3 Takeaways from Cowboys' Week 14 Win

Andy Dalton did something in Week 14 that he became accustomed to doing while he was a member of the Cincinnati Bengals. 

The Dallas Cowboys quarterback earned a victory at Paul Brown Stadium, but for the first time he did so as a member of the visiting team.

Dalton threw for a pair of touchdowns in his return to southern Ohio, which featured two teams closer to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft than the playoff hunt.

Dallas proved it was the better of the two sides from the first quarter, as it controlled the contest through Dalton's play and some dominant defense against the Brandon Allen-led Bengals offense. 

The win kept the Cowboys' slim NFC East title hopes alive, but they still need to win out and have plenty of help to even be in consideration for first place when Week 17 rolls around. 

Andy Dalton Looked Solid in His Return to Cincinnati

Aaron Doster/Associated Press

Dalton's return to Cincinnati did not come in the ideal circumstances, but he made the most of it to deliver a solid performance in the pocket. 

Dalton was by far the better quarterback in a battle of backup signal-callers for two of the worst teams in the NFL. He produced 185 yards, two passing touchdowns and completed 69.6 percent of his passes. 

In his last four games, Dalton has provided a steady hand in the pocket and led the Cowboys to wins over the Bengals and Minnesota Vikings. 

The victories may not amount to anything in the standings with the other teams in the NFC East suddenly playing decent football, but Dalton has proved that he could be a serviceable replacement for Dak Prescott in the future. 

Even if he does not remain in Dallas, Dalton has shown other teams that he can still be effective in a starting role when he is called upon.

Dalton needs to provide a calming force in the pocket over the next three weeks for the Cowboys to make any type of last-ditch challenge to win division. 

Dallas hosts the San Francisco 49ers in Week 15 before it takes on the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants to finish the season.

If the Washington Football Team loses twice and Dallas beats the Giants in Week 17, there could be a scenario in which Dalton leads the Cowboys into the playoffs at 7-9.

Defense Set the Tone on Opening Drives

Aaron Doster/Associated Press

The Cowboys defense forced two fumbles from two different Bengals running backs to open the contest. 

On the game's second offensive play, Jourdan Lewis recovered a Giovanni Bernard fumble that was turned into a 34-yard Greg Zuerlein field goal.

Dallas' defense took care of scoring points off a turnover itself on the next fumble recovery, as Aldon Smith produced a 78-yard fumble return for a touchdown off a Trayveon Williams miscue. 

The NFC East side followed those turnovers up with a fourth-down stop deep in its own territory to start the second quarter.

The pair of turnovers and fourth-down stop took the life out of the Cincinnati offense, which entered the contest at a disadvantage without Joe Burrow and Joe Mixon. 

Dallas did not allow a point until there were eight seconds left in the first half and it shutout the home side in the second half. 

Although Cincinnati was not the toughest matchup Dallas will face this season, it is still worth commending the defense for doing what it was expected to do to earn an easy victory. 

Tony Pollard Contributed in All Facets of the Game

Bryan Woolston/Associated Press

Tony Pollard finished with 39 rushing yards on 11 carries, a receiving touchdown on one of his two catches and 77 return yards. 

Pollard's 60-yard kickoff return to start the second half deflated the positive morale Cincinnati gained through its score before halftime and it allowed the Cowboys to put up points through Zuerlein's second field goal. 

The second-string running back finished off his afternoon with a seven-yard touchdown catch with time winding down in the fourth quarter. 

Pollard has been an effective piece of the Dallas offense in its last two victories. He had 60 rushing yards and a touchdown in Week 11 versus the Minnesota Vikings. 

Pollard's continued emergence in all facets of the game has helped the Cowboys in a season in which Ezekiel Elliott has failed to be a dynamic playmaker. 

With three weeks left, Pollard has three fewer rushing scores than Elliott and is averaging more yards per carry at 4.5 compared to Elliott's 3.9.

Pollard may not be close to stealing Elliott's job from him yet, but if he continues to impress down the stretch, he will serve as a solid No. 2 or someone that could take over the starting gig if Elliott struggles more in 2021.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference.