DOOMSDAY: Cowboys' defense compares favorably to dominant days of the '70's

ARLINGTON – Are you feeling nostalgic yet? You probably are if you’re a Dallas Cowboys fan.

The Cowboys winning formula this season, consisting of outstanding defense and an offense limiting turnovers, results in their third consecutive victory following a 25-10 win over Washington on Sunday.

Cowboys’ fans have taken some criticism in the past for being silent at home games since the move to AT&T Stadium. But, in fairness, the fans need a reason to cheer, and this defense gives them a good reason.

The 92,946, mostly Cowboys’ faithful in attendance on Sunday, grew louder throughout the game in support of the defense during critical downs, which led to false start penalties on the Commanders.

The crowd wasn’t the only ones to do their part in the victory, so let’s consider why the fans feel nostalgic.

First down: The new Doomsday Defense?

Am I seriously about to compare the 2020 Cowboys defense to the legendary Doomsday Defenses of the 1970s? Yes, I am.

The Cowboys have held their four 2022 opponents to 19 points or less for the first time since 1973. That’s right. This defense is doing things only Harvey Martin, Bob Lilly, Mel Renfro, and the gang did during the 1970s.

Not convinced yet? Then consider this nugget. The Cowboys have held their first four opponents to under 200 net passing yards, which has not happened in Dallas since 1977.

This defense isn’t to the level of domination of the 1970s teams, but they are headed in that direction quickly.

Second down: No need to Rush.

Reports surfaced before the game Sunday that Dak Prescott will try and return for next week’s game at the Los Angeles Rams, but the Cowboys should not feel any need to rush Prescott back just yet.

That’s because only one quarterback on the Cowboys roster is undefeated as a starter, and his name is Cooper Rush. The latter became the first Cowboys quarterback to win his first four starts and only the 27th quarterback in NFL history to achieve that feat.

I’m not lobbying for Rush to replace Prescott, especially with Rush’s occasional accuracy issues. However, it would be nice to see this same type of offense when Prescott returns. Kellen Moore has been brilliant in play-calling over the last three games with Rush, and that’s because the balanced offense combination works in the NFL.

The Cowboys are still taking the occasional deep shot; they took four on Sunday, and there’s no need to change the formula when Prescott returns. It would also be nice to see the offense continue to limit penalties.

The Dallas offense had eight penalties against Tampa Bay but has only had seven penalties accepted against the offense in the last three weeks.

Third down: Nice to CeeDee you again.

Michael Gallup returned to the lineup on Sunday, and his availability immediately impacted the play of CeeDee Lamb. The fourth-year wide receiver has excelled when he lines up as the slot receiver.

However, with Gallup’s absence, while recovering from an injury and the organization’s choice to trade Amari Cooper, Lamb only lined up as a slot receiver 54.8 percent of the time through the first three weeks.

That changed on Sunday, and Lamb produced his best game of the season, gaining 97 yards and a touchdown on six receptions. Rush targeted Lamb eight times, and his 75 percent completion percentage to Lamb on Sunday was far better than Lamb’s 53.1 reception percentage entering the contest.

Fourth down: Don’t rain on my parade.

Now is when we need to pump the brakes a bit. This team is not destined for the Super Bowl just yet, and Cowboys’ fans deserve credit for mainly keeping their expectations at a reasonable level this year. But three wins tend to lead fans to express more bravado, so let’s wait a few weeks before you go crazy.

The Cowboys three wins this year have come against teams with a combined 6-6 record. Their next two opponents, the Rams and Philadelphia Eagles, are a combined 6-1 as of this writing and present a challenge not seen by Dallas since the opening week, and both games are on the road.

However, if the Cowboys win their next two contests and are 5-1 heading into home games against Detroit and Chicago, then it’s time to start making those hotel reservations for the Super Bowl, baby!

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys 2022 analysis