Dallas REJUVENATES Season with Dominant Performance | Turning Point for Cowboys?

Summary

Locked On Cowboys – Dallas REJUVENATES Season with Dominant Performance | Turning Point for Cowboys?

Date: October 20, 2025
Hosts: Marcus Mosher & Landon McCool

---

Episode Overview

This episode reviews the Dallas Cowboys’ pivotal 44-22 victory over Washington in Week 7, a performance the hosts call potentially “season altering.” Marcus Mosher and Landon McCool break down how the Cowboys’ offense and defense both delivered, what changes had the biggest impact, and why hope for a playoff run is far from dead. Key highlights include the return of CeeDee Lamb, a rejuvenated defense, and Dak Prescott’s continued MVP-level play.

---

Main Themes

• The Cowboys' dominant win as a potential turning point in the 2025 season
• Significant changes and standout performances from both offense and defense
• The evolving playoff picture in the NFC and the Cowboys’ potential moving forward

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. A Season-Altering Win ([01:13]–[03:40])

• The hosts stress the importance of this win for Dallas’ playoff hopes.
• Marcus Mosher: “You lose this game and you drop to 2-4-1, it's going to be really hard to bounce back with their upcoming schedule. But at 3-3-1 … feels like you're doing okay after seven games.” ([01:36])
• Landon McCool: It's not just the win, it's how they won—markedly better balance, personnel and schematic changes. "They changed everything from what you saw so far this season on defense. It really was a huge change." ([02:38])

2. Offense Analysis & Standards ([03:40]–[07:28])

• Dallas’ offense exploded: 17 first-quarter points, 44 overall. Still, Marcus notes moments where they could’ve pulled away further.
• Marcus Mosher: “Any possession that doesn’t end in a touchdown feels like a major disappointment.” ([04:07])
• Landon McCool notes that’s a “ridiculously high bar,” given how well the offense is playing. ([04:27])
• Key Sequence: Cowboys led 17-8 (second quarter, following Lamb’s 74-yard TD), but couldn’t fully “put them away” despite defensive stops. Eventually, “the talent won out.”
• Penalties and special teams miscues, more than offensive execution, caused the few hiccups.

3. Dak Prescott’s MVP-Level Play ([07:28]–[09:06])

• Dak’s fourth game with 3+ TDs and no INTs this season.
• Stat Line: 21/30, 264 yards, 3 TDs, several crucial runs.
• Landon McCool: “He’s the MVP right now as far as I’m concerned…what he’s being asked to do and the way he’s performing just consistently week to week.” ([07:56])
• Marcus likens Dak’s control to “2014 Tony Romo,” noting the difference is better playmakers, a younger offensive line, and Dak’s health. ([08:22])

4. Playoff Position & NFC Landscape ([09:06]–[10:12])

• While 3-3-1 is “a little behind pace,” the NFC is crowded, and Dallas is still “in the thick of things.”
• Landon McCool: Remaining schedule looks less daunting than before; games like Denver are tough but not unwinnable. ([09:43])

5. Defensive Transformation ([13:12]–[19:42])

• Immediate impact: Four consecutive stops in the first half, a “defining” stretch ([13:12])
• Major Defensive Changes:
  • Bland moved back to nickel; Elam & Bridges started outside
  • Far more man coverage (“basically flipped the percentages”)
  • Shamar James played more at LB
  • Fresh faces at safety in Mar and Elijah Clark due to injuries
  • Increased blitzing
• Landon McCool: “All the kind of things that we have been talking about … let’s get the youth in there, let’s run more man coverage, let’s blitz a little bit more. And guess what? It all worked tonight.” ([13:12])
• Blitzing especially effective given Washington’s depleted WR corps; kept young QBs off rhythm.

