3 Takeaways from Cowboys' Week 6 Win

The Dallas Cowboys continue to rattle off wins in the 2021 season. Dallas narrowly lost to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1. They have since won five straight, beating Brady's former team, the New England Patriots, on Sunday afternoon.

Dallas' thrilling victory against the Patriots came via a walk-off CeeDee Lamb touchdown reception in overtime.

The Cowboys head into the Week 7 bye with more answers than questions and looking like the clear team to beat in the NFC East. No other team in the division has more than two wins, and Dallas could lock up a playoff spot before December.

Here's what we learned from their 35-29 win over the Patriots in Week 6.

New Weapons Continue to Step Up

Michael Ainsworth/Associated Press

Quarterback Dak Prescott has an embarrassment of riches at the offensive skill positions. Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard, Amari Cooper and Lamb headline his arsenal. However, with wideout Michael Gallup sidelined since Week 1 with a calf injury, other players have emerged.

Tight end Dalton Schultz's ascension to stardom continued Sunday. He's now third on the team with 359 receiving yards and second with 31 receptions. Meanwhile, wideouts Cedrick Wilson Jr. and Noah Brown have begun to make their presences felt.

Against New England, Wilson caught four passes for 42 yards. Brown, a 2017 seventh-round draft pick, hauled in two catches for 47 yards. Both were instrumental in helping Dallas pull out a tight win against a dogged Patriots team.

Wilson has been particularly impressive filling in as Dallas' No. 3 receiver. Of his 14 receptions this season, 10 have gone for first downs.

The big question now might be whether the Cowboys will have a significant role available for Gallup once he returns.

Trevon Diggs Is More Than Just an Emerging Star

Roger Steinman/Associated Press

Cornerback Trevon Diggs continues to make a name for himself with his big-play ability. The 2020 second-round pick helped Dallas get to overtime by returning a Mac Jones interception for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. It was Diggs' second pick-six of the season and his seventh interception.

Diggs has 11 passes defended, the seven picks, 142 return yards and two touchdowns—he leads the league in all categories. He also has 20 solo stops and has allowed an opposing passer rating of just 29.2.

In short, Diggs is your early front-runner for Defensive Player of the Year.

"He's all over the tape," former Alabama teammate Jones said of Diggs, per NESN's Zack Cox. "He's sideline to sideline."

But Diggs is more than just a rising defensive star. If he continues picking off passes at this rate, he will be a viable if somewhat unlikely candidate for NFL MVP. Dallas' defense has become a scary unit almost entirely because of Diggs.

Dallas Is a Super Bowl Contender

Steven Senne/Associated Press

Aside from Diggs' turnover potential, Dallas' pass defense has underwhelmed—it ranks 30th in yards allowed and 27th in yards per attempt surrendered. That's concerning because if Diggs stops being an interception machine, that defense could quickly become a liability.

However, Dallas showed Sunday that one or two big defensive plays are enough for this team to win tough games. With an offense that ranks first in yardage and second in scoring, it has a recipe that could deliver a Lombardi Trophy.

The Cowboys feel a lot like the 2019 Kansas City Chiefs, a team that flourished on offense and got just enough big plays defensively to overwhelm opponents. While Prescott might not be quite the quarterback Patrick Mahomes has become, he's playing at close to an MVP level (16 touchdown passes, four interceptions, 115.0 rating).

Barring any significant injuries, Dallas is going to be in the championship hunt come January.

While fans may be concerned that Prescott suffered a calf injury in overtime, it appears to be minor, and Dallas' bye week gives the quarterback time to rest.

"I'll be fine," he said, per ESPN's Todd Archer.

*Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference.