 10 points wasn’t out of the question. But Denver’s defense clamped down after that. The Cowboys had a punt and Prescott threw an interception on the two possessions after that, and that’s when Denver pulled away.
The Broncos weren’t scoring much in the second half, but Nix’s third touchdown pass practically put the game away. He found Franklin in the back of the end for Franklin’s second score of the day, a 7-yard catch. That made the score 37-17 and Denver could cruise after that. Harvey scored his third touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter just to pad the final score.
The Broncos are a legitimate contender for the AFC West title and look like a sure playoff team. The Cowboys got a lot of hype in the past week as a playoff hopeful. It’s hard to believe in that unless the defense has a sudden improvement.
https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/broncos-maul-cowboys-porous-defense-and-blow-out-dallas-to-remain-atop-afc-west-233221658.html