6. Playmakers on Defense ([17:22]–[20:40])

• Duron Bland: Sixth pick-six of his career—"You could see it coming the whole way" ([17:22])
  • Played physically, contributed in run support and in key coverage spots
  • Decision to start him at nickel paid off, especially given Washington’s slot threats
• Jadavian Clowney: Best game as a Cowboy, contributed both as pass rusher and run defender
• Donovane Azaraku: Notched his first career sack, started to show real promise off the edge

7. Receiver Dominance: CeeDee Lamb & George Pickens ([22:45]–[28:07])

• Stats: Lamb – 5 rec, 110 yards, 1 TD (74-yard score); Pickens – 4 rec, 82 yards, drew a 37-yard PI
• Landon McCool: “What you saw from Pickens and Lamb today is why you feel like you really do have a chance.” ([23:36])
• Jake Ferguson also effective in the red zone (7 catches, 29 yards, 2 TDs)
• The offense converts even in third-and-long; draws comparisons to 2014 Romo Cowboys for consistency
• Effectiveness in “balance”: Inside/outside, run/pass, every area of the field
• Marcus Mosher: “This is the luxury of having two receivers. Your ceiling is just so much higher on offense when you’ve got two number one receivers like this.” ([28:07])

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

— On the Season-Affecting Impact

• Landon McCool (02:38):
  “It’s funny you said ‘season changing’ because they changed everything from what you saw so far this season on defense. It really was a huge change.”

— On the CD Lamb Touchdown & Offense

• Marcus Mosher (05:30):
  “There was a point in this game in the second quarter where the Cowboys were up 17 to 8 after the 74-yard touchdown to CD Lamb, which that was quite the play.”

— On Dak’s MVP-Caliber Play

• Landon McCool (07:56):
  “He’s the MVP right now as far as I’m concerned…Dak Prescott’s playing better than anybody else.”

— On Defensive Adjustments

• Landon McCool (13:12):
  “Let’s get the youth in there, let’s run more man coverage, let’s blitz a little bit more. And guess what? It all worked tonight.”

— On Duron Bland’s Play

• Marcus Mosher (17:22):
  “[Bland] had the pick-six … but I thought Bland was playing really well in this game even before that play happened.”

— On Two Number One Receivers

• Landon McCool (23:36):
  “Now that Lamb is back and he looked 100…Pickens is settled into the role a little bit...the offense is just cooking at a level and it just all fits together.”

• Marcus Mosher (28:07):
  “This is the luxury of having two receivers. Your ceiling is just so much higher on offense when you’ve got two number one receivers like this.”

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:13–02:38]: Why this win changes the Cowboys’ season
• [03:40–05:30]: Explosive offensive output, penalties and expectations
• [07:28–09:06]: Dak Prescott’s performance and MVP talk
• [13:12–15:19]: Defensive scheme and personnel changes
• [17:22–18:23]: Duron Bland’s impact and pick-six
• [19:42–20:40]: Standout pass rushers: Clowney & Azaraku
• [22:45–25:55]: CD Lamb and George Pickens as dual threats
• [25:55–28:07]: How two No. 1 WRs raise the offense's ceiling

---

Overall Tone

Optimistic, energized, and slightly relieved. The hosts acknowledge imperfections but are enthused by the changes and see a path for Dallas to be truly competitive down the stretch.

---

Summary for New Listeners

This episode is an essential listen for any Cowboys fan hoping to understand why Week 7 could be a turning point in 2025. Marcus Mosher and Landon McCool balance keen Xs-and-Os insight with big-picture analysis, demonstrating how defensive adjustments, a healthy CeeDee Lamb, and Dak Prescott’s command have revived Dallas’ season. The breakdowns are detailed, the optimism is contagious, and the case for the Cowboys’ playoff push is compelling.

Transcript

[Applebee's Host]

It's the Locked On Podcast network. Your team every day.

[Mazda Advertiser]

You can just move through life or you can find the things that move you. It's your choice. You can choose to get out there, choose your people. You could choose to go for it. No, like really go for it. Just choose to do something that moves you. Mazda crafts cars. For those who choose to do more than simply move. Mazda move and be moved.

[Applebee's Guest]

Applebee's new grilled cheese cheeseburger is so cheesy.

[Applebee's Host]

Wanna try the cheese pull?

[Applebee's Guest]

Yeah, I'll take this side.

[Landon McCool]

Wow.

[Applebee's Host]

Now this is a cheese pull.

[FanDuel Advertiser]

Sorry.

[Applebee's Guest]

I can't believe you get this. And another entree like the chicken parmesan.

[Applebee's Host]

Fettuccine, plus an appetizer for just 25 bucks.

[Landon McCool]

Excuse me.

[Applebee's Guest]

This is incredible.

