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10 truths from Cowboys’ win: Michael Gallup showed how Dallas must attack when teams try eliminating Amari Cooper

Throwing more than 40 times on a regular basis is not the best way to win, even if Prescott is capable of having success.

Here are 10 truths from the Cowboys’ 35-27 win against the Detroit Lions on Sunday afternoon at Ford Field...

1. Dak Prescott, as I’ve been saying for weeks, is ready to be the epicenter of the offense if that’s what it takes to win on any given Sunday. Prescott passed for 444 yards with three touchdowns against Detroit. It’s his third 400-yard game of the season and fourth in the past 14 regular-season games. Tony Romo had five in his career, including three in the 2012 season -- Romo went 0-3 in those games. Dak is 2-1 this season when he throws for 400-plus yards. He’s on pace to throw for more than 5,100 yards this season. Dallas may need every single one of them to make the playoffs.

2. The run game is broken right now, and Dallas had better find a way to fix it. Quickly. It doesn’t matter whether you blame Ezekiel Elliott, the offensive line or the scheme, the bottom line is Elliott had 45 yards on 16 carries with a long of eight. Elliott has had four of the nine least productive games of his career this season. It’s great for Prescott to throw the Cowboys to wins, but at some point they must be able to run the ball to close out games. Throwing more than 40 times on a regular basis is not the best way to win -- even if Prescott is capable of having success.

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3. For one series, midway through the second quarter, we saw exactly what this defense is capable of doing. After taking a 10-7 lead on the second quarter, defensive end Robert Quinn sacked Jeff Driskel on first down. Linebacker Jaylon Smith delivered a huge hit on second down and linebacker Leighton Vander Esch made a diving deflection on third down. It’s an example of the potential this defense has, but it takes more than potential to consistently win games.

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4. Michael Gallup put on a show, and it demonstrated how the Cowboys need to attack going forward if teams want to try to eliminate Amari Cooper. Gallup caught nine passes for 148 yards and his juggling 41-yard catch set up a touchdown. He caught passes on a variety of routes and he’s more than capable of abusing No. 2 cornerbacks. Gallup already has nine catches more than he did all of last season, and he’s on pace to surpass the 1,000-yard mark.

5. For all you complaining about Jeff Heath on a weekly basis, Darian Thompson replaced him this week and he was considerably worse. Thompson was lost in coverage on a couple of gains of more than 20 yards and didn’t do an especially good job of tackling. The Cowboys have two sixth-round picks, an undrafted free agent and Thompson, a former third-round pick, on their roster. It’s time to spend a premium pick on a safety or sign a solid player to reasonable money. Either way, it’s time for a safety upgrade.

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6. One of the things we haven’t talked much about this season is Prescott’s pass protection. He threw 46 passes against Detroit but was sacked three times. He’s been sacked just 14 times this season. The offensive line has been tremendous, and Prescott is adept at eluding pressure. He’s also reading defenses faster and his receivers are better, so they get open faster.

7. There’s no doubt the Cowboys are better off with Randall Cobb in the slot instead of Cole Beasley -- and it’s all about Cobb’s ability to create big plays. Cobb came into Sunday’s game with 10 receptions of 20 yards or more this season, including grabs of 20, 20, 22, 24, 33 and 49 in the last two weeks. Beasley had three for the Cowboys last season and two in 2017. Beasley would say it’s because the Cowboys wouldn’t let him run vertical routes. Cobb’s route tree is a lot more varied and it shows in his ability to earn yards after the catch.

8. Since 2015, Tavon Austin has 112 punt returns for 801 yards, a 7.2-yard average. He has 12 returns for 58 yards, including two for two yards against Detroit. He hasn’t been special at returning kicks since his first two seasons in the NFL. Stop expecting him to do more.

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9. It was good to see the Cowboys give Tony Pollard a chance to make plays. They gave him the ball in space and he rewarded Jason Garrett with two runs for 12 yards and four catches for 44 yards, including a 21-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown. This offense has a lot of weapons. Give them all a chance to make plays. By the way, Blake Jarwin caught two passes for 38 yards.

10. Robert Quinn continues to have a strong season. He had a sack, two tackles for loss and four hits on the quarterback. He’s worth every bit of the sixth-round pick the Cowboys spent on him and the less than $10 million they’re paying him this season. He’s earned a raise.

Jean-Jacques Taylor, a former SportsDay columnist, is the host of JaM Session from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays on 103.3 KESN-FM.