The Washington Football Team, playing its second game in five days, lost to the Dallas Cowboys, 56-14, on Sunday Night Football. Here are three numbers to know from team's third-straight defeat:
66
Dallas scored 42 points in the first half of this one, tying the record for most points in a first half in team history.
The Cowboys covered a whole lot of ground to get those six touchdowns. After punting on their opening drive, they scored five times, covering 396 yards. The home team's average drive length in the first half was 66 yards, heavily contributing to their 6.8 average yards per play. The Cowboys' last touchdown of the first half originated way back on the Dallas 11-yard line, and all they needed was 97 seconds to cruise downfield to make the score 42-7.
Pretty much, Prescott & Co. marched swiftly and efficiently into the red zone whenever they had possession in those first two quarters and it was pain for the Burgundy & Gold.
The Washington Football Team travelled to Dallas to take on the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium and was defeated, 56-14. (Photos by Emilee Fails/Washington Football Team)
330
Any concerns Dallas fans may have had about Dak Prescott being in a slump were absolutely quieted Sunday night as the quarterback went 28-for-39 and threw for 330 yards. It could have been a lot more too had Mike McCarthy not made the switch to Cooper Rush with a little over a minute to play in the third quarter and Dallas up by 42.
For the second-game in a row, Washington's defense, made of a mostly motley crew of guys as the unit continues to deal with injuries and COVID issues, struggled to contain the offense it lined up against. Prescott took advantage, connecting to receivers like CeeDee Lamb (66 yards) and Amari Cooper (85 yards) without much difficulty.
Prescott smashed a bunch of records in this victory. His 321 passing yards in the first half is the most passing yards in a half in his career and the second-most in any half (329 -- 2nd half vs. Green Bay on Oct. 16, 2019). He also became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw a touchdown to a running back, wide receiver, tight end and an offensive lineman.
66%
Dallas' third down conversion rate was yet another stat that showed two very obvious realities. First, the Dallas offense has the potential to be truly devastating. A 66% third-down conversion rate is a staggering number considering the Cowboys average third-down conversion rate this season has been under 42%.
The number also shows that the Washington defense still has much to improve upon. A lot of that was because key players like Cole and Jamin Davis were ruled out because of injuries or COVID-19 issues. Still, it doesn't change the fact that the players who were on the field were outplayed. With two games left in the season, Washington's defense must rebound quickly to finish on a good note.
