Like much of the early part of this season, the defense of the Cowboys stepped up and proved to be the force that they are from the front seven, down to the guys in the secondary.
Trevon Diggs did what No. 1 corners do, make key fourth down stops on the opposing team's best receiver, and convert turnovers. While young guys like Donovan Wilson, Neville Gallimore, and rookie DaRon Bland made impacts well.
Let's not forget the return of Michael Gallup and the offense, either. Here are the 12 players we picked as the best performers on Sunday afternoon.
Cooper Rush for winning his third straight game? Or Trevon Diggs for shutting down the Washington passing game? Or maybe Michael Gallup for scoring a TD in his first game? Who's the best player from Sunday's win.
12. Isreal Mukuamu: Alright, one more Cowboys' safety for good measure. Mukuamu total six tackles for the day, but was yet another member of the Dallas' secondary that feasted on the Washington offense.
11. Dante Fowler: He was a sneaky free agent signing over the offseason, but he was not sneaky on Sunday. Fowler was one of the guys to benefit from Parsons taking all of the attention away, picking up a one of the two sacks allowed by the Commanders and blowing up multiple run chances.
10. Micah Parsons: No, Parsons did not record any sacks against the Commanders. But that's okay because what he did might not have shown up in the box score. While he picked up four tackles, the threat of Parsons was able to draw the attention of the Washington offensive line, thus opening up opportunities for others. And that is what great players do.
9. Malik Hooker: How about the safeties for the Cowboys? Hooker went under the radar with his performance on Sunday with eight total tackles but was a crucial portion of a Dallas secondary that surrendered just 170 passing yards and four yards per attempt.
8. Neville Gallimore: Gallimore made his presence on the Commanders' offensive line felt early including a sack for a nine-yard loss in the first quarter. Alongside the rest of the Cowboys' interior defensive line, Gallimore continued to keep pressure on Wentz and stuff plenty of rushing attempts.
7. DaRon Bland: The rookie impressed during training camp and the preseason, and he filled in nicely against the Commanders when he took over for the injured Jourdan Lewis. While yes, he picked up three tackles on the day, the highlight for Bland came late in the fourth quarter when he soared across the field and intercepted Carson Wentz' for the Cowboys' second pick of the game.
6. Brett Maher: Maher quietly continues to be as steady as they come for the Cowboys this season. After a bit of uncertainty at the kicking position, Maher has eased those concerns and did so with a strong performance against Washington. He was 4-4 on field goal tries, including a 53-yarder on the opening drive for his fourth make of over 50 yards this season. He also saved two points after the blocked extra points by making a tackle to prevent a Washington return for 2.
5. Donovan Wilson: Some guys are tackling machines, and Donovan Wilson would very much qualify as one of those guys. Wilson picked up nine total tackles to pace the Cowboys' defense on the day and made multiple big stops from the safety spot to thwart any potential momentum the Commanders might have developed.
4. CeeDee Lamb: If the last two weeks have proved anything for CeeDee Lamb, it's that he clearly has what it takes to be a true No. 1 receiver in this league. After a strong week against the Giants, Lamb came right back on Sunday against the Commanders and put up six catches for 97 yards and a touchdown. Three of those catches came for 56 yards on one drive, while the touchdown accounted for 30 more.
3. Trevon Diggs: He's a No. 1 corner and former All-Pro for a reason, and he showed why yet again on Sunday. Diggs was matched up primarily with Terry McLaurin, holding him to two catches for just 15 yards. But he's known for his knack for nabbing interceptions, right? Well, he got one of those. He also held his own on fourth down twice against McLaurin to keep Washington out of reach.
2. Cooper Rush: Rush made history against Washington, becoming the first quarterback in Dallas' franchise history to win his first four starts with the team. He was 15-27 for 223 yards and two touchdowns with a passer rating of 107.5 and continues to guide the Cowboys to crucial wins in the absence of Dak Prescott.
1. Michael Gallup: It had been nine months since Gallup had seen live action, but he made his presence felt early against the Commanders, including a couple of big third down conversions and a touchdown. More than that, Gallup showed what the Cowboys' offense was missing in the ability to stretch the field and having the threat of another big-play receiver.