[Applebee's Host]

That's why I always come to Applebee's for the 2 for 25 deal.

[Marcus Moer]

What?

[FanDuel Advertiser]

Limited time, price, participation and selection may vary. Tax and gratuity excluded.

[Landon McCool]

It's still going.

[Marcus Moer]

The Dallas Cowboys got a season changing win in week seven. We'll break it down next.

[Applebee's Guest]

You are Locked On Cowboys, your daily Dallas Cowboys podcast, part of the Locked on podcast network. Your team every day.

[Marcus Moer]

Welcome back to the Locked on Cowboys podcast, part of the Locked on podcast network. Your team every day. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen of the day. Today's episode is brought to you by Prize Picks. Download the Prize Picks app today. Use promo code lot NFL to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. Welcome back. I am your host, Marcus Moer. You can follow me on Twitter arcuscore Moser. He is Lana McCool. Check him out on Twitter @McCool BCB and on today's show, we're talking about the Cowboys big win over Washington. We're going to talk about the Cowboys defense which really stepped up. We'll talk about CD Lamb and George Pickens. But first of all, Landon, this felt like kind of a season altering win and we talked about this on Friday. You lose this game and you drop to 2, 4 and 1, it's going to be really hard to bounce back with their upcoming schedule. But at 3, 3 and 1 with Washington and now the Giants behind you in the division feels like you're, you're doing okay after seven games.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, I mean I, I think the other thing too that kind of specifically point to is it's, it's the way that you won the game. Right. And, and the manner in which you win the game. This is a very balance is shocking and surprising considering the state of the way the team was going into this game. Obviously we expected the Cowboys offense to explode with the re. Addition of CD Lamb and. And Booker back into the lineup. But. But I don't think any of us kind of expected the sort of major changes that we saw the defensive side of the ball, from personnel to scheme to a bunch of different stuff, and all of it working as successfully as. As it did. So I do think that this kind of changes the angles in a lot of different ways because, you know, it's funny you said season changing because they changed everything from you saw so far this season on defense. It really was a huge change. So, yeah, it does kind of make you reevaluate where this team is. You look around the rest of the landscape of the NFC and the rest of the landscape of the NFC east and you think, you know, the Cowboys still have a chance here for sure.

[Marcus Moer]

Yeah, you just wanted to, you know, stay in the hunt by at least Halloween. And regardless of what happens next week against Denver, you will be like, you're going to be in the mix with things in the nfc and that's what we were hoping for. Let's talk about some other things from this game. The Cowboys win 44 22. They said the offense scored 17 points in the first quarter. I think it was 10 points in the second quarter, 17 in the third quarter.

[Applebee's Host]

And yet there were times in this.

[Marcus Moer]

Game that I felt like the offense stalled a little bit. They were. They had a chance to really put Washington out of their misery and they couldn't quite do that. And I think that just goes to show our expectations for this Cowboys. Any, any possession that doesn't end in a touchdown feels like a major disappointment.

[Landon McCool]

Which it shouldn't because, I mean, that's a ridiculously high bar to hold it, hold a team to the, the performance that the Cowboys offense put out there last, you know, tonight was absolutely ridiculous, like, incredibly impressive. I mean, and I think, yeah, a lot of it is, like you said, the standard that has been put out there. But I, I think, you know, we asked ourselves after seeing what this offense had done to the last few weeks without Ceedee Lam, well, how could it possibly get better once CD Lam gets back? And I think we got that answer the question answered pretty quickly. And you basically had both receivers teetering on almost 100 yards receiving in the first half and you almost had almost, I think it was like 70 yards rushing while your lead. Lead back, you know, before halftime. So I think that, yeah, considering the fact that we thought that we were going to need to score a touchdown on every single drive in order to win the game. I think they didn't quite keep up to that pace obviously, but I think overall when you just look at the performance that they were able to put out there, just ridiculous what what this Cowboys offense is doing right now.

[Marcus Moer]

And what I really meant. There was a, there was a point in this game in the second quarter where the Cowboys were up 17 to 8 after the, the 74 yard touchdown to CD Lamb, which that was quite the play. They got the ball back again. They were up by nine points and then they went six plays, 21 yards punt. The defense got off the field. They actually, they, they stopped the Commanders on fourth down and then it was eight plays, 11 yards field goal. The defense had a three and out of the next possession, six plays, 11 yards. You just felt like with the defense getting three consecutive stops going back to the, the end of the first quarter, like that was the chance to really put them away. It didn't happen. But eventually the talent won out for the Cowboys offense because there was a stretch later on in this game where they went touchdown, touchdown, field goal and that was it.

