DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys beat the Carolina Panthers 30-14 in Week 15 for their third win in the last four games. In victory, these Cowboys looked more like the teams from the past three seasons, winning in dominating fashion. It was the Cowboys’ most impressive win since Week 1 and just the third time that they’ve scored 30 points all year, all of which have been wins.
Sunday’s effort was what the offense is supposed to look like, even with their backup quarterback. And the Week 15 showing is what many people thought the defense might look like under veteran coordinator Mike Zimmer. It took longer than expected, but the Cowboys’ defense is now looking comfortable in Zimmer’s complicated scheme.
With the two units playing well in the same game, and special teams pitching in as well, the Cowboys blew out a Carolina team that had been playing their best football. It would be easy to roll your eyes and say, “It’s just the three-win Panthers,” but in their three most recent games before playing Dallas, all against division leaders (Kansas City, Tampa Bay, and Philadelphia), the Panthers had lost by an average of four points. On this day, head coach Mike McCarthy’s team had it all working.
When you play with a backup QB, you want him to be efficient, avoid the mistakes, and make plays when they’re needed. Cooper Rush did exactly that in rebounding from a rough outing on Monday Night Football in Week 14.
Rush went 18-29 for 214 yards and tossed three touchdowns, all of which came with the veteran signal caller making it happen. On the first scoring pass, Rush got rid of the ball as the pocket was collapsing and threw it to a spot where wide receiver CeeDee Lamb could adjust and make the catch for a 14-yard touchdown.
The next two scoring passes came as Rush made plays outside the pocket. A touchdown to open the second half scoring to wideout Jalen Tolbert was a beautifully placed ball that required some fancy footwork from the receiver, while Jalen Brooks’ first career score came when Rush was flushed outside and threw a strike to the back of the end zone.
This was the Rush that the Cowboys have often seen when they have to turn to their insurance policy for an injured Dak Prescott.
The game plan seemed to revolve around getting their two best offensive players involved, and Rush executed it well. Lamb caught nine balls for 116 yards and became just the second Cowboys receiver to have four consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons, joining Hall of Famer Michael Irvin.
Lamb wasn’t the only offensive player to shine in the Week 15 win, as running back Rico Dowdle continued his 100-yard game streak. With his career-high 149 yards on the ground, Dowdle now has three straight 100-yard rushing games. He’s the first Cowboys RB to accomplish the feat since teammate Ezekiel Elliott did it in 2019.
Dowdle ran for six yards per carry and is the league’s second leading rusher over the last six weeks. The veteran RB is on pace to surpass 1,000 yards rushing and looked like the best RB in the matchup with Panthers’ outstanding runner Chuba Hubbard.
An injury-riddled Cowboys squad doesn’t have much firepower on offense, but they do have two stars, and they gave them the opportunities to carry the unit against the Panthers. Lamb and Dowdle obliged and led the way.
Dallas’ defense, meanwhile, was not to be outdone in the win. Zimmer’s group managed to sack Carolina QB Bryce Young six times, intercept him twice, and force two lost fumbles. It was one of the Cowboys’ best defensive games of the year against an offense that had found some rhythm since Young returned as the starter.
Edge rusher Micah Parsons led the way for the defense with two sacks and he appeared to pressure Young on nearly every drop back. Parsons wrecked the game, but he wasn’t alone, as defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa had one of his best games in the win.
Odighizuwa had a sack, a forced fumble, a tackle for a loss, and four QB hits. It’s been clear all season how the fourth-year veteran is one of the best defenders that the Cowboys have, but this might have been Odighizuwa’s best performance. He’s a free agent after the season and it will be up to the Joneses to find a way to keep a player that has earned a significant contract extension.
Another defensive player who stood out was linebacker Marist Liufau. With the Cowboys down a few LBs, the rookie was thrust into a larger role and the former Notre Dame standout proved that he could play.
Liufau had a tackle for a loss and created a big turnover when he knocked the ball out from Young as the Panthers were driving deep into Dallas territory in the first quarter. The takeaway kick-started a day where the defense caused four turnovers.
The Cowboys were underdogs on the road against a team that had won just three games, and it looked like they took that personally. This was a blueprint for how they want to win games helmed by Cooper Rush.
Get a lead, be efficient in the running game, and get the ball into the hands of your play-makers. It’s a game plan that limits the number of plays that Rush has to make, which is key to getting his best. Then, with the offense following the script, the improved defense can allow an unleashed Parsons to get after the quarterback and cause chaos.
It’s a path that’s worked for most of the last month of the season, and it worked to perfection for the Cowboys in their Week 15 win over the Panthers.
Do you think the Cowboys have found their RB of the future in Rico Dowdle? Share your thoughts with Ben on X (formerly Twitter) @BenGrimaldi.
