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FRISCO, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys (3-3) head into Sunday's game against the Washington Redskins (3-3) feeling good about themselves on offense. The offense has scored more than 30 points a game in each of the last three and 28 in the last four.
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But where the Cowboys have been at their exceptional best has been in the red zone, where they currently rank second in the NFL with 16 touchdowns on 22 possessions.
They have scored touchdowns on 14 of their last 15 chances inside the 20, not including two give-up possessions with backup quarterback Cooper Rush in the fourth quarter of last Sunday's 40-10 blowout of the San Francisco 49ers.
"We have a lot of confidence in the way we are playing," tight end Jason Witten said. "You never say you are unstoppable because you have to keep doing it. But there is confidence in what you are trying to do. We are staying aggressive, but we are also playing smart with it. When you do that it equals points."
The Cowboys have so many weapons and so many options it seems unfair, considering the running of Ezekiel Elliott and passing options with Witten and receiver Dez Bryant, who has four touchdown catches in the red zone and ranks third all-time in turning red-zone catches into touchdowns since the NFL started keeping the stat in 1991.
What has taken them over the top is the zone read with the 238-pound quarterback Dak Prescott bulldozing the end zone off fakes to Elliott.
He already has three rushing touchdowns this season and is coming off his second straight game with three touchdown passes and a touchdown rushing, a feat accomplished only by Joe Montana and Daunte Culpepper previously in NFL history.
"He is a good decision-maker," head coach Jason Garrett said. "He's got a great feel for the game. He's got a great feel for what we're trying to do offensively. He has made really good decisions down there. I think the ability to run the football is critical. Hopefully, that creates some favorable looks for you, some matchups outside and being able to attack the defensive line in a lot of different ways. His ability to run the ball certainly has an impact as well. He's certainly done a nice job these last few weeks cashing in on these drives and that's critical going forward."
Prescott said the identity of the offense is physicality and he relishes the opportunity to do whatever it takes to get the first down or get to the end zone when he runs.
"It's a moment for me to show how physical I am and show the team that I'm going to do whatever I can for that yard or those two yards in those moments in the third-and-short or in the third-and-goal or fourth-and-goal, whatever it is, to get that touchdown or continue to move the chains," Prescott said. "I'm going to do that. ... when you add my run to the read as well it's just tough."
