There was a variety of discuss historical past previous to final Sunday night time’s sport between the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers. To be honest, how might there not be?
The most typical Tremendous Bowl matchup in historical past is between Dallas and Pittsburgh. Sadly the dangerous guys have the lead there, however Dallas prolonged their all-time lead within the collection with their victory. However the occasion was handled with such reverence that, in case you missed it, NBC had a packaged video that they performed proper earlier than kickoff (which was delayed virtually 90 minutes, including to the hysteria of all of it) that featured Celine Dion. Actually!
There have been actually moments of gold all through the competition. It’s onerous to disclaim that there have been flashes of sunshine. I think about for those who requested Mike McCarthy that there have been issues he would by no means do once more (like problem a fumble that the opposing crew recovered) that by some means all the time appeared proper.
Historical past may be instructive and useful and, to the purpose NBC and Celine Dion made, nostalgic. For the needs of this train we’re leaning on the sooner concepts as we attempt to kind a few of what the Cowboys did in Pittsburgh and the place they now stand into the place all of it sits within the Dallas Cowboys document books and encyclopedias.
Listed below are the historic notes from Sunday’s win in Pittsburgh.
Rico Dowdle reached 87 yards speeding which is a stunning accomplishment
You doubtless really feel that Sunday’s outing from Rico Dowdle was the perfect one {that a} Dallas Cowboys working again has supplied thus far this season. That appears fairly agreed-upon.
What if I informed you that the 87 yards that he ran for was one thing that no Cowboys runner had completed in over a 12 months? Significantly. The final time {that a} Cowboys working again hit not less than 87 yards speeding was in final season’s blowout loss to the Arizona Cardinals which got here in Week 3.
All informed the Cowboys solely have seven video games performed because the 2022 season through which a working again hit 87 yards. It is a random and arbitrary quantity and the purpose isn’t to assign significance to it. However it’s attention-grabbing nonetheless.
It is rather tough to win when committing three turnovers in a single sport
As an entire the Cowboys dedicated three turnovers on this sport. All of them belonged to Dak Prescott (extra on him in a second), however for this level we’re speaking about from a team-wide perspective.
This sport marked solely the fourth victory within the Mike McCarthy period through which the crew dedicated not less than three turnovers. Two of them got here virtually back-to-back late within the 2022 season and the opposite was the well-known watermelon kick sport.
On this identical time interval all NFL groups are 60-287 when committing not less than three turnovers simply to exemplify how tough it’s to win. The opposite crew has to fail considerably in order to not make the most of the additional alternatives.
Shout out to the Steelers, I suppose.
Talking of, it’s actually onerous to win when your quarterback particularly turns the ball over lots
As talked about, all three turnovers on this sport had been charged to Dak Prescott.
This sport marked the eleventh occasion in Prescott’s profession through which he had not less than two interceptions and a fumble. In these sorts of video games particularly the Cowboys at the moment are 5-6, and weirdly have received 4 of their final 5!
All of these return to our McCarthy period level and are considerably consultant (reaching right here) about how the crew is ready to reply and rally in moments of disaster. You actually don’t ever need to see your quarterback flip the ball over not less than 3 times, however that everybody else might carry him and supply a possibility to make amends is notable.
CeeDee Lamb is off to a greater begin by way of 5 video games than he was final 12 months
A lot has been made in regards to the begin to the season that CeeDee Lamb is having. It actually doesn’t really feel like what we bought used to over the course of final 12 months.
What if I informed you that Lamb is basically out-performing his 2023 self thus far, although? That’s mainly the case.
Lamb has fewer receptions on extra targets so that’s the reason we can’t unequivocally say that he’s off to a greater begin, however he has 20 extra yards and an additional rating and can be averaging extra yards per reception thus far. He notably leads the league in yards after the catch over anticipated (+77) and yards after the catch over anticipated (+82) towards man protection this season, in line with NFL Professional.
You will need to notice {that a} 12 months in the past the Cowboys had been additionally coming off of a Sunday night time sport, but it surely was the embarrassing loss towards the San Francisco 49ers versus the win towards the Steelers. That sport served because the flashpoint for the Cowboys’ season as an entire and for the offense at giant, particularly Prescott and Lamb.
Maybe he is because of flip it round any day now.
Beginning 3-0 on the highway is an excellent signal
A decade in the past it felt so spectacular that the 2014 Cowboys had been such nice and true highway warriors (together with successful in London!). They adopted that up with an identical mark two years later in 2016. We’re solely three highway video games in, however this 12 months’s crew is drawing comparisons to them.
In case you had been unaware the Cowboys have received all three of their highway video games this season (they’re winless by way of two at house) which isn’t a straightforward factor to do. They’re the fifteenth crew in franchise historical past to win the primary three highway video games of their season. All the earlier 14 reached the postseason.
Clearly that is an extremely small set of time, however that actually each different crew made the playoffs is an attention-grabbing coincidence to say the least. Mike McCarthy has a crew on this area for the primary time in his tenure because the Cowboys head coach which is attention-grabbing given how his groups have been so dominant at house within the period. Possibly we really are within the the other way up.
The following highway sport for the Cowboys will inform us lots as it’s on the 49ers after subsequent week’s bye. In the event that they go to their very own private home of horrors and win, that may certainly say one thing.