With the Cowboys at their unofficial midway point of their schedule heading into the bye week, they finished off the first half with a 49-29 bulldozing of the Bears.
Tony Pollard carried the load for Dallas with three touchdowns and over 100 rushing yards, while Dak Prescott looked more like himself in his second game back from injury. The defense showed up yet again, highlighted by Micah Parsons' first career touchdown.
Where does the national media rank the Cowboys through eight weeks of the NFL season in their power rankings? Let's find out.
NFL.com 1.) Buffalo Bills 2.) Philadelphia Eagles 3.) Kansas City Chiefs 4.) Dallas Cowboys 5.) San Francisco 49ers
Last Week: No. 4
The Cowboys' defense carried the team when Dak Prescott was on the shelf with a busted thumb. As a long season winds on, perhaps we're now starting to see a reversal of roles. The previously stingy Dallas D was gashed for 240 yards on the ground by Chicago, but Prescott and the Cowboys' attack was outstanding in a 49-29 win at Jerrah World. Dallas scored touchdowns on its first four possessions for the first time in eight years, while Prescott and Tony Pollard (three total touchdowns each) powered an offense that overwhelmed an inferior opponent. If the Cowboys can sync up both sides of the ball, there are few teams who can even hang with them," -Dan Hanzus
ESPN: 1.) Buffalo Bills 2.) Philadelphia Eagles 3.) Kansas City Chiefs 4.) Dallas Cowboys 5.) Minnesota Vikings
Last Week: No. 6
"Reason for optimism: Defense ... but also offense. The defense has been the story of the first eight games, giving up an average of only 16.6 points (ranked third in the league). The run defense, though, is a worry, giving up an average of 135.1 yards.
But the offense is trending in the right direction since Dak Prescott's return from a fractured right thumb. The Cowboys have shown they can run the ball with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard regardless of circumstance, while the passing game is improving as Prescott gets reaccustomed to CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup and Dalton Schultz. They'll need it as the second half begins and the games get more difficult and important," -Todd Archer
Bleacher Report: 1.) Philadelphia Eagles 2.) Buffalo Bills 3.) Kansas City Chiefs 4.) Minnesota Vikings 5.) Dallas Cowboys
Last Week: No. 5
"The Dallas Cowboys entered Week 8 shorthanded on offense, as running back Ezekiel Elliott was shelved with a knee injury. It didn't matter even a little. The Cowboys didn't miss a beat against the Chicago Bears with Tony Pollard serving as the team's lead running back. Quite the opposite, in fact; Pollard had a monster game against the Bears, piling up 147 total yards and three touchdowns on just 15 touches. For most of the season, the Cowboys have leaned on the defense. But in Week 8, the offense finally blew up, piling up 442 yards and scoring their most points of the season by far. Quarterback Dak Prescott told reporters the explosion gives the Cowboys some positive momentum heading into the bye week," -NFL Staff
