The Dallas Cowboys' 23-16 win over the New York Giants wasn't exactly a thing of beauty, the team was its own worst enemy at times with self-inflicted mistakes, but the Cowboys' talent ultimately came out on top.
And some of that talent, perhaps unexpectedly, was found behind center. For all the concern that the Cowboys would have to field a backup quarterback again,
Cooper showed more than commanding the rush spotlight, becoming the first player since the 1970 merger to lead three fourth-quarter or overtime game-winning drives. His first three career starts.
Rush was steady all night, completing 67.7 percent of his passes for 215 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions for a 98.2 passer rating.
CeeDee Lamb, in a truly up-and-down effort, finished with eight catches for 87 yards while Noah Brown added another 54 yards on five receptions.
The ground game also played its part, with Tony Pollard churning out 105 yards and Ezekiel Elliott another 73 yards. Together, they averaged 5.9 yards per carry.
Leading the defense in this showdown, at least early on, was defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, as the veteran tallied three sacks, his first multi-sack game in Atlanta since Nov. 18, 2018, and at least his third career three-sack effort.
Unfortunately, Lawrence had to leave the game midway through the third quarter with a leg injury.
Even in Lawrence's absence, his defensive mates again proved formidable, yet to surrender more than 19 points in any game this season
The unit sacked Giants quarterback Daniel Jones five times in the game, but actually pressured him for an impressive 24 snaps. Overall, they held New York to just 196 yards passing.