6 Highest Graded Cowboys Players from Week 12

The Dallas Cowboys came into week 12 needing a win against the Eagles to stay in the hunt for the playoffs. The first half of the game looked as though the Cowboys were trending towards a blowout loss.

After a few fiery halftime speeches, the Cowboys came out in the second half on a mission of dominance.

Winning the game on a last second field goal, kept the Cowboys’ slim playoff hopes alive.

In the win, six players graded out as some of the best on the team against the Eagles.

Here are the top three offensive and top three defensive players’ grades (20 or more snaps) from the game.

The 6 Highest Graded Cowboys Players from Week 12

Top 3 Offensive Performers

1. George Pickens – 90.0 Overall Grade

George Pickens was nearly unstoppable in this rivalry game, leading all Dallas players with a dominant performance.

Pickens dominated by catching 9 out of 9 passes for 146 yards and one touchdown while averaging 16.2 yards per reception. The perfect catch percentage wasn’t the highlight, but the run-after-catch ability stole the show.

Pickens is rapidly becoming Dak Prescott’s favorite and most reliable target.

2. Tyler Smith – 81.3 Overall Grade

Tyler Smith continues his roller-coaster season with a dominant performance against the Eagles.

Smith not only dominated on the overall grade, but he had a top-tier 84.1 run-blocking grade, showing his dominance in the trenches. The Eagles front four is not an easy assignment, but Tyler Smith brought his lunch pale with him Sunday.

3. Dak Prescott – 74.8 Overall Grade

Dak Prescott came in at third on the list, and it definitely wasn’t from his first half performance.

Prescott struggled through most of the first half, and it could be seen on repeated red zone tries and repeated red zone failures. The second half was a different story for Prescott.

Prescott led the Cowboys on three separate drives of more than forty yards in the second half, including an acrobatic dive into the end zone to give Dak a rushing touchdown.

He ended the game 23/36 for 354 yards, one touchdown, and a 103.2 rating.

The 6 Highest Graded Cowboys Players from Week 12

Top 3 Defensive Performers

1. Sam Williams – 94.2 Overall Grade

Sam Williams, after an entire season of letdowns, finally turned in a good game when the Cowboys’ needed it most.

He did not light up the stat sheet by any means, but he was able to stay in possession and not give up plays. He ended the game with one tackle and one quarterback hurry.

Williams doesn’t have to take over a game with the amount of firepower inside, he just has to stay consistent and play his part.

2. Quinnen Williams – 82.4 Overall Grade

The Cowboys newest defensive superstar was worth every penny and draft pick. The five-man front consisting of him, Kenny Clark, and Osa Odighizuwa is an offensive line’s worst nightmare.

Williams continues to put up impressive numbers and makes everyone around him a better football player.

Against the Eagles, he had eight total pressures, one quarterback hit, seven hurries, and one tackle.

3. Malik Hooker – 75.2 Overall Grade

Malik Hooker, much like Sam Williams, has been inconsistent.

Hooker, coming back from injury, made his presence known against the Eagles. He was able to achieve the third-highest grade of a player with twenty or more snaps.

Malik Hooker was able to get five total tackles, one stop, and receivers were targeted three times and made two receptions for 5.5 yards per reception.

I, for one, can live with those numbers from the safety position.

What These Grades Show

The Dallas Cowboys defense has put together two legit defensive games and have come out on top.

One of the games was against the lowly Las Vegas Raiders and the second was against possibly the best team in the NFL and the defense held firm.

The reinforcements for the defense have shown how important talent is, and how it can transform one of the worst units in the league into a formidable matchup for any team.

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Cody Warren

Cody Warren is a sports journalist at InsideTheStar.com, where he has published 302 articles reaching over 1 million readers. He is a Law Enforcement Officer with nearly 20 years of professional service across multiple assignments, bringing investigative rigor and a commitment to factual accuracy to his Dallas Cowboys coverage.

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Cowboys fan 5 months ago

I've been telling people that Sam Williams can be a really good player, he just needs time!! He was out running Parsons at practice and OTAs!! But he missed a whole year with a knee injury, so he's not gonna come back this year and be the best player in the NFL!! It's gonna take him some time, especially since he was never a starter to begin with, and he was limited on snaps before the injury too!! So he just needs time to get going!! Like I've been trying to tell people for months now, we have a really good group of edge rushers, and Sam Williams is one of them!! And he's gonna get better the further he gets past that injury too!!
1. KevinBulldogs63 5 months ago
  
  I hope so! I'm not enthusiastic about it. Injuries can certainly linger, If he takes a 1-year prove it deal for next season, I'm okay, as with Kneeland passing away we only have 2 young DEs on the roster that have any chance at significant playing time. I had high hopes for Sam as he played well for the first few games in his career in which he got significant snaps and showed tremendous athleticism. Also, he couldn't and hasn't avoided bone-headed plays that are not effort plays, except maybe the running into kicker call which was an effort play but still bone-headed. He is in the running, but has not surpassed Tyler Guyton for sheer ignorant, non-thinking penalties and plays. I kind of which Richard would do a Top 10 on ranking players with the most bone-headed mistakes this season. That would be a good read!
Siempre 5 months ago