[Landon McCool]

I, I think the reason it didn't really feel like it was ever in jeopardy is because even the situations in which the Cowboys weren't able to convert or score touchdowns, it was usually because of very questionable penalties that felt like kind of.

[Marcus Moer]

Or just giving you the snakes like Tolbert making a hold or Jaden Blue false star stuff like that.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, so, so I think you know the two holding penalties which. Yeah. On, on the edge and then, then obviously yeah, the false start. There's no way around that. But like. Yeah, and then I think they obviously this, the safety, that, that, that, that kind of is a, it really just made it look like this was a closer performance than it was. But, but you, you feel like man if, if their special teams doesn't put the ball right on the one yard line, you don't even really notice a negative two yard run as much as obviously you did there. So. But overall like yeah, I think outside of negative play got penalties or you know, were, you know, just run running the ball. For putting themselves behind the sticks a little bit early. They were mostly just dominant on almost every single drive and it didn't, it just felt like it was inevitable that they were going to break through, you know, at the end.

[Marcus Moer]

Let's talk about Dak Prescott in this game, 21 of 30 for 264 yards and three touchdowns. Also had a Couple big runs in this one to keep the chains moving. I, I, I, I thought there were times where he was a little bit antsy in the pocket. He was, you know, taking some hits that he didn't need to take. But again, you're talking about very minor criticisms for a guy that has his fourth game this year of three or more touchdowns with no interceptions.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, I mean, he's the MVP right now as far as I'm concerned. I, I, I, I mean, I feel like I've watched, you know, enough of NFL football to kind of go and see the other key players. And I think, you know, Daniel Jones is doing some interesting things with the Colts and, and, but I just think as far as level of difficulty and what he's being asked to do in the way he's performing just consistently week to week, I just think Dak Prescott's playing better than anybody else.

[Marcus Moer]

He just has total command. This is the bet. It reminds me a lot of 2014 Tony Romo, where he, he's healthier than what Romo was to get knock on wood during that year. But Romo got to a point where there was just nothing that he hadn't seen before and he just knew where everybody was going to be at. And that team had a more talented offensive line. This team has way better playmakers than what that offense had.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. And I think the offensive line is getting better too. Like that and that. And since it's so young, as it gets better, that group's going to continue to get better. Which was actually the, the opposite kind of situation with the, with the other Cowboys. Right. Is it felt like that offensive line started to get older and older. This, this office line is incredibly young. So you hope that maybe this, they can continue to age and get getting better as the season goes on, which would be ridiculous.

[Marcus Moer]

All right, so we're going to talk about the Cowboys defense in just a little bit, but sitting at 3, 3 and 1. You and I kind of had a conversation a couple weeks ago that if you were going to go out and make some trades and be aggressive, you needed to be at least four and two. After the first six games, after the first seven games, you're three, three and one. So maybe a little bit behind pace, but I think because the NFC has so many teams in that was that three and a half to five win range, you really do feel like you're in the thick of things. I know their schedule gets hard, but I, I do like that the Cowboys have managed to kind of stay afloat here.

[Landon McCool]

I also think that that back half of the schedule doesn't look quite as daunting as it did before the season. I think that some of these teams that you've seen Denver is going to be a tough game. I'm not trying to apply that, but it did. It does feel like they, especially after, after what we saw with the Giants, that they, it doesn't look like they're unbeatable in Denver, you know, and some games. So I do think that it's just the angles of all this and the wins and losses that you have marked down preseason. They're going to change just because of the way all these teams have changed.

