The Dallas Cowboys asserted their dominance from the first whistle, launching a swift offensive onslaught that left the Los Angeles Rams reeling. By the end of the first quarter, the scoreboard read 17-3 in favor of the Cowboys. The trenches witnessed a massive mismatch on both sides, yet the Rams managed to claw their way back, narrowing the score to 33-17. However, their comeback hopes were dashed when quarterback Matthew Stafford exited the game due to injury and was replaced by Brett Rypien.
The Cowboys sealed their victory by the end of the third quarter, with backup quarterback Cooper Rush efficiently closing out the game.
Offensive Spotlight: Darrell Henderson continued his impressive performance as the Rams’ primary running back, alongside Royce Freeman. Henderson notched three receptions for 54 yards, adding to his 31 rushing yards on 12 carries. The Cowboys’ defensive line displayed a relentless presence throughout the game, effectively shutting down both the passing and rushing attacks, regardless of the Rams’ lineup.
CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys’ wide receiver, finally delivered the dominant performance fans had been eagerly anticipating. Lamb secured an impressive 12 receptions for 158 yards and two touchdowns within just three quarters of play before the Cowboys transitioned to their backup squad.
Defensive Spotlight: Rams superstar Aaron Donald seemed like a one-man army, notching two sacks in a game where the Cowboys averaged 6.1 yards per play, even without exerting maximum effort in the fourth quarter. Safety Jordan Fuller contributed an interception against Dak Prescott early in the game, but the Rams were unable to mount a significant challenge.
Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland continued his exceptional 2023 season, securing another interception and returning it for a touchdown. With four interceptions under his belt for the year, Bland has stepped up in the absence of star cornerback Trevon Diggs. The Dallas defense successfully stifled the Rams’ rushing attack, holding them to a mere 3.8 yards per carry, and limiting Cooper Kupp to just four receptions for 21 yards.
Rookie Spotlight: Rams’ rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua faced a challenging day, managing three receptions for 43 yards.
On the Cowboys’ side, rookie tight end Luke Schoonmaker made a noteworthy contribution with a 13-yard reception as he continues to recover from injury. If Schoonmaker can further develop his blocking and pass-catching skills, Dallas may boast a formidable duo of young tight ends, alongside second-year tight end Jake Ferguson, who contributed four receptions for 47 yards and a touchdown.
Box Score
Passing
Los Angeles Rams
- Matthew Stafford: Fantasy Points 12.38, 13/22, 162 Yds, 7.4 YPA, 1 TD, 1 Int, Long 32, Sacks 1, Rating 78.2
- Brett Rypien: Fantasy Points 1.68, 5/10, 42 Yds, 4.2 YPA, 0 TD, 0 Int, Long 13, Sacks 1, Rating 61.3
