The Dallas Cowboys dominate the Washington Commanders on Thanksgiving and record their next win. But the true strength of the team has yet to be revealed.

What does a perfect Thanksgiving night look like for Dallas Cowboys players, coaches and fans? Probably pretty much like the one that happened this Thursday.

It wasn’t just that America’s Team celebrated a win against the Washington Commanders, it was much more the way it came about. A crowd of 93,711 had gathered at AT&T Stadium – and they got quite a treat. The Cowboys dominated their opponents 45:10, and despite the Commanders’ best efforts it never got seriously exciting.

Dallas shone in all parts of the team. Quarterback Dak Prescott had another stellar day with 331 passing yards, four touchdowns and a passer rating of 142.1.

The signal caller is already on a strong run this season with 23 touchdowns, six interceptions and an average passer rating of 107.4. For comparison: he also scored 23 touchdowns in 2022 – but in the entire season, plus he also had 15 interceptions

However, his teammates also managed to shine against the Commanders. With Rico Dowdle, Brandin Cooks, Tony Pollard, CeeDee Lamb and KaVontae Turpin, five different offensive players immortalized themselves on the scoreboard and the defense also performed – as so often this season. Dallas is the first team since the 1990 Miami Dolphins to not allow a 100-yard rusher, a 100-yard receiver or a 300-yard passer in ten games this season.

Bland sets NFL record

But the best part of the defense came at the very end. Cornerback DaRon Bland intercepted a pass from Washington playmaker Sam Howell with just under five minutes remaining and carried it 63 yards into the opposing end zone to the frenzied cheers of the fans in attendance.

It was the fifth interception return touchdown for Bland in the current season – no player has ever achieved this in an NFL season before. Just think: there are still six more game days to go in the regular season and therefore plenty of opportunities to extend his record even further.

Just how dominant the Cowboys performed was also shown by the fact that signal caller Prescott and his guard Zack Martin treated themselves to a piece of turkey just six minutes before the end of the game and relaxed on the sideline.

Cowboys shine in home games

Prescott didn’t even notice the start of Bland’s pick six. “I didn’t see the intercepted ball, I just heard the crowd go wild, looked up and saw he had the ball in his hands,” the quarterback explained after the game: “Then I just sprinted to the sideline to get a good look.”

For coach Mike McCarthy’s team, everything is currently going as hoped. The success against the Commanders was their 13th home win in a row this season. At home against the New York Jets, the New England Patriots, the Los Angeles Rams, the New York Giants and the Commanders, the team has an impressive points ratio of 205:60 this season.

And this is also reflected in the statistics. With eight wins and three defeats, the Cowboys are only second in the NFC East behind last year’s NFC champions Philadelphia Eagles, but the team does not currently have to worry about making the play-offs. What’s more, the franchise is even considered a contender for the Super Bowl

Defeated opponents with a negative record

Whether the great euphoria surrounding “America’s Team” is really justified will only become clear in the coming weeks, however, because then the “real” challenges await.

If you look at the Cowboys’ results so far, one thing stands out: The franchise has yet to beat a top team.

With the Giants (twice), the Jets, the Patriots, the Los Angeles Chargers, the Rams, the Carolina Panthers and now the Commanders, the eight wins so far have all come against teams with a negative, sometimes miserable record.

Dallas has to prove itself against top teams

The Cowboys were unsuccessful against the top teams. They suffered a 10:42 defeat against the San Francisco 49ers and also lost 23:28 in the division duel against Philly, not to mention the unexpected 16:28 defeat against the Arizona Cardinals in week three.

Only the coming weeks will show what the Cowboys are really capable of and whether the individual parts of the team will also perform well against absolute top opponents. The away games against the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins and the home games against the Eagles and the Detroit Lions will be different caliber opponents.