Good, Bad, Ugly: Deep-ball patience pays off, lack of LB depth concerning in Thanksgiving win

A win over Washington was just the satisfying ending that Cowboys fans were hoping to end their holiday with. But despite the 45-10 final that looks great on paper, anyone who watched the game knows it was actually very close for most of the afternoon.

Dallas overcame a shaky start- perhaps due to the short week of prep- and finally got their offense on track, thanks to a patient approach to one particular aspect of the play sheet. The defense, however, gave up uncharacteristic numbers that may cause concern with a slate of tough opponents coming up. And penalties and a missed kick are among the other items worth noting as the all-important third “trimester” of the regular season is about to begin.

You know about the turkey-leg touchdown celly and DaRon Bland’s record-breaking moment, but here’s a deeper look at what really made up the good, the bad, and the ugly after the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Day victory.

Good: Sticking with the deep ball

Dak Prescott completed 7 of 12 passes for 189 yards and 3 TDs targeting vertical routes tonight against the Commanders.

Prescott has now thrown 16 TDs targeting vertical routes this season, 14 of which have come since Week 8 (both the most in the NFL).

Powered by pic.twitter.com/HfLSNVgYFx

— Next Gen Stats November 24, 2023

The Cowboys quarterback had much to be thankful for after this game, posting a yardage total that falls in his all-time top 20, logging one of just 10 career games with four or more touchdown throws, and compiling a passer rating that’s in his top five.

It’s easy to forget he started out shaky, especially on long balls. Prescott missed his first two deep passes and overthrew his receivers multiple times. He settled into a better groove, though, as the game went on, even as the offense continued taking shots down the field. The Cowboys ended up with six passing plays of over 20 yards and continued to demonstrate their long-range strike capabilities to the rest of the league.

Bad: First-half penalties

Penalties have haunted the Cowboys on Thanksgiving a time or two. (Remember 2021’s flagfest versus the Raiders?) This year’s contest started out with Dallas looking especially sloppy once again following the short week of prep.

The Cowboys racked up four penalties in the first quarter alone, giving up 35 yards of real estate in a then-scoreless affair. A facemask grab by Sam Williams wiped out a fantastic punt-return tackle, Zack Martin was dinged for a false start, and CeeDee Lamb got called on consecutive plays, for offensive holding and a false start.

DPI and defensive offside infractions were tacked on in the second quarter, but Dallas played much cleaner after halftime, getting just one more flag the rest of the way. In the end, the seven penalties don’t look problematic after a big win, but a better team will make the Cowboys pay for that kind of early sloppiness.

Ugly: Thinness at LB

Cowboys LB Markquese Bell is down. One they can't afford to lose.

— Michael Gehlken November 23, 2023

That sound you heard when ascending star Markquese Bell went down on the second play of the second quarter was Cowboys Nation gasping in unison. The safety/linebacker hybrid had himself been part of the injury replacement plan for Leighton Vander Esch, who was already leading a thin position group after the preseason loss of promising rookie DeMarvion Overshown.

With Bell in the medical tent, the team was suddenly looking at having to depend on the newly-signed Rashaan Evans to possibly carry a heavy load alongside Damone Clark. Malik Jefferson and Buddy Johnson are the only options on the practice squad.

Bell was able to return, the victim of just a stinger, and he finished the day with four tackles and a defended pass that he nearly picked off. But the nervous moments mid-game will likely stir up even more interest from the fanbase in free agent Shaq Leonard or another veteran who can step in and provide experienced depth down the stretch.

Good: Picking up the pace before halftime

. gets his first TD at home this season on #MaddenThanksgiving

: #WASvsDAL on CBS
: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/OwgMnHtgDK

— NFL November 23, 2023

The Cowboys held a slim 14-10 lead when they started their fourth drive of the day on their own 20 with under two minutes to go before halftime. Set to receive the second-half kick, the offense had to be thinking about what double-dip scoring would do to the Commanders’ psyche.

The Cowboys were gifted the first five yards by a Washington penalty on first down, but then Prescott & Co. did the rest in very short order. They moved the ball 70 yards in just five snaps, not even using their remaining timeout, and Pollard capped the drive with his second rushing touchdown in five days.

The Cowboys were unable to do anything with the opening possession of the third quarter, but the quick march to wrap up the second helped get the offense clicking and made sure that short-lived four-point margin was as close as the score would be for the rest of the afternoon.

Bad: Dallas D gets diced

A smooth 30-yard pass from to end the 1st quarter for the

: #WASvsDAL on CBS
: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/jPvDf0gp0M

— NFL November 23, 2023

The final score will show that the Dallas defense allowed just 10 points, and DaRon Bland’s record-setting heroics will get plenty of well-deserved attention. But those who watched the game know that Dan Quinn’s unit got carved up by the Commanders in a way that has to be troubling as the Cowboys enter their toughest stretch of opponents.

Washington tallied 376 net yards of offense on Thursday; only San Francisco and Arizona have moved the ball more versus Dallas this season in two dreadful losses. The Commanders actually recorded more first downs than the Cowboys, converted nearly 50% of their third downs, and ripped off an average of five yards per rush.

Commanders wideout Curtis Samuel hit 100 yards receiving, the first century-mark rusher or receiver the Cowboys have allowed all season. They were coming off a short week and facing a weak opponent, but the Dallas D won’t be able to bend like that against the likes of the Eagles, Bills, or Lions without getting broken.

Ugly: Brandon Aubrey misses another PAT

The rookie kicker continued his impressive field goal streak, splitting the uprights with a 52-yarder to connect on 22 straight three-pointers to start his pro career. It’s been impressive to watch and certainly makes his three missed extra points over 11 games a little easier to overlook.

Thursday’s missed PAT, though, was Aubrey’s second in five days and will no doubt have Cowboys fans thinking back to last year, when Brett Maher suddenly couldn’t be relied on to consistently tack on extra points.

Aubrey maintains he knows what the problem is. “I was a little rushed today on the process,” he said. “Just pulled my toe around it, a hair left, the same miss as last week. I’ve got to rid of those. ...Just go out there and take my time, knowing that I can use the full play clock.”

Let’s hope the fix really is that simple, before a PAT becomes a win-or-lose proposition for the 2023 Cowboys.