Getty Cowboys DE DeMarcus Lawrence vs. Washington
Fun fact: If you look up “demolition” in the dictionary, a snapshot appears of the nationally-televised Week 16 affair between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Football Team.
The newly-crowned NFC East-champion Cowboys — who won, 56-14 — enjoyed a record-setting night at AT&T Stadium against their bitter division rival, in arguably the most lopsided, three-phased beatdown in recent NFL canon.
There are several new highwater marks to pore over, but perhaps the most notable came via Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, who returned a first-quarter Taylor Heinicke interception 40 yards to pay dirt, becoming the 17th Dallas player to score a touchdown in 2021 — most in single-season franchise history, per the team’s public relations staff.
Additionally, via the PR department …
Lawrence’s pick-six is the sixth defensive touchdown for the Cowboys in 2021, the most defensive touchdowns in a single season in franchise history.
The Cowboys have returned five interceptions for a touchdown this season, the most pick-sixes in a season in franchise history. The last NFL team with five pick-sixes in a season was the 2018 Chicago Bears.
Tonight marks the first game in team history that the Cowboys had an offensive lineman (Terence Steele) and defensive lineman (DeMarcus Lawrence) score in the same game.
Aside from the pick-six, Lawrence recorded two solo tackles, one tackle for loss, a sack, QB hit, and pass deflection across three-plus quarters of action (Dallas began pulling its starters in the final frame).
“I feel like we played a complete game today,” Lawrence said in his postgame press conference, via USA Today’s Jori Epstein.
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Other Records Set
As mentioned, the Cowboys disemboweled the Football Team on primetime TV on all three sides of the ball; the offense accounted for 42 points while the defense (7) and special teams (7) also chipped in, the latter score occurring on a Corey Clement blocked punt.
“Corey Clement’s punt block is the Cowboys third blocked punt this season, which ties the 1991 team for the most blocked punts (three) in a season in franchise history,” noted the team’s PR staff.
QB Dak Prescott led the way with four passing TDs, including a one-yard toss to left tackle Terence Steele. Dak finished the contest 28-of-39 for 330 interception-less yards — a 131.4 passer rating, his highest since Week 3.
“Dak Prescott threw for 321 yards in the first half tonight against Washington – the most passing yards in a first half of his career, and the second-most in any half (329 – 2nd half vs. Green Bay, 10/6/19),” per the Cowboys’ PR department. … “Dak Prescott’s four passing touchdowns are the most by a Cowboys quarterback in a first half, and tied for the most passing scores in either half with Tony Romo (4, second half vs. Denver, 10/6/13).”
The Cowboys went into halftime holding a 42-7 lead, tying for the most first-half points in franchise history, according to the team. The last (and only other) time they hit that number? October 19, 1969.
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Dallas Finally Celebrating NFCE Crown
Roughly 80 minutes before kickoff on Sunday Night Football, the Cowboys officially clinched their division, thanks to the Las Vegas Raiders’ victory over the Denver Broncos. Their resulting play had little to do with the achievement, however.
“I didn’t discuss it with the team. …To me; it was irrelevant. We needed to go out and perform tonight; and we did that,” head coach Mike McCarthy said after the game, via the Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken.
This was what those in the league refer to as a “hats-and-T-shirts game,” and Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs demonstrated why amid his celebratory press conference.
Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs wearing the team’s NFC East championship hat and shirt.
