Grading the Cowboys: Dallas picks up huge win with contributions across the board

Here are Jean-Jacques Taylor’s grades from the Cowboys’ 23-16 win at MetLife Stadium:

Run offense

Jason Peters played some left guard for the first time this season and made a huge difference as he cleared the way for the Cowboys’ two longest runs of the season of 46 and 27 yards. Dallas rushed for 176 yards. Tony Pollard led Dallas with 105 yards rushing

GRADE: B+

Pass offense

Cooper Rush passed for 215 yards with a touchdown. CeeDee Lamb dropped a deep ball that might have gone for a touchdown in the second quarter, but made up for it with a one-handed, toe-tap touchdown catch in the back of the end zone for the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter. He finished with eight catches for 87 yards on 12 targets.

GRADE: B

Run defense

Saquon Barkley didn’t have much room to run most of the night, gaining 81 yards on 14 carries. A nifty 36-yard cutback run for a touchdown to give New York its first lead accounted for most of his yards. Safety Donovan Wilson is a factor in run defense.

GRADE: B

Pass defense

DeMarcus Lawrence recorded his first three sacks of the season, and the rest of the defense harassed Daniel Jones much of the night. But they struggled to keep him in pocket and he scrambled for 79 yards.

GRADE: B+

Special teams

Dorance Armstrong blocked a field goal with a strong inside rush. Brett Maher kicked field goals of 26, 28 and 44, but missed from 59 yards at the end of the first half. Maher’s kickoffs we’re outstanding. KaVontae Turpin’s 28-yard punt return in the fourth quarter set up a field goal.

GRADE: A

Coaching

Play-caller Kellen Moore called for a hard count on third-and-1 to start their go-ahead drive in the fourth quarter and it worked. Mike McCarthy’s decision to for it on fourth-and-4 from the Giants 41 with 10:27 remaining was a good one and they converted, leading to an eventual touchdown.

GRADE: A

Overall

This was a huge win for Dallas because Washington (up next on the schedule) is awful and it gives Dallas a chance to go 3-0 without Dak Prescott, who’s out with a broken thumb. Rush is solidifying himself as one of the league’s better backups, so there’s no need to rush Prescott back. He can return when his thumb is healed. The penalties (8 for 70 yards) need to stop.

GRADE: B+

Jean-Jacques Taylor, a former SportsDay columnist, is the host of JaM Session Podcast which can be heard Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

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