[Marcus Moer]

All right, let's talk about the Cowboys defense, which was absolutely incredible here in Week seven. We'll break it down next. This episode is brought to you by Rippling. If you're a business owner, here's the truth. SaaS promised to make work easier, but now the average company is buried by hundreds of apps that slow down your teams and simply don't work together. That's not SaaS. That's sad software as a disservice. That's why you need Rippling. Rippling is the unified platform for global hr, payroll, I T and finance all in one place. They've helped millions of businesses replace a mess of disconnected tools with one system designed to to give leaders clarity, speed and control. And by uniting your employees, teams and departments in one system, Rippling removes the bottlenecks, the busy work and silos your software that you've created. And right now you can get 6 months free when you go to rippling.com lot NFL learn more at rippling r I p L-N-G.com lockdown NFL that is rippling.com lockdown NFL for 6 months free terms and conditions applied this episode is brought to you by Prize Picks. Every day we make decisions, but on prize picks being right can actually get you paid. Don't miss the excitement of this football season with prize picks where it's good to be right. Playing prize picks is such a fun and simple way to add more excitement to your football season. You just pick more or less on player projections like Josh Allen's passing yards or Saquon Saquon Barkley rushing for a touchdown and you are in the game. I love how quick it is. You can make your lineup in under a minute. Plus they've just added stacks. So if you want to ride with a player, I can select their passing yards, rushing yards and touchdowns all in one lineup. So download the price picks app Today and use promo code lot NFL to get 50 in lineups after you play your first five dollar lineup that has promo code loton NFL for $50 in lineups after you play your 1st $5 lineup prize picks. It's good to be right. Welcome back to the Loton Cowboys podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen of the day. L let's talk about the Cowboys defense because I couldn't have been happier about their performance in this game. And it really started off right away. Three plays, 2 yards punt. They did give up a touchdown drive on the second drive of the game. 7 plays, 65 yards touchdown. Then they went 3 plays, 9 yards punt, 6 plays, 19 yards punt, 7 plays, 44 yards turnover on downs, 3 plays, 3 yards punt. I I that stretch right there is what defined the game. We were hoping that Dallas would get two or three stops to get. Was that four stops in a row. That's what won this, won in this game.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. And I think we have to address like all the changes that seemingly were made on the defense. And I think it starts with the personnel. Right. Like they ended up kicking Bland back inside to nickel and, and then we, we actually got to see a different starting lineup of corners this week. And I think that giving Elam and Bridges a chance on the outside and then I think it wasn't just those things separately. On top of that, they also played a lot. Like to say that they played a lot more man coverage would be a disservice. They basically flipped the percentages. It feels like, I mean, at the very least they, it seemed like, and again, this is based on eyes. I don't have any numbers right yet. Yet. But it seemed like they were playing easily more than 50 or 55, 60 man coverage. It felt like so. And I think it had to, I think, you know, that is not unrelated to the lineup changes that you saw and quarterback situation. And then on top of that, because you didn't have Wanye Thomas in there, you also had to start Mar and Elijah Clark. They both basically ended up playing a lot of football. So I think all those lineup changes had an effect. And then you also saw a, a big huge uptick in Shamar James, the snaps at linebacker. For better or worse at times it felt like, but it, it felt like all of those things. And then on top of that, an increase in blitzing as well. All the kind of things that I feel like we have been talking about, like, let's get the youth in there, let's run more man coverage. Let's blitz a little bit more. And guess what? It all worked tonight. And. And it felt like it. It gave the Cowboys the edge than they needed. Washington felt like even when they were getting opportunities that they were disjointed, they weren't sure what they were seeing, because I think Cowboys threw some uncertainty into the whole situation, and they were able to do all of this while limiting what was an incredible Washington run game going into this week. And. And. And they were able to hold bill under 4 yards of carry, which I think was really impressive considering everything he's done so far in the NFL.

[Marcus Moer]

