Rank'Em
Rank’Em: Top 10 Players Starts With Dak … Again
The Cowboys had a lot of superstars from Sunday's game in Washington, but just like last week, it starts with Dak Prescott, who had another huge game. But who else made this week's Top 10?
10. Travis Frederick – Another week where Frederick just can't be ignored on the list. He's making the right calls at the line, blocking his man and helping the offense be efficient. For the second straight game, the Cowboys had five straight drives where they scored points. In the red zone, the Cowboys scored TDs in three of four possessions, improving them to 5 of 6 this year.
9. Tyrone Crawford – One of the biggest plays of the game was a second-quarter sack by Crawford that flipped the momentum towards the Cowboys. He played both end and tackle again, showing off his versatility. Crawford also had a tackle for loss and a hit on the quarterback.
8. Michael Gallup – Another solid effort from Gallup, who had six catches for 69 yards. It could've been a bigger day had he connected on another deep ball with Dak. Gallup did suffer an injury that caused him to miss the final two drives but overall, the second-year receiver has been the most consistent player in the passing game this year.
7. Devin Smith – His story just keeps getting better. Just making the team was a great accomplishment for Smith, who had been through quite a journey since being a 2015 second-round pick of the Jets but suffered two knee injuries that derailed his career. But Smith showed he could still run, burning the Redskins for a 51-yard TD. He also had a clutch third-down catch in the fourth quarter, proving that he can be yet another weapon in this offense.
6. Maliek Collins – That's more like the guy that was dominant in training camp. Collins controlled the middle for the defense all game, starting with Adrian Peterson's first carry, when he was bottled up by Collins. Also, one of the biggest plays of the game occurred in the second quarter when Collins drew a holding call on the Redskins' Brandon Scherff, which changed the entire momentum of the game.
5. Byron Jones – Back in the starting lineup, Jones was tested on the first play of the game and he showed he was back to normal again. He ran stride for stride with the Redskins' speedy rookie Terry McLaurin, and did so on a few other occasions as well. Jones also made a big third-down tackle that led to a field goal. He might not think he's back to his All-Pro level, but he sure looked like it Sunday.
4. Zack Martin – Speaking of being back, Martin didn't have his best performance in Week 1 vs. NYG, which was to be expected considering he most all of the preseason and most of camp with his nagging back injury. But he was back to his old self Sunday, paving the way for running lanes and keeping Dak upright most of the day.
3. Tyron Smith – For the second straight week, the Cowboys didn't have any issues at left tackle as Smith made sure Dak's blindside was covered. Redskins rookie Montez Sweat wasn't much of a factor, especially as a pass-rusher. He had four tackles and one for loss, but didn't get any pressures and obviously no sacks. Smith had a stellar training camp and he's definitely carried that over to the season.
2. Ezekiel Elliott – The key to being a great running back is having the stamina and strength to keep running in the fourth quarter. The fact that Zeke's longest rush of the day was a 27-yarder to close out the game, speaks volumes for where he is in his conditioning. Zeke scored his second touchdown of the season with a nifty run in the fourth quarter and went over 100 yards for the first time this year. Don't forget the importance of play-action passes in this game, something that Zeke should be credited for with the Redskins keeping close eyes on the backfield.
1. Dak Prescott – Second week in a row, Dak has been the best player on the field – on either side of the ball. And for the second straight week, he didn't have a great start. But when he found his groove, he certainly found it in a major way, completing 18 straight passes, the most by any Cowboys quarterback in a single game. Prescott didn't have a perfect passer rating this time around, thanks to the interception which wasn't really his fault, but he did finish the day with a 123.5 rating with three TDs and he rushed for 69 yards, including the longest run of his career – 42-yards that was a game-changing play.