Dak was let down in the first half by Ceedee-- not Dak's throws.The end zone interception was Ceedee letting the defender shove him away as the defender wanted the ball more. .Dak's pass was on target to Ceedee and a #1 receiver fights for the ball. The second half drop was the same pass and again Ceedee did not fight for the ball . The offense gets going when Dak goes away from Ceedee this year but even last year, Dak had 2 interceptions where Ceedee just stood aside and watched the defender take the 50/50 ball.
1. KevinBulldogs63 5 months ago
  
  Spot on, he should have took almost a rebounding position and walled off his defender regarding the interception. Lamb nearly cost us a 2nd Philly loss. He was the player most responsible for the first loss.
2. Cowboys fan 5 months ago
  
  That's not true!! The Dak interception in the end zone was Daks fault, Dak threw the ball right into double coverage and right into the defenders hands!! That was nobody's fault but Daks!! The dropped touchdown pass was on Ceedee though!! He let it go right through his arms!! And it should've been a body catch, which should've made it an easier catch for Ceedee, but he dropped it just as easy as he did his other 2 or 3 drops in that game!! Just like week 1, Ceedee had too many costly drops and almost cost us the game again!! We could've swept the eagles this year if it wasn't for Ceedees drops in week 1!! Luckily, Dak got better chemistry with Pickens and that's what helped us win the 2nd game!! Ceedee wasn't completely bad, he did have a few really good catches, especially the long pass down the sideline where he got the pass interference call against the defender at the same time as he was catching the ball!! Ceedee is still a top receiver in the NFL, he's just having some bad drops this season, and they seem to be the worst when we're playing the eagles!! But he's still good enough to be a number 1 receiver!! And I'm not sure what your watching when you say Ceedee just stands aside and watches the defender take the 50/50 ball, that's not how it happens!! The defender just gets himself into better position to get the ball and Ceedee can't do anything about it!! There's no receiver in the NFL that's just gonna stand there and watch the defender intercept the ball and not do anything about it if they're able to do something about it!! That's not how it works!! Especially when it comes to elite receivers like Ceedee and Pickens!! Receivers like them are gonna try to make sure the ball don't get intercepted, but most of the time they don't have any way to stop it from happening!! So like I said, I'm not sure what your watching, but Ceedee isn't just standing there watching the defense intercept the ball, he just didn't have a way to stop it from happening, especially the one Dak threw in the end zone this time!!
  1. KevinBulldogs63 5 months ago
    
    Lamb should have stopped his motion because the pass was slightly off in leading him and parked his rear into the DB and created sound space like Moses Malone used to do and caught the ball before it was intercepted.
3. Richard Paolinelli Author 5 months ago
  
  It's NEvEr dAK's FAulT!!!!!
VAM 5 months ago

The defensive "reinforcements" have really made a difference. The MP trade is looking better. They paid up for QW, but he is a really good DT, someone they have needed for years. Playoffs are not totally out of the question, but they MUST beat the Chiefs Thursday.
1. KevinBulldogs63 5 months ago
  
  QW is great as an addition and seems to have lifted the entire defense. The saying should be "money six" position as a dominant DT can shut down the run and put pressure up the middle being the worst kind for QBs. Other than QB and blind-side protector, I do not believe a dominant DT is less useful or needed than an RDE, CB1 or WR1. Beating the Chiefs is a must! P.S. If the Jets don't keep Quincy Williams who is about 2 years removed from a pro bowl appearance, maybe he can play with his brother, play more inspired not being on the Jets and fill a position of great need. Heck, Leo Chenal as well is he becomes available. Our second 1st will have some nice LBs available. The defense is few defensive pieces via FA and draft from being very competitive. QW was a great start.
2. Cowboys fan 5 months ago
  
  I don't think beating the chiefs is a must, but they can't lose more than a game or 2 if they wanna make it to the playoffs!! I think they still have a chance to make it to the playoffs if they lose 1 more game, but it'll be close if they lose 2!! If they lose 3 then they won't make it!! But the only games they'll have a hard time with are the chiefs and the lions, but I think they can beat the chiefs since they're playing at home!! But they'll be playing the lions in Detroit, so that'll be a tough one!! So I think if they lose one that will be the one they lose!! All the other games are winnable!! The lions game is winnable too, but it's gonna be hard playing them on the road!! But I guess we'll have to see how it goes!! And I agree with the Parsons trade!! But I liked the trade since the minute it happened!!
  1. KevinBulldogs63 5 months ago
    
    In my opinion, to make the playoffs we definitely need to pass either Carolina or Tampa with only the winner of the divison getting the only playoff spot. Ideally, we pass Detroit (we have a game against them that is a must-win and more control with them regarding our playoff destiny than other teams) and Green Bay (team has a tough schedule for almost all their remaining games and draft pick improvement from a falling Packers team would be a great double bonus). SF with 4 losses is in striking range. Cede the Bears, Seahawks and Rams their spots and I don't completely rule out the division entry. I don't know if we would have the tie-breaker against Philly if we can make up 3 games. If Philly rushes like they did last Sunday the rest of the way, there is hope.
3. VAM 5 months ago
  
  Oh yeah, and SIGN Pickens!
  1. KevinBulldogs63 5 months ago
    
    If he fails to sign Pickens, itt will rank as the 2nd worst GM move after trading Micah for peanuts (still can't believe the didn't get another #2 in the deal and Clark's level of play is only middlen).

6 Highest Graded Cowboys Players from Week 12