2nd half, highlighted by a field goal battle,
neither team able to score a TD, the Cow-
boys dramatically helped with an end zone
interception by safety Jayron Kearse.

Pollard showing signs he may be up to the
task of taking Zeke's starting spot on the
roster, maybe. Final drive, Cowboys suc-
cessfully ran out the clock, setting up Zuer-
lein for a 56 yard field goal attempt.

Here it is, snap, kick, right down the middle
for the WIN !!!

Boy, was that ever close, 2nd straight game
down to the wire. I'll follow this up with a lot
of posts with commentary from others re-
garding the Cowboys overcoming injuries
to -5- starters to pull out this win at the last
second.

--- --- ---

One correction & links to game reports:

On Sunday, September 19, 2021 at 6:21:40 PM UTC-5, observer wrote:

..> 2nd half, highlighted by a field goal battle,
..> neither team able to score a TD, the Cow-
..> boys dramatically helped with an end zone
..> interception by safety Jayron Kearse.

I made a mistake on that one, the interception
actually made by safety Damontae Kazee.

..>
..> Pollard showing signs he may be up to the
..> task of taking Zeke's starting spot on the
..> roster, maybe. Final drive, Cowboys suc-
..> cessfully ran out the clock, setting up Zuer-
..> lein for a 56 yard field goal attempt.
..>
..> Here it is, snap, kick, right down the middle
..> for the WIN !!!
..>
..> Boy, was that ever close, 2nd straight game
..> down to the wire. I'll follow this up with a lot
..> of posts with commentary from others re-
..> garding the Cowboys overcoming injuries
..> to -5- starters to pull out this win at the last
..> second.
..>
..> *--- --- ---*

nfl.com game report
https://www.nfl.com/games/cowboys-at-chargers-2021-reg-2?active-tab=watch

Game Recap: Cowboys Beat LA On Final Kick, 20-17
https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/game-recap-cowboys-beat-la-on-final-kick-20-17

Who needs 30 points to win? Not your Dallas Cowboys.

In defeating the Los Angeles Chargers, 20-17, the Cow-
boys moved to 1-1 on the season and broke a streak of
34 straight games of only winning when they topped 30
points. It marked the first time to do so since a 27-20 vic-
tory over Tampa Bay on Dec. 23, 2018.

.... The Dallas defense allowed 408 yards of offense, but
the Chargers reached the end zone on only one of four
trips into the red zone. Dallas also had two interceptions
with two sacks and nine quarterback pressures. Rookie
linebacker Micah Parsons, lining up as a pass rusher,
recorded one sack and four pressures on his own.

The was good enough for the Cowboys offense, which
scored on two of three red zone trips, converted 60 per-
cent of its third down chances and totaled 419 yards of
offense. Prescott completed 85.2 percent of his passes
for 237 yards and one interception, but he didn't need to
carry the team this week.

Instead, the Cowboys racked up 198 rushing yards, led
by Tony Pollard's 109 and Ezekiel Elliott's 71. Both also
had 31 and 26 receiving yards, respectively.

.... Dallas finished with 13 first downs in the opening quar-
ter, a team record that also tied the NFL mark.

.... The Cowboys nearly scored with a little razzle dazzle
on the last play of the half when Prescott found Lamb
over the middle, the receiver taking it 34 yards and then
lateraling the ball to Elliott, who made it to the Chargers'
3-yard line before being pushed out of bounds.

.... just when it looked like the Chargers would finally take
the lead, the Cowboys defense came up huge. Los Ang-
eles had marched from its own 9-yard line all the way
down to the Dallas 9.

That's when safety Damontae Kazee intercepted a Her-
bert pass intended for Keenan Allen in the end zone, end-
ing the threat and shifting the game's momentum back to
the visitors.

.... Zuerlein was good on his 56-yard try as time expired,
marking his 10th career game-winning kick and the sec-
ond-longest game-winner of his career.

--- --- ---

Follow-up:

Ezekiel Elliott & Tony Pollard both showing selflessness in
their post-game interviews, "team first", whatever works, whe-
ther it's running by Zeke -or- running by Tony -or- passing:

---
September 20 2021

Cowboys Star RB Ezekiel Elliott
Sends Message to Tony Pollard
https://heavy.com/sports/dallas-cowboys/zeke-ezekiel-elliott-split-carries-tony-pollard/
---

After the team’s win over the Los Angeles Chargers, Ezekiel
Elliott lit up when he was asked about fellow Dallas Cowboys
running back Tony Pollard. The Cowboys employed nearly a
50-50 split in carries between backs, but Elliott appeared to
be far from angry about sharing the load with Pollard in the
team’s win over the Chargers.

“Oh man, I mean, T.P., he ran his tail off today,” Elliott said with
a smile during his postgame press conference. “He’s a great
back, all-around, can catch it, can run it. He’s smaller, but he
runs hard. He breaks a lot of tackles. He had a helluva day. I’m
proud of him. I’m glad he went out there and did his thing.”

Elliott had 16 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown while adding
two receptions for 26 yards. Pollard had the more impressive sta-
tistical day with 13 carries for 109 yards and a touchdown. He also
had three receptions for 31 yards as one of the Cowboys’ biggest
offensive weapons in Week 2.