Dallas Cowboys
- Dak Prescott: Fantasy Points 32.06, 25/31, 304 Yds, 9.8 YPA, 4 TD, 1 Int, Long 26, Sacks 3, Rating 133.7
- Cooper Rush: Fantasy Points -0.18, 2/3, 3 Yds, 1 YPA, 0 TD, 0 Int, Long 5, Sacks 0, Rating 70.1
Rushing
Los Angeles Rams
- Matthew Stafford: Fantasy Points 12.38, 1 Car, 9 Yds, 9 YPC, 0 TD, Long 9, Fum Lost 0
- Darrell Henderson Jr.: Fantasy Points 11.5, 12 Car, 31 Yds, 2.6 YPC, 0 TD, Long 7, Fum Lost 0
- Royce Freeman: Fantasy Points 10.4, 9 Car, 44 Yds, 4.9 YPC, 1 TD, Long 10, Fum Lost 0
- Tutu Atwell: Fantasy Points 6.9, 2 Car, 8 Yds, 4 YPC, 0 TD, Long 8, Fum Lost 0
Dallas Cowboys
- CeeDee Lamb: Fantasy Points 44, 1 Car, 12 Yds, 12 YPC, 0 TD, Long 12, Fum Lost 0
- Dak Prescott: Fantasy Points 32.06, 4 Car, 19 Yds, 4.8 YPC, 0 TD, Long 9, Fum Lost 0
- Brandin Cooks: Fantasy Points 14.2, 1 Car, 3 Yds, 3 YPC, 0 TD, Long 3, Fum Lost 0
- Tony Pollard: Fantasy Points 6.5, 12 Car, 53 Yds, 4.4 YPC, 0 TD, Long 13, Fum Lost 0
- Rico Dowdle: Fantasy Points 4.5, 5 Car, 18 Yds, 3.6 YPC, 0 TD, Long 7, Fum Lost 0
- Cooper Rush: Fantasy Points -0.18, 3 Car, -3 Yds, -1 YPC, 0 TD, Long -1, Fum Lost 0
Receiving
Los Angeles Rams
- Darrell Henderson Jr.: Fantasy Points 11.5, 3 Tgt, 3 Rec, 54 Yds, 18 YPT, 18 YPR, 0 TD, Long 32
- Tyler Higbee: Fantasy Points 9.5, 7 Tgt, 5 Rec, 45 Yds, 6.4 YPT, 9 YPR, 0 TD, Long 20
- Ben Skowronek: Fantasy Points 9, 1 Tgt, 1 Rec, 20 Yds, 20 YPT, 20 YPR, 1 TD, Long 20
- Puka Nacua: Fantasy Points 7.3, 7 Tgt, 3 Rec, 43 Yds, 6.1 YPT, 14.3 YPR, 0 TD, Long 22
- Tutu Atwell: Fantasy Points 6.9, 4 Tgt, 2 Rec, 21 Yds, 5.2 YPT, 10.5 YPR, 0 TD, Long 20
- Cooper Kupp: Fantasy Points 6.1, 10 Tgt, 4 Rec, 21 Yds, 2.1 YPT, 5.2 YPR, 0 TD, Long 9
Dallas Cowboys
- CeeDee Lamb: Fantasy Points 44, 14 Tgt, 12 Rec, 158 Yds, 11.3 YPT, 13.2 YPR, 2 TD, Long 26
- Jake Ferguson: Fantasy Points 14.7, 4 Tgt, 4 Rec, 47 Yds, 11.8 YPT, 11.8 YPR, 1 TD, Long 18
- Brandin Cooks: Fantasy Points 14.2, 4 Tgt, 3 Rec, 49 Yds, 12.2 YPT, 16.3 YPR, 1 TD, Long 25
- Tony Pollard: Fantasy Points 6.5, 1 Tgt, 1 Rec, 2 Yds, 2 YPT, 2 YPR, 0 TD, Long 2
- Rico Dowdle: Fantasy Points 4.5, 2 Tgt, 2 Rec, 7 Yds, 3.5 YPT, 3.5 YPR, 0 TD, Long 5
- Michael Gallup: Fantasy Points 4, 3 Tgt, 2 Rec, 20 Yds, 6.7 YPT, 10 YPR, 0 TD, Long 14
- KaVontae Turpin: Fantasy Points 2.3, 2 Tgt, 1 Rec, 13 Yds, 6.5 YPT, 13 YPR, 0 TD, Long 13
- Luke Schoonmaker: Fantasy Points 2.3, 1 Tgt, 1 Rec, 13 Yds, 13 YPT, 13 YPR, 0 TD, Long 13
- Hunter Luepke: Fantasy Points 0.8, 1 Tgt, 1 Rec, -2 Yds, -2 YPT, -2 YPR, 0 TD, Long -2
- Sean McKeon: Fantasy Points 0, 1 Tgt, 0 Rec, 0 Yds, 0 YPT, 0 YPR, 0 TD, Long 0
- Jalen Tolbert: Fantasy Points 0, 1 Tgt, 0 Rec, 0 Yds, 0 YPT, 0 YPR, 0 TD, Long 0
In a remarkable display of skill and strategy, the Dallas Cowboys achieved a resounding victory over the Los Angeles Rams, highlighting their superior performance in every facet of the game.
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