Yeah, I love the blitzing because I thought going into this game with Washington having the top three receivers out. Terry McLaurin, Debo Samuel, Noah Brown. You wanted to speed things up for Jaden Daniels and eventually Marcus Mariota, which we can get to. And, yeah, you might get beat down the field, but with young receivers in the game with, you know, a quarterback that they probably haven't worked with, you can just throw the timing off. And that's what we saw in this game is, yeah, Daniels made some plays with his legs. He connected with Zach Ertz across the middle of the field a couple times. It happens. But you got sacks, you got some throws that were, you know, just a little bit off target. Not a ton, but just a little bit enough, you know, just to. To get some incompletions. And I think with the Cowboys still struggling to get a pass rush, and we'll talk about some guys that had a good day game, I think blitzing and just living with the. The results is the way for this team to go. And I know that's not Matt Erv. Ls bread and butter, but I think it's gonna have to be this year.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, I also think it helps that it. Man, it really feels like Jaden Daniels just is not the same athlete right now. And then obviously, he ended up getting hurt as the game went on, but he didn't seem nearly as explosive or just willing to run the football in opportunities. He wanted to try to win the game with his arm, but he wasn't good enough as a passer in this game to win. So, yeah, I think the Cowboys pressed the issue with the blitzing, and I think, you know, there were two or three plays maybe where you saw Jaden pick up some first downs with his legs, but outside of that, he didn't really hurt you that way. So, yeah, the Cowboys were able to take advantage of the fact that. That they were trying to throw for first Downs and they had inferior receivers out there and it wasn't exactly great design at different points. So Cowboys were able to do what they needed to do to get off the field consistently. I mean, besides getting turnovers, obviously a pick six as well. They forced, I think it was four or five punts and then at least turn, I think two turnover on down. So they did a really good job of getting off the field when they needed to at times, which, you know, obviously is a big change from what we've seen.

[Marcus Moer]

Well, two takeaways. The Bland interception, the Shamar James force fumble, the J on the play that Jaden Daniels got hurt. And then you talked about the, the fourth down play where they got off the field as well. That's going to be the key, like finding ways to steal a possession or two. This Cowboys offense is so good that if you can get one or two extra possessions, that's how you're going to win these games. I want to talk about Duron Bland because. Yeah, yes. He had to pick six, which is obviously nice six of his career. And you could see it coming the whole way. Like as soon as that ball got floated up, blame was picking that up. I thought Bland was playing really well in this game even before that play happened. He made a couple big plays in run support. He made a big tackle on Jaden Daniels that set up one of those fourth downs. There was a play on a key third down where he was covering Ertz across the middle of the field that forced a fourth down because of an errant throw. This is the healthiest Bland has looked in several, actually, probably what, back to 20, 23 and you see why the Cowboys want him around.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. And look, we haven't really had a whole conversation about the Trayvon Diggs situation yet, but going into next week, it's going to be interesting because I do think that you found something in. And look, I, I wonder if maybe before, before the game when they announced that he was going to start at the nickel spot, I wondered if it wasn't about the fact that you felt like the biggest threat from Washington was going to be coming out of the slot now that you have no Terry McLaurin and no Debo Samuels. Right. So I, I wondered if. I, I wondered if that was why that they decided they wanted to play him more inside and kind of start the other guys outside. But honestly, just watching him operate out there, he just needs to play more in the slot. Like, it's just like he's just really good there. And I, in a way that a lot of other guys are, the way he tackles, the way he covers. I just think that they need to give him more opportunities to kind of collapse inside when they have three corners out there. But yeah, I also think that man, really good performances from Bridges and, and I thought from, from Elam as well. Considering everything that, you know, we've seen from them so far, I thought it was a real step up for them. I don't know if it's reliable. Maybe you figure out a situation where you wr rotate him with digs or something, but at least they looked more comfortable playing the amount of man coverage that they were playing.

[Marcus Moer]

Yeah, Neelam got kind of a bogus penalty at the end of the game. Otherwise I thought he played decent and maybe that's just Elam's roles. He's going to be your third outside corner and he comes in with injuries. I think that's probably a better spot for him anyways rather than being a full time starter. A couple guys I wanted to mention really quickly, Jadavian Clowney didn't play a ton of snaps in this game, but this was easily the best game that he had. A couple passes that he deflected at the line of scrimmage, he made a tackle in the backfield, he had a sack. I still don't know if he's a full time player because of his age at this point, but man, if you can get anything like that again from Jadevion Clowney, defense might be okay.

[Landon McCool]

You're getting positive snaps from him which is great. And I think the same could be said for Donovan as a Rock who I feel like took another step this week, got his first sack. I think he played really well against the run run as well. I, I think, you know, he's starting to come on a little bit. I don't know if you're really ready to give him all the full time snaps, but he's at least a guy that you're definitely not going to be skipping in the rotation. He's going to be a featured guy, I think, moving forward.

