3 Takeaways from Cowboys' Week 10 Win vs. Giants

Week 10 went pretty much as expected for the Dallas Cowboys. They welcomed an injury-depleted New York Giants team into Arlington and scored a victory just as decisive as their Week 1 win.

The Giants were mostly healthy in the season opener and had home-field advantage, but Dallas won 40-0 anyway. On Sunday, New York was down to quarterback Tommy DeVito because of injuries to Daniel Jones (torn ACL) and Tyrod Taylor (ribs). It also didn't have standout tight end Darren Waller.

The rematch wasn't a shutout, but Dallas won 49-17.

While it's hard to glean too much from a dominant performance against an undermanned and ill-equipped team, here's what we learned during the Cowboys' Week 10 win over the Giants.

The Cowboys Are at Least an NFC Contender

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Cowboys RB Tony Pollard

Are the Dallas Cowboys a legitimate Super Bowl contender? Losses to top NFC teams like the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles would suggest otherwise, and we can't entirely dismiss that Week 3 defeat to the Arizona Cardinals as an aberration.

Sunday's win won't make anyone take notice of Dallas in the title chase. The Giants have lost plenty of lopsided games this season, and they might not win another game in 2023.

However, the Cowboys played in dominant fashion in almost every phase.

Before Cooper Rush took over in the fourth quarter, Dak Prescott threw for 404 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. Tony Pollard and Rico Dowdle both chewed up yards on the ground, and the Cowboys had two different receivers top 150 yards. Second-year tight end Jake Ferguson caught his fourth touchdown of the season, and he's proving to be a suitable replacement for 2022 starter Dalton Schultz.

As a team, Dallas racked up 640 yards of offense.

The Cowboys did exactly what they were supposed to do against an overmatched opponent, which is the sign of a serious playoff contender—and something they didn't do against Arizona earlier in the year.

This is a playoff team. The unknown is just how far Dallas can go.

Brandin Cooks Has a Day

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Brandin Cooks

Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb torched the Giants for 151 yards and a touchdown on 11 receptions. That wasn't a surprise, as he has been burning defenses all year. He came in with 52 receptions for 824 yards and three scores.

What was a bit surprising, though, was the emergence of Brandin Cooks.

The 30-year-old was acquired in an offseason trade with the Houston Texans and was expected to become a top perimeter threat opposite Lamb. Before Sunday, though, his best performance was a three-catch, 49-yard, one-touchdown outing against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 8.

Against New York, Cooks went off. He finished with nine catches, 173 yards and a touchdown, and he showed off the trademark speed and separation that helped make him a six-time 1,000-yard receiver.

Yes, his performance must be taken with a handful of salt given the opponent, but it was great to get a glimpse of what he's capable of in Mike McCarthy's offense.

If Dallas can get this sort of performance from Cooks in a meaningful game, it might just knock off a team such as San Francisco or Philadelphia in January.

Dallas Should Carry Plenty of Momentum into Final Stretch

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Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy

Mike McCarthy and the Cowboys kept their foot on the gas well into the fourth quarter. Rush, Michael Gallup and Dowdle helped put another touchdown drive in the game book late in the fourth quarter, which wasn't really necessary.

However, it wasn't unexpected. Last week's loss to Philadelphia was a disappointment, as the Cowboys had a chance to win in the end. Dallas had a 1st-and-5 from the Eagles' 6-yard line before imploding and failing to secure the go-ahead touchdown.

Yet, the Cowboys insisted that they weren't discouraged.

"We're getting better. I can promise you that," Prescott told reporters at the time. "We're going to continue to get better. We're getting better, and we're OK."

Sunday's big win should help erase the bitter taste of that Week 9 loss, and Dallas should have a chance to build on its momentum against the one-win Carolina Panthers next week.

The Cowboys should be in a rhythm and on a roll before a tough final stretch that includes games against the rival Washington Commanders, Eagles, Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins.

With that kind of slate, Dallas will need all of the momentum it can get.