The Dallas Cowboys beat their division rival New York Giants by the score of 37-18.They started the game off a bit rusty but cruised to an easy victory once they got back up to game speed.
The Dallas Cowboys beat their division rival New York Giants by the score of 37-18.They started the game off a bit rusty but cruised to an easy victory once they got back up to game speed.
The Cowboys turned the ball over on their 2nd play of the game, which led to a quick 3-point deficit but they quickly rallied and took control of the game right before the end of the first half. Once they got the lead, they never gave it up and earned another divisional victory.
Quarterback Dak Prescott was 22/35 for 257 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception.He connected with 6 different receivers, who were led by Pro Bowl receiver Amari Cooper.Cooper had 4 catches for 80 yards, which included a 45-yard touchdown strike with about 8 minutes left in the game that broke the Giants back. 2nd year receiver Michael Gallup only caught 2 balls but one was an amazing 15-yard catch and run down the sideline for touchdown.
Super Star Ezekiel Elliott had his best rushing game of the year.He carried the ball 23 times for 139 yards and averaged 6 yards a carry.He was held to zero catches and zero touchdowns, but once again he was the driving force of the offense.
Dallas improves to (5-3) and most importantly is now (4-0) in the division, which has them all-alone in 1st place of the NFC East.
1.Ezekiel Elliott (Running Back): It is very simple, when Zeke touches the ball 20+ times a game the Cowboys tend to win more than if he doesn't.This week he will be up solid run defense in the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas will need to get creative in getting him his touches.
2.Michael Gallup (Wide Receiver): Didn't have a big game this past week but made a huge play where he showcased his running ability as he tight roped the sideline before he scored a touchdown.He should have plenty of chances as the Viking defense will be keying on #1 receiver Amari Cooper.
3.Jaylon Smith and Sean Lee (Linebackers): With the health of their best defensive player Leighton Vander Esch up in the air, it is up to Smith and Lee to contain the current NFL's leading rusher Dalvin Cook.The Vikings rely on him the way the Cowboys do with Zeke.If they can stop Cook, they will certainly have a chance at getting another win.
The Dallas Cowboys (5-3) will be at home Sunday night taking on the Minnesota Vikings (6-3) at AT&T Stadium (AKA:Jerry's World) in Arlington, Texas.Kickoff is set for 7:20 pm Central Time.This is going to be an interesting game because both teams are very similar.They both like to take control by running the ball with their stud running backs and then come over the top with the playmaking receivers.Luckily for Dallas, the Vikings are (2-3) on the road this year.
If you have any fantasy players, the only must start players are:
Cowboys: Ezekiel Elliott (RB), Amari Cooper (WR), Dak Prescott (QB), Michael Gallup (WR)
Vikings: Dalvin Cook (RB), Kirk Cousins (WR), Stefon Diggs (WR)
For you gamblers out there, the Cowboys are currently -3 and the over/under is 47.5.This is a pretty even matchup and I don't think I could take the Cowboys at anything over.I think the over is the way to go again.The over has hit in three of the last four games the Cowboys have played.
Through 20 games, the Houston Astros have managed just six wins and are in last place in the AL West.
Their pitching staff trails only Colorado with a 5.24 ERA and big-money new closer Josh Hader has given up the same number of earned runs in 10 games as he did in 61 last year.
Despite this, these veteran Astros, who have reached the AL Championship Series seven consecutive times, have no doubt they’ll turn things around.
“If there’s a team that can do it, it’s this team,” shortstop Jeremy Peña said.
First-year manager Joe Espada, who was hired in January to replace the retired Dusty Baker, discussed his team’s early struggles.
“It’s not ideal,” he said. “It’s not what we expected, to come out of the shoot playing this type of baseball. But you know what, this is where we’re at and we’ve got to pick it up and play better. That’s just the bottom line.”
Many of Houston’s problems have stemmed from a poor performance by a rotation that has been decimated by injuries. Ace Justin Verlander and fellow starter José Urquidy haven’t pitched this season because of injuries and lefty Framber Valdez made just two starts before landing on the injured list with a sore elbow.
Ronel Blanco, who threw a no-hitter in his season debut April 1, has pitched well and is 2-0 with a 0.86 ERA in three starts this season. Cristian Javier is also off to a good start, going 2-0 with a 1.54 ERA in four starts, but the team has won just two games not started by those two pitchers.
However, Espada wouldn’t blame the rotation for Houston’s current position.
“It’s been a little bit of a roller coaster how we've played overall,” he said. “One day we get good starting pitching, some days we don’t. The middle relief has been better and sometimes it hasn’t been. So, we’ve just got to put it all together and then play more as a team. And once we start doing that, we’ll be in good shape.”
The good news for the Astros is that Verlander will make his season debut Friday night when they open a series at Washington and Valdez should return soon after him.
“Framber and Justin have been a great part of our success in the last few years,” second baseman Jose Altuve said. “So, it’s always good to have those two guys back helping the team. We trust them and I think it’s going to be good.”
Hader signed a five-year, $95 million contract this offseason to give the Astros a shutdown 7-8-9 combination at the back end of their bullpen with Bryan Abreu and Ryan Pressly. But the five-time All-Star is off to a bumpy start.
He allowed four runs in the ninth inning of a 6-1 loss to the Braves on Monday night and has yielded eight earned runs this season after giving up the same number in 56 1/3 innings for San Diego last year.
He was much better Wednesday when he struck out the side in the ninth before the Astros fell to Atlanta in 10 innings for their third straight loss.
Houston’s offense, led by Altuve, Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker, ranks third in the majors with a .268 batting average and is tied for third with 24 homers this season. But the Astros have struggled with runners in scoring position and often failed to get a big hit in close games.
While many of Houston’s hitters have thrived this season, one notable exception is first baseman José Abreu. The 37-year-old, who is in the second year of a three-year, $58.5 million contract, is hitting 0.78 with just one extra-base hit in 16 games, raising questions about why he remains in the lineup every day.
To make matters worse, his error on a routine ground ball in the eighth inning Wednesday helped the Braves tie the game before they won in extra innings.
Espada brushed off criticism of Abreu and said he knows the 2020 AL MVP can break out of his early slump.
“Because (of) history,” Espada said. “The back of his baseball card. He can do it.”
Though things haven’t gone well for the Astros so far, everyone insists there’s no panic in this team which won its second World Series in 2022.
Altuve added that he doesn’t have to say anything to his teammates during this tough time.
“I think they’ve played enough baseball to know how to control themselves and how to come back to the plan we have, which is winning games,” he said.
The clubhouse was quiet and somber Wednesday after the Astros suffered their third series sweep of the season and second at home. While not panicking about the slow start, this team, which has won at least 90 games in each of the last three seasons, is certainly not happy with its record.
“We need to do everything better,” third baseman Alex Bregman said. “I feel like we’re in a lot of games, but we just haven’t found a way to win them. And good teams find a way to win games. So we need to find a way to win games.”