[Marcus Moer]

Yeah, Ezra Rocky, I mean you can see it now he got a sack that was a little bit of a cleanup sack on Sunday, but making plays in the run game, starting to bend the edge a little bit. Usually these guys, it takes a season or so before they kind of grow into that role. You're starting to see the flashes from Donovane as a Rocky, which is super, super encouraging. You know what's also encouraging is the Cowboys have two number one receivers that are pretty Doggone good. Let's talk about their performances next. This episode is brought to you by Mazda. Mazda crafts cars for those who do more than simply move. Mazda delivers confidence with every ride with more IIHS Top Safety Pick awards than anyone else. From footwork to breath work, athletes sweat all the details and Mazda brings the same attention to how they craft every model. You can feel the Japanese craftsmanship in every detail. From metallic accents to available Napa leather upholstery, you can make your everyday drives feel like anything. But with smooth handling and incredible controls. And with all wheel drive standard in every crossover suv, you can drive with confidence through almost any any season. And like our players, we sweat every detail. Because when you make every move count, impossible becomes irrelevant. Mazda move and be moved. This episode is brought to you by FanDuel. The NFL season is here and FanDuel has an offer that you don't want to miss right now. New customers can bet just $5 and get $300 of bonus bets if you win. That's right, pick a bet, put down five bucks and if it hits, you'll unlock 300 in bonus bets to use across the app. I love FanDuel because they give you so many different ways you can bet, including parlays, same game props. I love the futures market. I can't wait to go see what the Cowboys odds are to make the playoffs this year. It's all available on FanDuel. And whether you're a casual fan or you love diving into the stats, FanDuel makes the game day experience that much better.

[Applebee's Host]

So what are you waiting for?

[Marcus Moer]

Visit FanDuel.com to download the FanDuel app today and get started. Welcome back to the Loton Cowboys Podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen of the day. For your second listen, check out the Lockdown NFL Podcast. Two shows every single day. One in the morning with Tyler Roland, one in the afternoon with Tony Wiggins. Available wherever you get your podcast. All right, let's talk about the Cowboys receivers in this game. 14 official targets because there's some penalties in there. CD Lamb, five catches, 110 yards and a touchdown including a 74 yard touchdown. George Pickens though was actually the probably the better receiver today. Four catches, 82 yards on six targets. Also drew a 37 yard pass interference call that set up a 1 yard Javonte Williams touchdown. I thought these guys were incredible today.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, I mean, look, I think what you saw from Pickens and Lamb today is why you feel like you really do have a Chance, you know, and, and like. And even with the record on the low end of kind of in the hunt playoff teams, right. You just look at what you're able to accomplish when both of those guys are in the lineup and, and then you add in obviously the very effective run game. And then I think Ferguson, you know, Ferguson has just become an incredible weapon in the red zone just with all the attention that's being drawn on the outside. He had, he was 7 for 7 for only 29 yards, but that's because he also caught two very short touchdowns and scored. So yeah, I just think that, you know, the passing attack is just absolutely shredding teams and it doesn't really matter the down and distance. It feels like the Cowboys can convert even when they get behind the, the chains at times that you just feel like the third and twelves. It does, it feels back like Romo, right, Like back with the old 20. Like was it 2014 Romo team where, where it's just felt like, oh well, we're behind the chains, we'll just pick it up on third down. You know, it's like that's how good and consistently over performant the offense is. And I think now that Lamb is back and he looked 100, he didn't look like he was restricted at all. Pickens is settled into the role a little bit that, that he settled into and it's a very effective role where you know he's going to continue to score touchdowns. He didn't have any today, but you just feel like, man, he's just going to continue to score touchdowns on the outside with all the attention that's going to be drawn inside by, by Ferguson and Lamb. It's, you know, the offense is just cooking at a level and it just all fits together and, and the word that I kept on thinking was, man, this is an incredibly balanced offense in all directions. Run, pass, sideline to sideline, inside to outside, front to back. Like they can attack you in any different way, they can solve any different problem. You present in front of them like this is the offense that Dak has needed to kind of really take the next step. And that's again, it's about what you've seen on the field that really kind of makes you change your mind about this team. If they can continue to put up offensive performances like that and the defense can get anything close to that kind of performance on a week to week basis, it makes you consider what, you know, going all in on this team and seeing what you can do a little bit this year.

