Dez Bryant Snags Two TDs To Help Cowboys To NFL-Best 9th Win

The Dallas Cowboys set a franchise record with their ninth-straight win on Sunday as they beat the Baltimore Ravens 27-17. Dez Bryant had two TDs and former Oklahoma State players accounted for 21 of the 27 points (between Bryant and Dan Bailey.

Bryant had six catches for 80 yards and those two TDs. Speaking of, let’s take a look at them.

1-on-1 coverage?
Against Dez?
?

You know what happens next… #DallasCowboys https://t.co/ktAiKtjjIb

— NFL (@NFL) November 20, 2016

Dez Bryant.

UNSTOPPABLE. #BALvsDAL https://t.co/kxvzgwsdAV

— NFL (@NFL) November 20, 2016

The second of those was a play Dez knew would be a TD before Dak Prescott even snapped the ball. Here’s the Dallas Morning News.

Bryant said he knew the pass from Prescott on the slant was a touchdown even before the snap “because [of] the defense they were in.”

“Honestly, defenses have to choose if they want us to run the ball or if they want us to pass the ball,” running back Ezekiel Elliott told the DMN. “They did a good job stacking the box, but that’s when you got to cover Dez one on one. That’s dangerous.”

“Well, it probably wasn’t the best decision if you look at it right now,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh added of the single coverage on No. 88, “but you’ve also got to stop the run.”

Having the one-two punch of Dez and Zeke is lethal for an offense led by apparently the greatest QB in SEC history (Dak). Here is one scout’s take on Dez’s second TD.

As far as I am concerned, you can’t throw enough slants to Dez Bryant. His second touchdown of the day was a well-blocked blitz pickup by Lance Dunbar and the offensive line. The Cowboys had six to block seven, which meant that they had to turn the widest rusher loose. That happened to be Matt Elam off the right side, which was the direction that Bryant was running the slant.

The line left C.J. Mosley for Dunbar to take, and Dunbar was able to chop Mosley’s inside leg, knocking him off balance. By doing this, Dak Prescott had a window to fit the ball inside to Bryant, who had beaten Tavon Young on the route. Once Bryant made the reception, there was no way Young was going to keep him out of the end zone. What a well-executed play on all levels for the touchdown. [Cowboys]

The entire Dallas offense is playing at an absurdly high level right now, and it’s fun to see Dez as the recipient of those spoils. I actually got to see this game live as Mrs. Pistols and I sat in Boone Pickens’ suite on Sunday afternoon (this is not a #humblebrag, it’s just a brag).

I say all that to say that my favorite part of the game (and day) was Boone’s wife Toni rushing to the front of the suite and throwing up the X after that second Dez score. We’re all with you, Mrs. Pickens. We’re all with you.