Gameday is always a whirlwind when it comes to the Dallas Cowboys. What we think will happen is rarely what actually happens. What actually happens goes by in a blur. And when all is said and done, there's a new week's worth of aftermath to sort out, good or bad. The DallasCowboys.com staff is always there to cover every aspect.
The day after each game this season Further Review will give a chance to catch your breath and look back at what actually happened. What did we think going in? What happened? And what does it all mean?
The Warm Up:
- There was a lot of talk heading into the Eagles' game about Dallas resting starters, but Isaiah Stanback was on the record saying, "Dallas needs to suit everybody up." [Watch Stanback talk about the importance of Week 18 on Special Edition]
- Blake Jarwin hasn't spent nearly as much time on the field as he would prefer since 2020. "But to hear Mike McCarthy tell it Thursday morning, the playmaking tight end could become available at exactly the right time," Jonny Auping writes [Auping earlier this week on the potential return of Jarwin to the fold]
- David Helman wanted the starters out by the fourth quarter, and technically, he basically got what he wanted. "By all means, give Dak Prescott & Co. a few series to work on timing and protections – but I'd gladly have them sitting down by the third quarter," Helman wrote [Read Helman’s mindset on Week 18]
- The Cowboys were to be without Trevon Diggs and Anthony Brown, and Nick Eatman saw that as an opportunity. "The Cowboys will have a chance to see some young cornerbacks in extensive situations," Eatman wrote [Eatman on the big opportunity that Kelvin Joseph was presented with]
Game Time:
- In all the talk of the Cowboys' offense needing to find some rhythm, people tend to forget that CeeDee Lamb is a highlight waiting to happen [Watch CeeDee make an impossible grab and immediately break two tackles]
- Leighton Vander Esch couldn't let the offense have all the fun [Watch Vander Esch grab an interception to pile on to the Eagles’ dismay]
- Kelvin Joseph has had a long rookie season, but heading into the playoffs he proved he can be relied on at cornerback [Watch Joseph talk about getting the start in the blowout victory]
- Greg Zuerlein put the ball through the uprights seven times on Saturday night, but he also missed an extra point [Watch Zuerlein talk about his confidence heading into the playoffs]
What now?
- After the game, DeMarcus Lawrence talked about the Cowboys' blowout victory like a mere course of business [Watch Tank talk about replicating that success in the playoffs]
- The news of Michael Gallup's season-ending injury was still fresh Saturday night. "Thanks to Cedrick Wilson, though, wide receiver depth still looks like a strength heading into the playoffs," Rob Phillips wrote [Read Phillips on Wilson’s statement game]
- By the end of the night regular season records were broken. "Sitting here at the end of the regular season, it seems strange to think that Prescott ever had a rough patch," David Helman wrote [Read Helman on why Dak isn’t thinking about records]
- Despite Dak's focus on the future, that doesn't mean we can't revel at the accomplishments so far. "It's hard to keep track of all the different ways the Cowboys hit the record book on Saturday night," David Helman wrote [Read Helman on the records shattered in the second half Friday night]
