In a heart-stopping finale, the Dallas Cowboys managed to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals at AT&T Stadium by 20-17. All thanks to a 50-yard field goal by Brett Maher to finish winning the match once and for all. However, there are interesting details regarding the cowboy victory. Especially referring to backup quarterback Cooper Rush and one of the elements of the receiving corps, Noah Brown. As well as others that can be considered negative and that we will be talking about much later.
DALLAS COWBOYS 50 YARD FIELD GOAL FOR THE WIN! @dallascowboys #CINvsDAL pic.twitter.com/NpMsccEt4s
— NFL (@NFL) September 18, 2022
Without a doubt, this is one of those situations where the more players practice together, the better chemistry they can have. That is precisely what was seen between Cooper Rush and Noah Brown, putting on a great performance this Sunday afternoon in front of all their fans.
On the one hand, Rush would achieve his second victory as a professional after previously winning in week 8 of 2021 against the Vikings. In this matchup against the Bengals, he finished 19 of 31 for 235 yards and a TD. That same touchdown pass would go to Noah Brown, the Cowboys’ standout receiver this week.
Cooper Rush to Noah Brown for the @DallasCowboys TD!
????: #CINvsDAL on CBS
????: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/AyfpfGIkql pic.twitter.com/oxBY71tEh6— NFL (@NFL) September 18, 2022
The score in question would be nine yards on the Cowboys’ first drive. The offense would end his participation this Sunday with five receptions for a total of 91 yards.
Of the offense in general nothing can be criticized in regards to the first half of the game. The Lone Star team would get another rushing touchdown from Tony Pollard. Who managed to get the ball to the yard he needed, after receiving a pass to the left from 46 more yards in the previous action. All this a few seconds after the end of the first quarter.
Tony Pollard. 47 yards!
????: #CINvsDAL on CBS
????: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/AyfpfGIkql pic.twitter.com/3hgoBHpER7— NFL (@NFL) September 18, 2022
By the time the Cowboys were about to reach halftime in the game, a 54-yard field goal by Brett Maher would give the Cowboys a clear 17-3 lead going into halftime.
However, there are a few things to note about Dallas, and that is that some problems remain and need to be addressed. Since at the end of the day, they continue to take their toll and the team ends up suffering until the end, just as it just happened in week 2.
On the one hand, we have Kellen Moore’s fairly conservative offensive approach in what was already the second half of the game. This made the Bengals’ defense more relevant, including an error by Dalton Schultz that would end in a fumble and a recovered ball for the rivals. All this just over a minute to finish the third period of the clash.
Dalton Schultz fumble gives Bengals new life. Cowboys defense is going to have to save the offense the rest of the way
— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) September 18, 2022
Nor should we leave aside a big problem that the Cowboys have been counting on since their previous duel against Tampa Bay, clearly we are talking about penalties. The team at certain stages could be seen to be quite undisciplined, especially in specific situations that ended up doing a lot of damage.
During the first quarter, they would penalize linebacker Anthony Barr for unnecessary roughness in a third-and-eight situation against opposing quarterback Joe Burrow. Thanks to this, the AFC North team would gain 15 more yards. A few snaps later, they’d be making a 43-yard field goal and get on the scoreboard.
That’s a tough penalty called against Anthony Barr. Joe Burrow is almost down and Barr comes in from the back.
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) September 18, 2022
Also, there’s the fourth-down punt formation penalty and four yards for linebacker Devin Harper. The guy would end up getting a five-yard neutral zone violation. Leaving the Bengals offense to see action on the field again. This would not only be during the first minutes of the third quarter, but the Cincinnati would manage to take three more points thanks to a fifty-yard field goal by kicker Evan McPherson.
These specific mistakes are unacceptable for a team looking to make the postseason in the NFL. Fortunately, the group came out on top, and Cooper Rush and Noah Brown’s ability to work together was on display. Likewise, CeeDee Lamb was able to shake off the ghosts of last week’s reviews a bit. She adding seven receptions and 75 more yards to her personal account.
Now that the Cowboys have a 1-1 record, they will have to think about their Week 3 matchup against the Giants at MetLife Stadium. And that despite the controversial points that were seen in the duel, they beat the current champions of the American Conference.
