What we learned in the Dallas Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Day feast of the Commanders
Country music legend Dolly Parton started the Thanksgiving Day donations to the Salvation Army with a $1 million and halftime show for the ages as the 77-year old performed while dressed as a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.
And then the Cowboys got into the act themselves in the second half of a 45-10 Thanksgiving Day feasting frenzy against the Washington Commanders.
It started when receiver CeeDee Lamb completed a two-point conversion to put the Cowboy up 31-10 in the fourth quarter by slamming ball in the Salvation Army Red Kettle in the back of the end zone.
Receiver KaVontae Turpin did him one better by jumping in the kettle following a 34-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Dak Prescott, his fourth of the game.
And cornerback DaRon Bland saved the best for last with a history-making 63-yard interception return for a touchdown and then jumping in the kettle.
Bland and Prescott retrieved turkey legs from the the kettle and ate them on the sidelines in what was a pre-planned celebration that spoke of the team’s expectations coming into what ended as one of the enjoyable Thanksgiving Day games in Cowboys history and a fun experience owner Jerry Jones compared to some of the team’s Super Bowl wins in the 1990s.
“I don’t know that I’ve had a day like this,” Jones said. “And I’ll include them all, I’ll put Super Bowls in there, I don’t know if I’ve ever had a better day with the Cowboys than today.”
Prescott said the stadium placed turkey legs in every Salvation Army red kettle in both end zones.
“It was team idea and we talked about it,” Prescott said. ”It was probably a two or three day-long process of whether coach would accept it. I actually go talk to coach before every game and sure enough, I caught him as he was talking to Jerry and so I mentioned that of course Jerry liked it. So at that point, my direction was just make sure we’re up and the game was in hand.”
And it was.
It was Bland’s fifth pick-six of the season, setting a new NFL single-season record and Cowboys career record.
The Cowboys celebrated Bland in the locker room after the game.
“We’ve just gotten to be a part of such a great tradition for the Cowboys to be able to have this Thanksgiving game for the NFL. I’ve never dreamed that it could evolve into what it is to have today have Dolly Parton, the great star that she is, the millions of people who are watching the game and then the Dallas Cowboys to show out and if you will break an almost unattainable record it seemed like,” Jones said. “This is a surreal day. I wouldn’t even dare as much as I imagine or as big as I might dream or think, I couldn’t have drawn a day like today up. I couldn’t have imagined it.
“It really covered a lot of ground and again not the least was the great job of being out there with the Salvation Army and thinking about the Salvation Army has talked about how many mouths, 2.6 million mouths, will be fed by Dolly’s donation of $1 million. So to be able to do that and football, be a part of an effort like this is really more than you can almost understand. Thank you for Thanksgiving.”
That the Cowboys (8-3) beat Washington (4-8) in a game that was really never in doubt.
It was their 13 straight win at home and fifth straight blowout at AT&T Stadium with a combined score of 205-60.
The Cowboys have not trailed a single second in home games all season.
It also tied a franchise record as the Cowboys seventh win of 20 points or more in 2023.
The outcome was easy, but the Cowboys continue their roughest physical stretch of the season with their third game in 12 days when they play host the Seattle Seahawks next Thursday after playing at the Carolina Panthers last Sunday and the Commanders on Thanksgiving day.
They have a 10-day layoff after the Seahawks game before they host in the Philadelphia Eagles.
But the Cowboys and their bodies have to get there unscathed first.
What we learned in the Dallas Cowboys 45-10 Thanksgiving Day feasting:
Dak Prescott stays hot
Prescott has played better than any quarterback in the NFL over the last month and he continued his hot streak in the first half against the Commanders.
He completed 13 of 21 passes for 221 yards with two touchdowns passes, while completing passes to nine different receivers and had a quarterback rating of 150.5 as the Cowboys led 20-10 at halftime.
Prescott extended his streak for multiple touchdown passes to five consecutive games — the longest active streak in the NFL. It matches the second-longest streak of his career.
Most indicative of the day and Prescott’s hot streak was a play right before halftime.
After the Commanders narrowed the score to 14-10 with 1 minute, 51 second left, Prescott got the Cowboys on the move.
A pass to Jalen Tolbert was tipped into the air by a Washington defender. Last year, that ball would have picked off.
This time, rookie receiver Jalen Brooks retrieved the fortuitous bounce for a 23-yard completion and a first down. Prescott then tossed a 31-yard pass to Tolbert and Tony Pollard followed with a seven-yard run to complete a five-play, 75-yards scoring drive.