Zeke & Pollard Both Nearly Had More Carries
Than the Entire Cowboys Team Did in Week 1

.... The Cowboys more than doubled their Week 1 rushing attempts
as the team leaned heavily on the running backs against the Char-
gers. Elliott admitted this was part of the team’s game plan as a reac-
tion to the Chargers’ defensive scheme.

“It’s the mentality of their defense, just kind of make you slowly move
it down the field, make you grind it out,” Elliott explained. “So, that gave
us the opportunity to run the football. The o-line did a helluva job. They
were moving those guys off the ball all day. They set the tone.”

Pollard: ‘We Just Wanted to Go With Who Was Hot’

.... Pollard admitted the team’s plan was to ride the hot hand against the
Chargers. Pollard noted that both he and Elliott “feed off each other” dur-
ing games.

“We just wanted to go with who was hot,” Pollard told reporters. “We both
feed off each other, so if he was hot, we would have just went that way. It
just turned out that way for this game, and we got the dub.”

As for a running back controversy, Pollard is not buying the idea.

The speedy Cowboys running back emphasized that their first goal with
the offense is to help the team win.

“Yeah, we’re good, as long as we’re getting Ws, you know winning, every-
thing’s fine,” Pollard noted.

The Cowboys could have another opportunity to lean on their rushing attack
in Week 3 as they take on the Eagles. Through the first two games, Phila-
delphia ranks No. 17 in rushing defense allowing 120.5 yards per game.

--- --- ---
On Sunday, September 19, 2021 at 7:52:54 PM UTC-5, observer wrote:

..> One correction & links to game reports:
/> On Sunday, September 19, 2021 at 6:21:40 PM UTC-5, observer wrote:
/> .> 2nd half, highlighted by a field goal battle,
/> .> neither team able to score a TD, the Cow-
/> .> boys dramatically helped with an end zone
/> .> interception by safety Jayron Kearse.
..> I made a mistake on that one, the interception
..> actually made by safety Damontae Kazee.
/> .>
/> .> Pollard showing signs he may be up to the
/> .> task of taking Zeke's starting spot on the
/> .> roster, maybe.

See above for details on how that's not an issue,
both runners supporting one another totally.

/> .> Final drive, Cowboys successfully ran out
/> .> the clock, setting up Zuerlein for a 56-yard
/> .> field goal attempt.
/> .>
/> .> Here it is, snap, kick, right down the middle
/> .> for the WIN !!!
/> .>
/> .> Boy, was that ever close, 2nd straight game
/> .> down to the wire. I'll follow this up with a lot
/> .> of posts with commentary from others re-
/> .> garding the Cowboys overcoming injuries
/> .> to -5- starters to pull out this win at the last
/> .> second.
/> .>
/> .> *--- --- ---*
..> nfl.com game report
..> https://www.nfl.com/games/cowboys-at-chargers-2021-reg-2?active-tab=watch
..>
..> Game Recap: Cowboys Beat LA On Final Kick, 20-17
..> https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/game-recap-cowboys-beat-la-on-final-kick-20-17
..>
..> Who needs 30 points to win? Not your Dallas Cowboys.
..>
..> In defeating the Los Angeles Chargers, 20-17, the Cow-
..> boys moved to 1-1 on the season and broke a streak of
..> 34 straight games of only winning when they topped 30
..> points. It marked the first time to do so since a 27-20 vic-
..> tory over Tampa Bay on Dec. 23, 2018.
..>
..> ... The Dallas defense allowed 408 yards of offense, but
..> the Chargers reached the end zone on only one of four
..> trips into the red zone. Dallas also had two interceptions
..> with two sacks and nine quarterback pressures. Rookie
..> linebacker Micah Parsons, lining up as a pass rusher,
..> recorded one sack and four pressures on his own.
..>
..> The was good enough for the Cowboys offense, which
..> scored on two of three red zone trips, converted 60 per-
..> cent of its third down chances and totaled 419 yards of
..> offense. Prescott completed 85.2 percent of his passes
..> for 237 yards and one interception, but he didn't need to
..> carry the team this week.
..>
..> Instead, the Cowboys racked up 198 rushing yards, led
..> by Tony Pollard's 109 and Ezekiel Elliott's 71. Both also
..> had 31 and 26 receiving yards, respectively.
..>
..> ... Dallas finished with 13 first downs in the opening quar-
..> ter, a team record that also tied the NFL mark.
..>
..> ... The Cowboys nearly scored with a little razzle dazzle
..> on the last play of the half when Prescott found Lamb
..> over the middle, the receiver taking it 34 yards and then
..> lateraling the ball to Elliott, who made it to the Chargers'
..> 3-yard line before being pushed out of bounds.
..>
..> ... just when it looked like the Chargers would finally take
..> the lead, the Cowboys defense came up huge. Los Ang-
..> eles had marched from its own 9-yard line all the way
..> down to the Dallas 9.
..>
..> That's when safety Damontae Kazee intercepted a Her-
..> bert pass intended for Keenan Allen in the end zone, end-
..> ing the threat and shifting the game's momentum back to
..> the visitors.
..>
..> ... Zuerlein was good on his 56-yard try as time expired,
..> marking his 10th career game-winning kick and the sec-
..> ond-longest game-winner of his career.
..>
..> *--- --- ---*