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By David Helman
FOX Sports activities Dallas Cowboys Author
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Dan Quinn lower by way of the gang of reporters and safety guards stationed outdoors SoFi Stadium’s visiting locker room, pausing to let loose a victory yell.
After the Dallas Cowboys’ 22-10 pasting of the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, their defensive coordinator needed to ensure he was in place to greet and congratulate each single member of his victorious protection.
How might he not? For a protection that has already made fairly a press release this season, Week 5 was one other feather within the cap for the Cowboys, who’ve made a terrifying move rush the staple of one of many hottest groups within the NFL.
Cowboys protection dominates
Dallas compelled two fumbles, a blocked punt, and an interception within the 22-10 victory at Los Angeles. The Rams have been held to only 38 speeding yards.
Contemplate the best way Quinn and his move rush bookended this sport, which the Cowboys trailed for a grand whole of 92 seconds. Dorance Armstrong kicked issues off on the Rams’ first possession of the afternoon, strip-sacking Matthew Stafford and permitting DeMarcus Lawrence to get well for a landing.
Three hours later, Stafford was strip-sacked once more, this time by Micah Parsons, permitting the Cowboys to kneel out the clock on a win that was nothing lower than dominant.
“We’re for actual,” Parsons stated afterward. “I don’t care what folks had preseason, what folks stated about us or how they don’t discuss us. We’re going to maintain proving this each week.”
That is simply the loudest assertion of a four-game win streak. With all due respect to the Bengals, Giants and Commanders — and in addition recognizing that this banged-up Rams crew has now slumped to 2-3 — there’s one thing to be stated for strolling into the defending champion’s home and drop-kicking them.
It was sufficient to make one surprise why the Cowboys have been 5.5-point underdogs within the first place — once more, one other undeniable fact that wasn’t misplaced on them.
“Typically you would like you would wager in Vegas,” Lawrence stated. “When motherf—ers are throwing you alley-oops like this, you don’t need to miss it.”
Stafford was sacked 5 instances on the day, fumbled twice and threw a purpose line interception to Malik Hooker for good measure. Excluding one badly-busted play — a 75-yard catch-and-run landing to Cooper Kupp — the Rams did not drive the ball additional than 50 yards on 9 of their 11 possessions.
“I simply can’t be denied”
Micah Parsons stops by to speak with Tom Rinaldi concerning the elite protection and the shut bond this Cowboys crew has.
The purpose is straightforward, to listen to it from the blokes making the performs.
“[To prove] that we the very best f—ing protection within the league – level, clean, interval,” Lawrence stated. “Going out every week and setting that tone, with the ability to instill concern into the offense and going on the market with that velocity and depth. That’s what all of us about.”
That has been the system for a month now, and by no means was it extra evident than right here in L.A. The Cowboys did rush for 160 yards on the day, highlighted by Tony Pollard’s lovely 57-yard landing romp. However this finally was not a day for offense. The Cowboys’ offensive line had its hand full stopping Aaron Donald from wrecking the sport, and Cooper Rush — not helped by drops from each Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb — completed with simply 102 passing yards.
The great thing about it, although, is that it has but to matter. As pedestrian as this last tally would possibly look on paper, it’s a degree whole that will have gained all of them 5 of their matchups. Via 5 weeks of this 2022 season, it’s not solely that the Cowboys haven’t allowed 20 factors in a sport — they haven’t even allowed an opponent to attain a number of touchdowns in the identical contest.
“It’s tremendous satisfying, figuring out that you just’re holding groups to minimal factors and your offense can depend on you,” Parsons stated.
It’s virtually sufficient to make you overlook that Dak Prescott’s eventual return from a damaged thumb is hovering within the background — “virtually” being the important thing phrase. Nobody throughout the group is keen to present a definitive timetable on Prescott’s return, although Cowboys proprietor and basic supervisor Jerry Jones allowed that his star quarterback intends to “throw rather a lot” in apply this week whereas the crew prepares for a Sunday night time sport in Philadelphia.
As for the concept of a quarterback controversy, Jones wasn’t eager to throw fuel on that fireside — not proper now, anyway.
“Dak is the No. 1 quarterback. Dak is our man,” he stated. “However isn’t it nice that any individual got here in and performed nicely sufficient in order that we will ask that query?”
That a lot is plain, because the league left this Cowboys crew for useless when Rush assumed the function. One month later, they’re surging to the highest of the NFC.
And whereas there are different features at work on this run, it’s laborious to disclaim the central theme at play: a protection that’s figures to present them an opportunity in each sport they play.
“I believe we’ve all realized we’re more durable, and we’re higher than we thought we have been,” Parsons stated. “That claims rather a lot. We thought we have been going to be actually good, but it surely’s one factor to speak about it. It’s one other factor to do.”
David Helman covers the Dallas Cowboys for FOX Sports activities. He beforehand spent 9 seasons masking the Cowboys for the crew’s official web site. In 2018, he gained a regional Emmy for his function in producing “Dak Prescott: A Household Reunion” concerning the quarterback’s time at Mississippi State. Observe him on Twitter @davidhelman_.
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