USA TODAY US Edition

Cowboys look Super playing all out

- Lorenzo Reyes

Games like Sunday’s, when the Dallas Cowboys’ pass rush dominated, when quarterbac­k Dak Prescott couldn’t miss and when the ground game flourished, make it easier to forget the ones like last week’s. For Dallas (7-3), which dismantled a Minnesota Vikings team that entered Week 11 with just one defeat, finding this type of consistenc­y can make it the class of the conference. The Cowboys posted seven sacks. Prescott (22 of 25 passing for 276 yards with two touchdowns) completed passes to 10 different receivers.

And running back Tony Pollard is a star and, frankly, makes Ezekiel Elliott obsolete. His presence in the passing game (six receptions for 109 yards with two scores) only magnifies that. In losses, Dallas averages just 5.11 yards per pass attempt. In victories, that figure is 8.45.

And, if the Odell Beckham, Jr. rumors turn into a signing, that will only make this Dallas team even more competitiv­e.

Here are the other winners and losers from Sunday of Week 11:

WINNERS

A weird week for the Bills gets a boost (on the ground)

The Bills avoided falling into a threegame losing streak during a week in which their home game was moved to Detroit because of a historic blizzard in Western New York. And though it wasn’t the cleanest victory, there was one sign that Buffalo (7-3) should build on the rest of the season.

While Josh Allen is a unicorn of a player and someone who can carry a massive load, the offense is best when the rushing game eases the pressure he bears and reduces the number of designed rushes. Against the Browns, Devin Singletary and James Cook each ran for 86 yards. Allen, meanwhile, carried the ball just three times for seven yards, or just 4.09% of Buffalo’s output of 171 rushing yards. Contrast that with Buffalo’s three losses, in which Allen led the team in rushing in each, accounting for 51.18% of the rushing offense in those games.

Patrick ‘two-time MVP’ Mahomes?

The Chiefs, accounting for the fact that the Bills dropped those two games this month, are the No. 1 seed in the AFC and look to be in peak form, mirroring their production from their Super Bowl season in 2020. And in the process, quarterbac­k Patrick Mahomes has establishe­d himself as the front-runner in the race for Most Valuable Player.

Mahomes (20-of-34 passing for 329 yards with three touchdowns) is the best player in pro football right now. His 3,265 passing yards and 28 touchdowns lead the league. His ball placement is unparallel­ed. And, arguably the most underrated aspect of his game, he has an uncanny feel for pressure in the pocket and can rip off big gains on the ground when plays break down. And he’s the paradigm of clutch, after he completed all but one of his seven fourth-quarter passes for 98 yards with a pair of scores.

Saints QB Andy Dalton saves his job (for now)

Facing pressure with Jameis Winston healthy and available, Saints quarterbac­k Andy Dalton posted exactly the kind of performanc­e needed to save his job — and keep New Orleans (4-7) within reach of first place in the NFC South.

Dalton (21-of-25 for 260 yards with three touchdowns) posted the highest QB rating (149.6) of any passer this season. The Saints, aware of Aaron Donald and the Rams’ pass rush, got the ball out of Dalton’s hands quickly. Dalton has been unreliable this season and still often is too risk averse, holding on to the ball and leaving him susceptibl­e to sacks. Or, he often passes on potential big plays in favor of checkdowns. Against teams like the Rams, who are in a freefall, that may be enough. But if the Saints are to turn their season around, starting with a two-game stretch against the 49ers and Bucs, Dalton will have to show he can do it against better competitio­n.

LOSERS The Jets need a new quarterbac­k

The New York Jets need to look beyond Zach Wilson. He had nine completion­s Sunday and the Jets (6-4) punted 10 times. His physical gifts are not nearly enough to overcompen­sate for his poor decision making, unsteady mechanics, avoidance of responsibi­lity and inconsiste­nt rapport with receivers.

Wilson plays lost any time he faces pressure, backpedali­ng or becoming jittery in the pocket. That has affected his release mechanics and — subsequent­ly — his ball placement on those throws. His touchdown-to-intercepti­on ratio this season on throws when he has been pressured is 1:5. Wilson also showed a lack of accountabi­lity Sunday when he said “No” when asked if he thought the offense let the defense down, adding: “I think you have to take into account it’s windy as hell out there too, guys.” We’ll defer to coach Robert Saleh’s take on the second-half offense, which had seven possession­s (all of which resulted in punts) and two total yards: “It was dog (expletive).”

Signs of trouble in Philly?

First things first: the Eagles faced a 10-point deficit and came back to win, the first time they have done so in 12 seasons. Philadelph­ia (9-1) is the No. 1 seed in the NFC, holding a one-game lead over the team in second and a three-game margin over the team in third. They have an MVP candidate in quarterbac­k Jalen Hurts. They’re very good.

But the last two weeks have shown vulnerabil­ities after they dropped their first game against the Commanders and needed to grit out a comeback against a Colts squad with an interim coach. The biggest concern has been ball security, though, the good news is that the issue is one that can be corrected. In the last two games, Philadelph­ia has committed six turnovers, compared to the three it gave away in the previous eight games. Fumbles, in particular, are noteworthy, accounting for five of the six giveaways.

The return of the bad Giants

This was a throwback Giants performanc­e, if by throwback you’re looking for the woefully inept offensive showing with a nonexisten­t running game that New York (7-3) had been known for over the past several seasons.

Credit the Lions for bottling up Saquon Barkley (15 carries for 22 yards), but his slow day showed that the New York roster still lacks star talent and that Daniel Jones is a middle-tier quarterbac­k who struggles when other facets of his team’s offense break down. Jones hadn’t thrown an intercepti­on in the previous six games entering Sunday, the longest streak for the franchise since Phil Simms was playing quarterbac­k; against the Lions, Jones threw two. The Giants remain one of the surprises of this season, but their recipe of falling behind and needing comebacks was always unsustaina­ble. New York showed, too, that it is much-improved but not a serious contender.

An NFC East quarterbac­k’s days as a starter are (almost certainly) done

We have almost certainly seen the end of Carson Wentz as a starter because — simply put — the Commanders (6-5) are better with Taylor Heinicke under center. Under Wentz, Washington went 2-4 and was averaging 17 points and 19.2 first downs per game.

In the games Heinicke has started, the Commanders are scoring 22.4 points and generating 21 first downs per game. Washington is 4-1 in that span. Heinicke hasn’t scored a touchdown in the last two contests, both of them on the road, yet the team won both because he limits mistakes and can extend plays. Coach Ron Rivera announced after the game that Heinicke would start the rest of the season, meaning Wentz has now relinquish­ed the starting gig at three different teams in two-and-a-half seasons. He’s turnover prone and his mobility has diminished. His contract doesn’t include any guaranteed money after this season so Washington can release or trade him without it costing any salary cap space.

 ?? BRACE HEMMELGARN/USA TODAY SPORTS ?? Cowboys running back Tony Pollard celebrates a touchdown against the Vikings.
BRACE HEMMELGARN/USA TODAY SPORTS Cowboys running back Tony Pollard celebrates a touchdown against the Vikings.

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