3 Takeaways from Cowboys' Week 8 Win vs. Rams

The Dallas Cowboys have been one of the league's most unpredictable teams in 2023. They've dominated some opponents while losing big to the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers.

Dallas chalked up another dominant win on Sunday, routing the Los Angeles Rams in a 43-20 contest. Quarterback Dak Prescott threw four touchdowns, the defense put points on the board, and after racing out to an early lead, Dallas ran away with the game.

It was a huge win for the Cowboys coming out of the bye, and it gives Dallas a lot of momentum heading into next week's showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Here are our biggest takeaways from the Cowboys' Week 6 win over the Rams.

Bye Week Was Good for the Offense

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Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb

The Cowboys offense has seen its fair share of ups and downs under head coach Mike McCarthy this season. McCarthy took over play-calling duties following the departure of coordinator Kellen Moore, and it's been a process.

While Dallas came in ranked fifth in scoring, it had issues in the red zone, converting just 39.1 percent of its red-zone trips into touchdowns. On Sunday, we saw a little more creativity in the red zone, and the Cowboys netted two touchdowns and a field goal in four trips.

Prescott did have another red-zone interception, and Dallas settled for a field goal with a large third-quarter lead, but the Cowboys also netted two touchdowns from inside the Rams' 25-yard line.

This represents progress, and it was good to see the Cowboys win big after eking out a three-point win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6. The big question is whether Dallas can keep it up against a playoff-caliber team in Philadelphia next week.

Jake Ferguson Has Emerged

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Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson

The Cowboys parted with a good pass-catching tight end in Dalton Schultz during the offseason. Many expected second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker to come in and replace Schultz, though the rookie always looked to be a project.

"Luke Schoonmaker is more an idea than a ready-made player, but he has all the tools to grow into a difference-maker," Derrik Klassen wrote for the Bleacher Report Scouting Department.

We haven't seen a ton from Schoonmaker this season, but that's OK because Jake Ferguson is emerging as a legitimate threat in the passing game. The second-year man had four games with at least three receptions coming into Sunday, and he had another big outing against the Rams.

Ferguson finished with four catches on four targets for 47 yards and a touchdown.

The passing game flows through CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks, and McCarthy will run enough to keep defenses honest. With Ferguson becoming a reliable third receiving option, though, Dallas' defense will be difficult to stop moving forward.

Dallas Avoids a Potential Trap Game

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Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy talks with QB Dak Prescott

Our biggest takeaway is that Dallas successfully avoided a potential trap game against the Rams.

The Cowboys could have come out of the bye week sluggish or looked ahead to their looming game in Philadelphia. Instead, they were focused, played mostly sound football and dominated the Rams for all four quarters.

The Cowboys racked up 387 yards of offense, got nine points from a DaRon Bland interception return and a safety and never trailed.

It was a very different Dallas team than the one we saw appear to overlook the Cardinals in Week 3.

Had the Cowboys won a sloppy game, they might have carried some questions into Week 9. Instead, they carry a high level of confidence.

"I'm in a rhythm," Prescott said, per The Athletic's Jon Machota.

The Eagles remain atop the NFC East, but they appear vulnerable after losing to the New York Jets in Week 7 and allowing 31 points to the Washington Commanders on Sunday. Dallas has the edge in momentum, and next week's showdown suddenly looks like the game of the week.