Tim Warner/Getty Images
The Dallas Cowboys whipped the Washington Redskins Sunday afternoon by the score of 31-21.
Dak Attack
Dak Prescott and the Cowboy offense started the game off sluggish. They couldn't get anything going for most of the first half and the Redskins intercepted a tipped pass that led to an early 7-point deficit. But that was the only time the Redskins would lead in the game.A bout mid-way through the 2nd quarter the Cowboy offense found its rhythm and went on to score on five consecutive possessions.
Prescott finished the game 26/30 for 269 passing 3 touchdowns and 1 interception.He also ran the ball 5 times for 69 yards that included a 42-yard scamper down the left side. His longest career run helped lead to another Cowboys touchdown. Dak connected with 8 different receivers, which included a 51-yard bomb to Devin Smith that tied the game at 7.
With the offense clicking, Pro Bowl running back Ezekiel Elliott saw his workload increase and finished the day with 25 touches. He had 23 carries for 111 yards, 1 rushing touchdown, and 2 catches for 9 yards .When he has games like this, Dallas is extremely hard to beat.
The Cowboys are now 2-0 for the season and all alone in first place of the NFC East.
3 Things to Watch For
1.Ezekiel Elliott (Running Back): Looks like he is back to regular season form and is set for another big day this week when he goes up against the Miami Dolphins who are the worst defense in the league so far. Zeke should get 20+ touches again.
2.Randall Cobb (Wide Receiver): With #2 receiver Michael Gallup out for the next few weeks due to a knee injury, Cobb should see an increased amount of playing time.He was the second most targeted pass catcher last week and could be in store for a big day.
3.Cowboys Defense (All): The Dolphins are the worst team in the league so far and the defense should have multiple opportunities for turnovers, sacks, and maybe even scoring.Miami gave up 2 defensive touchdowns last week.I would expect career games from both Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch.
Coming Up
Sunday Sept. 22, the Dallas Cowboys (2-0) will be taking on the Miami Dolphins (0-2) at home in AT&T Stadium. Kickoff is set for noon Central time.I expect another easy win for Dallas. Dak and company should have no problem going to 3-0 and I am sure Zeke will have another 100 yard game with multiple touchdowns.
If you have any fantasy players, the only must start players are:
Cowboys: Ezekiel Elliott (RB), Amari Cooper (WR), and Dak Prescott (QB)
Dolphins:N/A
For you gamblers out there, the Cowboys are currently -22.5 and the over/under is 47. 21+ points is ridiculous, I don't think I have ever seen the any team favored by this many points. There is no possible way anyone should take that. If you have to play it, I think the under might be the way to go. You would be banking on Miami not scoring more than 10 points.
As we barrel toward Opening Day which is now less than four weeks away, so far it’s been largely a case of no news is good news at Astros’ spring training. Meaning no major injuries to key players, no controversies brewing. There are numerous question marks that can’t truly be answered until we get into the games that count, such as how will Jose Altuve fare as a left fielder. The most exciting thing to happen over the first week of Grapefruit League games would probably be the two-home run game from top prospect Cam Smith, he of the Kyle Tucker trade. Both came off minor league caliber pitchers, but so what. Smith turned 22 years old last Saturday, the ideal is that he forces his way to the big leagues by the end of this season.
A strong majority of players who go on to greatness in Major League Baseball get to the big leagues before they turn 23. I spoke to this with Astros-specific perspective this week during an episode of our Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast. The ten greatest offensive players in franchise history as measured by Baseball Reference’s Wins Above Replacement metric are: Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Jose Altuve, Lance Berkman, Cesar Cedeno, Jimmy Wynn, Jose Cruz, Alex Bregman, Joe Morgan, and Bob Watson. Eight of those ten debuted in the majors at 22 years old or younger. Cedeno was 19! Morgan and Watson were 20. Wynn and Altuve were 21. Biggio, Bagwell, and Bregman were 22. That leaves Cruz and Berkman as the exceptions. “Cheo” debuted with the Cardinals and didn’t get to the Astros’ organization until he was 27. Berkman arrived at 23. He should have been up sooner but was backlogged in 1998 behind a fabulous outfield of Moises Alou, Carl Everett, and Derek Bell, with youngster Richard Hidalgo as the top reserve, while first base was manned by Bagwell in the heart of his prime.
The point is, special talents should be fast-tracked and/or fast-track themselves to the Major Leagues. There are numerous exceptions (team mistakes, late bloomers), but a very high percentage of eventual big stars get to The Show at a young age. Juan Soto, Bryce Harper, and Mike Trout entered at 19. Ronald Acuna Jr., Vlad Guerrero Jr., Freddie Freeman, and Jose Ramirez did so at 20. Bobby Witt Jr., Gunnar Henderson, Mookie Betts, and Yordan Alvarez were 21. Not all tear it up immediately the way Yordan did upon his promotion in 2019, but rare tools and talents merit accelerated opportunity. The focus here is on hitters, but this isn’t a bad spot to note that among the four greatest pitchers ever to hurl for the Astros, only Randy Johnson was older than 22 when he started (25 as a notoriously raw and wild Montreal Expo). Nolan Ryan was a 19-year-old New York Met, Roger Clemens a 21-year-old Boston Red Sox, and Justin Verlander a 22-year-old Detroit Tiger,
This is not predicting mega-stardom or a plaque in Cooperstown for Cam Smith, but if the Astros have such a player in what is presently a lousy farm system overall, the odds overwhelmingly favor Smith being that guy. He should be ticketed for double-A Corpus Christi to start this season after having had just 96 at bats in single-A and 19 at AA in the Cubs’ system after being drafted last July. Should Smith excel with the Hooks, it’s not preposterous to see him getting to the Astros over the summer, especially given the shaky state of the big club’s outfield going into the 2025 campaign. Plenty of players have skipped over AAA. While Smith was drafted as a third baseman, unless the Astros grow offensively desperate enough to move Isaac Paredes to second base, Smith’s fastest path to Daikin Park right now might lead to right field. Coming off a relentlessly bad 2024, it’s make-or-break time for Chas McCormick. Chas is making three-point-four million dollars this season and turns 30 in April. If he is not a heckuva lot better this year, there is no way the Astros are bringing him back at an even bigger salary number in 2026.
Jacob Melton is another outfield prospect, but he’s already 24 years old and has yet to show any sort of elite hitting traits in the minors. Melton looms as a cheaper replacement for Jake Meyers in center.
Those who will ultimately be great only have time siphoned from their careers when not brought up as soon as reasonable. Of course there is risk of unfulfilled potential or straight up bust status. If early failure crushes a player, he wasn’t headed for greatness anyway.
On the upswing
Closing aside: a pinging endorsement for the Astros’ Annual College Classic Friday through Sunday. The reigning national champion Tennessee Volunteers and runner-up Texas A&M Aggies head the field. Rice, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, and Arizona fill out what is always an excellent six-team event. With gorgeous weather forecast through the weekend the roof should be open throughout. RIGHT?
The countdown to Opening Day is on. Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
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