The Morning After: Cowboys’ new-look offensive machine faces minimal resistance in Washington

 Link: https://theathletic.com/1214773/2019/09/16/the-morning-after-cowboys-new-look-offensive-machine-faces-minimal-resistance-in-washington/

Week 2 vs. WAS
Date published: Sept. 16, 2019

Another great week by the DAL offense - 474 yards, 31 points

• It was the second straight game with well over 450 yards. We consider anything over 360 a passable grade in the NFL, and any total over 400 amounts to an excellent day. They are already at 968 yards of offense through two weeks and are averaging an NFC-best 484 per game.
• The Cowboys scored over 30 points, rolled up 400+ yards and won by double-digits. That may sound rather commonplace in other locales, but we can assure you that it is a rarity with this team. In fact, it did not happen a single time all last season. It transpired just twice in 2017, three times each in the 2014 and 2016 “glory years” and never happened once in 2012, 2013 and 2015. Oh, and it happened last week. So in two games with Kellen Moore’s offense, the Cowboys have already hit this threshold both times. If they can do it twice more this entire season (with Miami waiting next), they can become the most prolific offense (in this regard) that the Cowboys have had since 2007.
• Dallas won a game while losing the turnover margin. Again, this may be a rather pedestrian accomplishment in other cities, but the Dallas offense in the “21-4” era has as strong a correlation between the turnover battle and winning as pretty much any team in the business. Since 2016, the Cowboys are 20-1 when win the turnover battle. Their one loss was the first game of 2016. They had lost nine of ten games in which they lose the turnovers, but now have won three straight between the 2018 late-season victories over the Saints and the Eagles and now this game on Sunday, which moved their record to 6-9. But they almost never win away from home if they don’t at least break even. Yesterday, they were a “minus-1,” and that was the first road win where they overcame a negative differential since Oakland in 2017. Basically, the takeaway is that this offense now seems to have the ability to act as an eraser from time to time. Last week, they proved they could overcome drive-killing penalties. This week, an interception didn’t sink their ship.