Broncs Stun Cowboys

After a week in which the Broncos traded perhaps the best defensive player in franchise history, they turned in their most complete performance of the season to earn a 30-16 upset win over the Dallas Cowboys.

The Broncos were double-digit underdogs, but they used a stifling defensive performance and timely plays on offense to shock Dak Prescott and the Cowboys, who entered the game on a six-game win streak.

And let’s be clear: This was no fluke. The Broncos dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, running for a season-high in rushing yards and holding the Cowboys’ high-powered rushing attack in check.

Denver opened the game with two big fourth-down stops on defense and used a pair of 80-yard touchdown drives to build their early advantage. The Broncos scored a touchdown in the first quarter for just the third time this season and posted their second-highest first-half scoring output of the year, and they shut out the Cowboys for more than three-and-a-half quarters.

Against an impressive Cowboys team, the Broncos — playing without Von Miller and a slew of injured starters — needed to turn in their best performance of the season. And that’s what they did.

With the win, the Broncos improved to 5-4 and have a home date with the Eagles before the bye week.

“We got thumped in every aspect of the game,” quarterback Dak Prescott said. “They whooped us in every aspect.”

To chase the postseason goals the team has repeatedly stated, 6-2 Dallas must find a way to win without the pass protection of left tackle Tyron Smith, who missed the contest with a bum ankle. The offense must sustain drives more effectively than their 5-of-13 third-down, 0-of-3 fourth-down performance.

Prescott and his receivers will ask themselves: Where is the chemistry that had previously been illustrated with Prescott’s league-best 73.1% completion rate, the Cowboys’ league-high offensive yardage and an average of 32.1 points per game that ranked third?

The initial play of the game augured well: Running back Tony Pollard returned the Broncos’ kickoff 54 yards. That would be Dallas’ highlight of the game. The Cowboys’ initial two possessions would prove much more telling. Were the Cowboys completely inept early? No. Prescott overcame a hit to throw cross-body to Amari Cooper, who completed the 32-yard play down the left sideline on the second series. But far more often were insufficient gains (-1, 0 and 1 yards on three Ezekiel Elliott plays) and missed passes (Prescott both overthrew and underthrew his receivers) that resulted in the Cowboys’ first two of eight straight scoreless possessions.