[Marcus Moer]

Year, yeah. And Washington tried the, the Bill Belichick strategy of let's put two guys on CD Lamb, which was Trey Amos at a safety for the most part, or Mikey Sandistro, their slot corner. And then let's leave Marshawn Lattimore, their top corner, one on one with George Pickens. And Pickens toasted him. I mean, again, he had 82 yards in this game and a 37 yard penalty, which again resulted in a touchdown that you might as well just tack that on to Pickens's receiving yards total. And I think the play that, to me that's like stood out is it's second and 17 with 31 seconds left. The Cowboys are at their own 20 yard line and George Pickens hauls in a 45 yard pass to put them in field goal range. Right. And that was a perfectly thrown ball. But Pickens beats him right off the line of scrimmage. He makes an incredible adjustment to the ball. He gets out of bounds and then the next play, we give the Javonte Williams run that takes him right down to the one yard line. You score a touchdown in a game that was at the time 20 to 15 going into halftime with Washington getting the ball is suddenly 27:15. And you know, you feel pretty good about going into, you know, halftime with that score. There's just not many teams that have the luxury of having a number two receiver like this. And this is what we've been saying for a couple offseasons now, and why I thought the number two receiver was their biggest priority in the off season, because it completely changes everything you can do on offense.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. And then, I mean, honestly, just to continue that conversation, the pressure that this puts on their, on their offense. Right. They come out of the half, they're pressing that, we get the fumble and then they, they, we get the ball back, we score and then an interception and. And so, you know, oh, actually, I don't think we scored. We ended up punting. But still, the point being is that like you get through basically half of the third quarter and you force. They have three possessions and they've.

[Marcus Moer]

Well, that turned out that's what it was. Right. It was a, it was a fumble in the first possession. The Cowboys scored a touchdown and it's 34 to 15.

[Landon McCool]

Oh, it was that one.

[Marcus Moer]

So it's. Yeah. 20 to 15, 34 to 15 in like three drives.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. In like the series of like seven minutes of game time. Right. Like, so it's. Yeah, it's. That's how quick scoring Offenses can can put pressure on you and the key being right, you need a defense that could put that same kind of pressure on their offense.

[Marcus Moer]

Yeah, well, just an unbelievable game and this is the luxury of having two receivers. Your ceiling is just so much higher on offense when you've got two number one receivers like this. All right, that is it for today's show. We want to thank you for making Lockdown Cowboys your first listen every single day. Check out the channel on YouTube, download the podcast wherever you get your podcast. We are free and available on all platforms. Follow Landon on Twitter @mccoolbcb I'm @marcus Underscore Moser. Enjoy your victory Monday and we'll see you right back here tomorrow.

[FanDuel Advertiser]

FanDuel's got an offer. You don't want to miss this NFL season. New customers can bet just $5 and get 300 bucks in bonus bets if you win. That's right. Pick a bet, bet five bucks, and if it wins, you unlock $300 in bonus bets to use all of across the app. You can build parlays, bet player props, ride the live lines. Whatever your style, fanduel has you covered. The NFL season is here. The only question is, are you ready to play? Visit fanduel.com locked on to download the FanDuel app today and get started.

[Mazda Advertiser]

You can just move through life or you can find the things that move you. It's your choice. You can choose to get out there, choose your people. You could choose to go for it. No, like, really go for it. Just choose to do something that moves you. Mazda crafts cars for those who choose to do more than simply move. Mazda, move and be moved.

[Applebee's Guest]

Applebee's new grilled cheese cheeseburger is so cheesy.

[Applebee's Host]

Wanna try the cheese pull?

[Applebee's Guest]

Yeah, I'll take this side.

[Marcus Moer]

Wow.

[Applebee's Host]

Now this is a cheese pull. Sorry.

[Applebee's Guest]

I can't believe you get this. And another entree like the chicken parmesan.

[Applebee's Host]

Fettuccine, plus an appetizer for just 25 bucks.

[Landon McCool]

Excuse me.

[Applebee's Guest]

This is incredible.

[Applebee's Host]

That's why I always come to Applebee's for the 2 for 25.

[Landon McCool]

Deal.

[Marcus Moer]

What?

[FanDuel Advertiser]

Limited time, price participation and selection may vary. Tax and gratuity excluded.

[Landon McCool]

It's still going.