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5 plays that led to commanding Cowboys win

December 16, 2024
Dallas Cowboys v Carolina Panthers
Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

There were a handful of plays that proved to be bigger than others on Sunday for the Cowboys.

After a brief, yet heartbreaking, letdown against the Bengals, the Cowboys are right back in the win column with a very convincing win over the Panthers. This one wasn’t even as close as the 30-14 score reflects, and the Cowboys had this wrapped up before the fourth quarter had even begun. These five plays were a big part of how that happened.

Marist Liufau punches out the ball on opening drive

The Cowboys got the ball to start out the game, but a penalty wiped out a huge play to CeeDee Lamb and led to a punt. Then, the Panthers offense began moving the ball down the field, and before long they had reached the red zone.

As Bryce Young scrambled out of the pocket, Marist Liufau came flying in and managed to punch the ball out. Fellow rookie Marshawn Kneeland fell on the ball for the recovery.

The takeaway was massive, as points seemed inevitable for the Panthers. Their offense was red hot to start this game, but that takeaway seemingly threw out all their confidence. Liufau, who was only playing because of the tragic injury to DeMarvion Overshown, managed to make a huge play that drastically shifted the landscape of the game.

Jourdan Lewis tips ball to Eric Kendricks for interception

It took the whole first quarter, but the Cowboys offense finally woke up. Cooper Rush fed Lamb for an impressive touchdown drive to give the Cowboys a 7-0 lead. The defense then gave up a quick first-down conversion, but they tightened up soon after.

Young tried to hit Adam Thielen on a quick slant in a crowded secondary, and Jourdan Lewis came flying in from behind to break it up. The ball was inadvertently batted up in the air and fell right into the hands of Eric Kendricks, who managed to pick up seven yards on the return.

The Cowboys only managed to get a field goal off of this play, but it was still an important moment. The Panthers were seemingly getting some momentum back after the first turnover, and they already had the ball around midfield. The pick here killed that confidence again and helped Dallas go up by multiple scores.

Cooper Rush’s fumble keeps door open

With just over two minutes left to go in the first half, the Cowboys got the ball back with a chance to go up by three scores before the break. It looked like they might do just that, as Rush was finding open receivers and the offense got a little help from a controversial penalty on former Cowboy Xavier Woods.

A big play from Jake Ferguson erased a holding call and set up third and one. Mike McCarthy called for a read-option, and Rush pulled the ball with some room to run or pass the ball to move the chains. However, the ball squirted out of his hands and a defender fell on it.

One play later, the Panthers found a wide open man for a huge touchdown pass. It was a 14-point swing, as the Cowboys had a golden opportunity to score a touchdown right before halftime but instead gave the opportunity right over to the Panthers. It was Rush’s eighth fumble on the year, a glaring issue for the quarterback, and this was easily his most costly one.

Osa Odighizuwa strips Bryce Young

The Cowboys had manhandled the Panthers for the entire first half, but they only led by three at halftime. It seemed likely that Dallas was still going to win, but they needed to come out in the third quarter playing just as strong.

They did exactly that. On the very first play of the third quarter, Osa Odighizuwa came flying in for a sack and knocked the ball loose too. Chauncey Golston was right there to scoop the ball up, marking a huge momentum shift.

To start the second half right away with this play was huge, as it set the tone for how the Cowboys would respond after the letdown right before halftime. They ended up scoring a touchdown on the ensuing drive, the first of three straight scores that sealed this game early.

Rico Dowdle fumble gets overturned

The Cowboys scored after the fumble recovery, but it almost didn’t happen. Right after the takeaway, Rico Dowdle rumbled forward for four yards, part of another big day that saw him post his third consecutive 100+ yard rushing performance.

Dowdle took the ball again on the next play and he surged for six yards and the first down, but the ball popped out as he went down. Carolina recovered the ball, but the replay showed that Dowdle’s knee had touched down just before it came out.

That marked the second time a Dowdle fumble was overruled in this game, a nearly unprecedented bit of luck for this season. More importantly, it allowed them to retain possession and drive down for a score, which broke things open in this game.


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