Cowboys vs. Browns: Full Report Card Grades for Dallas
Going up against the Cleveland Browns, many expected the Dallas Cowboys to handle this game with ease, and that is exactly what they did. While the Browns had an early 3-0 lead, the Cowboys defense was stifling, and their offense was too explosive for an inexperienced Browns team to handle.
After the Browns drove down the field on the opening drive to go up three points, the Cowboys responded with a 10-play, 75-yard drive that was capped off by a 26-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jason Witten.
A few drives later, the Browns drove down the field, only for a Cody Parkey 41-yard field goal to bounce off the upright. The Cowboys responded with a nine-play, 69-yard drive that finished with running back Ezekiel Elliott getting into the end zone on a 10-yard carry. It was then that the Cowboys took control of the game and put it away.
On the Cowboys' following possession, quarterback Dak Prescott captained a nine-play, 67-yard drive. The push downfield ended with Prescott reading the aggressive defense and finding wide receiver Cole Beasley in the corner of the end zone. And while the Browns put up seven points on the final drive of the second quarter, the Cowboys got the ball back after the half to shut down any momentum the Browns may have had.
In the second half, the Cowboys put two touchdown drives together, one of which went for 75 yards on seven plays, with the other going 64 yards on nine plays. Elliott scored for the second time on the first second-half score, and tight end Gavin Escobar scored on the second touchdown drive of the half. Escobar's touchdown reception was also his first catch of the season.
Read on for full grades and analysis from the Cowboys' seventh consecutive win of the season.
Pass Offense
1 of 6
It's starting to look like Tony Romo may be out for longer than expected. And while Romo may take this offense to another dimension, it's hard to complain about not having him when Dak Prescott has played so well this season. His spectacular play continued in Week 9 against the Browns.
Completing 21 of 27 passes, Prescott looked comfortable in this game. Against the Philadelphia Eagles last week, Prescott's accuracy was problematic. But in this game, he was almost perfect. While it's worth noting that the Cowboys played the Browns, it's also worth noting that this was the perfect game for this team to get back on track after a rusty performance last week. As long as Prescott plays well, this Cowboys team is going to be dangerous come playoff time.
Grade: A
Rush Offense
2 of 6
It was quite the performance for rookie Ezekiel Elliott, who had 92 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. Elliott's stellar first NFL season goes beyond the box score on a weekly basis. Elliott is impactful on each series. Whether he is getting the ball and finding grooves in the team's zone-blocking scheme, catching passes while making defenders miss or blocking in pass protection, Elliott is doing it all.
His success is indicative of how this team performs. When Elliott and the offensive line are playing at their best, the Cowboys are a tough team to beat. In a game where Elliott could've showed some emotions playing in front of many Ohio State fans, he did quite the opposite and excelled.
Additionally, his carry total was down in comparison to the past couple of weeks, which is good if the Cowboys want him near full health toward the end of the season.
Grade: A
Pass Defense
3 of 6
Despite not having Morris Claiborne, this unit still played above its weight class. Things have turned for the better with J.J. Wilcox and Brandon Carr in 2016. Wilcox's hard-hitting ability is giving this secondary an imposing presence to go along with the versatile Byron Jones, who almost had the first interception of his career in this game.
In terms of pass rush, the Cowboys secondary was helpful in terms of allowing the defensive line to get to Browns quarterback Cody Kessler because its coverage was so good. While the absences of Claiborne and Barry Church will be missed, this unit showed up to play in this game. Sure, it was against the Browns, but the real test will be next week against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Grade: A-
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Rush Defense
4 of 6
In a game where the Browns were down big early, the running game was quickly abandoned. The trio of Duke Johnson Jr., Isaiah Crowell and Cody Kessler combined for just 45 total yards on 13 rushing attempts. Because the Cowboys offense controlled the ball for almost 40 minutes of a 60-minute game, it led to smaller stats from the Cowboys' main defensive contributors.
Nevertheless, Sean Lee led the team again with eight tackles and one tackle for loss. Anthony Hitchens and Maliek Collins also had good performances. Hitchens is in the midst of a make-or-break year, and he finished with six total tackles and 0.5 sacks in this game. Rookie third-round pick Collins had two sacks in this game to go with three total tackles.
The Cowboys' rush defense continues to be a productive unit. It goes back to that bend-don't-break mentality.
Grade: A
Special Teams
5 of 6
We're going to be a little bullish on this unit, but it's not for the reasons people think of when discussing the Cowboys' special teams. Kicker Dan Bailey is on another world in terms of how good he is, and Chris Jones has quietly become one of the better punters in football as well.
The problem lies with Lucky Whitehead as the team's primary returner. Whether it's taking the ball out of the end zone when he shouldn't or staying close to the ball when the punting team is trying to down the football, it's only a matter of time until Whitehead makes a mistake. Inserting Cole Beasley as the team's primary returner could be something worth looking into.
Grade: B+
Coaching
6 of 6
Jason Garrett and Co. didn't have to coach a perfect game for the Cowboys to win this one with ease. That's just how talented the Cowboys are and how inexperienced the Browns are. Nevertheless, any team can beat any team in the NFL. In a game where some saw the Cowboys losing in a trap game, the Cowboys won this one without a problem.
At 7-1, all things seem to be clicking for the Cowboys. While big media companies continue to discuss the debate between Romo or Prescott, the reality is that the Cowboys should feel that they can win in any given week, regardless of who is at quarterback. It seems the Cowboys aren't getting the respect they deserve at 7-1, but this team is a few seconds away from being 8-0. But hey, let's continue to talk about a quarterback controversy.
Feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @RyanRattyNFL. I'm always willing to talk football.
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