Prescott completed four passes of 20-plus yards in the first half, his most in any half this season.The Cowboys averaged 10.5 yards per play in the half, their most in any half since 2013 Week 5 vs. the Denver Broncos.
And Prescott shut the door on Washington in the fourth quarter touchdown passes of 15 and 34 yards to Lamb and Turpin, respectively.
The first two were to Rico Dowdle and Brandin Cooks of 15 and 31 yards, respectively.
Prescott, who finished the game completing 22 of 32 passes for 331 yards and four touchdowns, credited the players around him and coach Mike McCarthy’s play calling for his success and comfort.
It was his eighth career game with 300 passing yards and four touchdowns, the most by a Cowboys quarterback all-time.
It was his 10th career game with four-plus passing touchdowns, which tied Tony Romo for the most four-touchdown games in franchise history.
Prescott’s 142.1 passer rating was a season-high and the most since his 151.8 rating in the 2021 season final at Philadelphia.
“I don’t know that I could just put my foot put my finger right on say this is the why,” Prescott said. “As I’ve talked about, new system, new play calling. We know we want to do. We know how we want to attack and go at these different teams.
Comfortable and honestly, credit to the offensive line. That’s where it starts, the way they’ve been protecting, giving me time to take shots down the field, allowing me to extend plays whether it be using my feet extend plays or make make plays down the field after breaking the pocket. Guys are running. Guys running to win. And he’s flying them off the call sheet and it feels good.”
Cowboys defense comes up on fourth down
On paper, the Washington offense had a nice statistical day against the Cowboys.
Quarterback Sam Howell passed for 300 yards and receiver Curtis Samuel had nine receptions for 100 yards.
He became the first receiver in 2023 to top 100 yards against the Cowboys.
And Washington stayed withing striking distance for much of the game, trailing 14-10 in the second quarter and just 20-10 heading into the fourth.
But Washington couldn’t get done when it mattered most, coming up empty three times on fourth down in the second half, including twice in the fourth quarter.
Howell, the most sacked quarterback in the NFL, was sacked four times by the Cowboys.
Of course, the cherry on top came with 4:39 left when Bland undercut a Howell pass and returned it 63-yards to the end zone.
It was his fifth pick-six of the season, setting a NFL record as he predicted he would.
“I thought Washington did a really good job,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “Frankly, I thought they did a really good job with a quick game and getting the ball a lot of space. We got a chance to see Sam last year. So I thought he did what you need to do. They controlled the ball for 18 minutes and in the first half. We felt like we would have some big-play opportunities and we hit them. And once we got the game open in our pass rush was able to take advantage of that situation.”
Aubrey still streaking with field goals but struggling on PATs
Rookie kicker Brandon Aubrey continued his NFL-record streak of consecutive field goals without a miss to start a career with a 52-yarder in the fourth quarter.
He is now 22-of-22 on the season.
But Aubrey missed an extra point in second quarter. It was the second straight game he has missed an extra point.
It forced the Cowboys to have to go for two for the Lamb touchdown in the fourth quarter. And the Cowboys succeeded with a pass to Lamb.
Get ready for run of winning teams
Washington is the last team on the Cowboys schedule with a record under .500.
And they play them again in the season final on weekend of Jan. 6-7.
In between, the Cowboys face the Seattle Seahawks (6-4, heading in Thursday’s night’s game), then the Philadelphia Eagles (9-1), Buffalo Bills (6-5), Miami Dolphins (7-3) and Detroit Lions (8-3).
For all the people who question the Cowboys because they have gotten fat off teams with below, this is their time of reckoning.
And the Cowboys, who no wins this seasons against a team with a winning record, know as much.
If they hope to catch the Eagles in the NFC East and truly set themselves up for playoff run, they must assert themselves during this 5-game stretch.
Jones said the Cowboys are ready for what’s ahead because they have a special thing going. More importantly, he said they are a team that can win the Super Bowl.
“I would not want to try to recreate the energy and the special thing between these players. I wouldn’t try to go and try to have it better,” Jones said. “It’s on par with anything I’ve ever seen. Our health, our talent level, along with the thing that happens when you start as a team to see each other, depend on each other and make plays. I wouldn’t dare have tried after to be here right now and try to be in better shape for the rest of the year.
“Yes. Yes. It can [win the Super Bowl]. There’s four or five others at least that can win it, too, that are sitting there that some of them we’ve got to play and some of them we’ll go by to get one. But this team is certainly capable of winning the whole thing.”
