Broncos Stymie Cowboys Offense to Move to 5-4
If you look towards momentum to figure out who you believe is going to win a football game, this game went against everything you had in mind. The Cowboys, who were coming off their sixth straight win in which their backup QB led a game-winning drive on Sunday Night Football, faced off against a team in the Denver Broncos, who just traded one of their all-time great players in Von Miller and seemed to be waving the white flag. Despite this, the Broncos went into Dallas and stomped on the Cowboys, winning by a score of 30-16. Let us dive into how Denver got it done and what went wrong for Dallas.
Game Details
On the winning end, the Broncos played balanced football on offense. QB Teddy Bridgewater was efficient in the victory, going 19/28 with 249 yards and a touchdown. He added a rushing touchdown as well. WR Tim Patrick caught the lone passing touchdown on a 44-yard-deep pass. He finished the day with four catches and 85 yards. WR Jerry Jeudy also chipped in six catches for 69 yards to pace the air raid. On the ground, Denver’s two-headed monster highlighted the offense. HB Javonte Williams had 17 carries for 111 yards, while his running mate Melvin Gordon had 21 carries for 80 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, S Kareem Jackson led the team with nine tackles, while S Caden Sterns had an interception in the victory.
On the short end, QB Dak Prescott went 19/39 with 232 yards, two garbage-time touchdowns, and one interception. Both touchdowns went to WR Malik Turner, who led the Cowboys with five catches in the loss. TE Dalton Schultz led the team with 54 yards, while WR’s Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb had an off day, combining for 4 catches and 59 yards on the day. HB Ezekiel Elliott had a good average but managed just 10 carries for 51 yards due to a knee injury in which he returned, as well as a blowout on the scoreboard. Despite the loss, LB Micah Parsons kept up his strong rookie campaign, leading the Cowboys with 10 total tackles and 2.5 sacks on the day. He is not tied with DE Randy Gregory for the most sacks on the team, each with five.
Broncos Ground Game
As stated before, the Denver Broncos won this game offensively through their run game, which was dominant all day. The Williams-Gordon tandem combined for a whopping 191 yards on the ground, their most all season. With Bridgewater’s limitations, it is apparent that a ground and pound offense is the way to go for the Broncos, especially because you can depend on Bridgewater not to turn the ball over, as he has just five interceptions on the season. Denver has two really good running backs that can control the clock and help make explosive plays. Despite this, Denver ranks in the middle of the pack for rushing yards but may have found a formula for success against a top-tier team in the Cowboys.
Denver “D” Stays Hot
When people criticize the Broncos, it is usually regarding the offense. What gets overshadowed is how well the defense has been playing as a whole this season. Denver came into the day giving up just 17.1 points per game and 325.8 yards per game. Against one of the more loaded offenses in football, the Broncos gave up 16 garbage time points and 290 total yards, including under 100 yards rushing. It is crazy that with a defense playing this well, they are 5-4, but that is the reality at the moment. Denver’s defense should keep them in the playoff mix until the end of the season and may even get them into the playoffs.
Dak Struggles in Return
It has been a couple of weeks since QB Dak Prescott played a football game, his last game coming in Week 7 against the New England Patriots. The Cowboys won the game in walk-off fashion, scoring a touchdown in overtime to seal the victory. Prescott hurt his calf on the play, forcing him to be inactive against the Vikings in Week 8. Prescott struggled mightily in return to action, completing under 50% of his passes and finishing with a passer rating of 73.9. All around it was not a good day for the Cowboy QB, but no need to panic. Dallas is in a good spot and a dud was going to come at some point.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead to Week 10, the Broncos will host the Philadelphia Eagles (3-6) in an effort to sweep the NFC East, which would include three straight wins over the division if they can get it done. As for Dallas, they will host the Atlanta Falcons (4-4), who is coming off a win over the New Orleans Saints.
Stats from profootballreference.com
Schedule form cbssports.com
Writer
-By: Richie Dordas