What We Learned: WR1 chat, Osa unlocked as Cowboys stun Eagles in win

Not since Miracle Max diagnosed the Dread Pirate Roberts as merely being “mostly dead” instead of completely dead, has such an improbable comeback occurred. Down by 21 points four minutes into the second quarter, the Dallas Cowboys were without a doubt, mostly dead. 24 unanswered points later and the Cowboys are alive and well in the NFC playoff race.

Dallas, standing at a cool 5-5-1 heading into Week 13, is far from in the driver’s seat. They still need a run of all runs to keep hope alive as most of the primary competition for the wildcard playoff spots also won this week. But good days like this don’t happen very often, so long odds or not, the Cowboys win over the defending Super Bowl champs is something to celebrate.

Now on to things we learned from Week 12:

This new Cowboys defense might be for real

The Cowboys loaded up on new and returning personnel over the bye week, and last week in Las Vegas they showed all the things that new defense could do against inferior competition. Week 12 was about testing that shiny new defense against a Super Bowl caliber offense, and for about a quarter, it didn’t look so good for Dallas.

But from midway through second quarter on, the Cowboys defense put down the clamps. Their efforts in locking down the Eagles gave Dak Prescott and company time to catch up. And catch up they did, kicking a game winning field goal as time expired and evening the series at two-a-piece.

Open-field tackling remains a concern and the Cowboys defensive ends struggled to create pressure when they weren’t stunting or getting help from the blitz. But the new cornerbacks look promising, and the safety and linebacker play was largely adequate making it all something to be excited about as the season progresses.

WR1 debate is a non-debate

One of the more annoying things from the Cowboys' recent resurgence have been the calls to name George Pickens the unofficial WR1 over CeeDee Lamb. The needless comparison was a perfect illustration of how Cowboys fans just can’t shut up and be happy. Yet after Lamb and Pickens produced wildly different results in Week 12, it might be warranted conversation after all.

Lamb essentially ended the argument by dropping at least two pivotal passes against the Eagles. His last drop was the second would-be touchdown pass he dropped in as many weeks, and one that would have put Dallas up six late in the fourth.

When Prescott targeted Lamb he averaged -0.30 EPA/target with a success rate of 38 percent. Pickens, by contrast, averaged +1.09 EPA/target with a 90 percent success rate. Pickens provided the momentum, he moved the chains, and he brought the big plays. He was the engine of the Cowboys offense and effectively made the case he belongs in a Cowboys uniform for years to come.

Unlocked Osa

If the addition of Quinnen Williams helped any one player with his presence on the Dallas defense, it has to be fellow defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa. For weeks Odighizuwa was struggling to live up to the weight of his enormous contract he signed in the offseason. He was a liability against the run and a non-factor against the pass. But the last two weeks he’s been a menace, looking well worth the price of admission.

Against the Eagles, Odighizuwa posted a critical sack on Jalen Hurts late in the game. It was Dallas’ only sack of the game and was so definitive, so smothering, the normally elusive Hurts had no escape in sight. It wasn’t just one play either, Odighizuwa was responsible for four the Cowboys’ six QB hits.

The Cowboys learned how important this re-signing was because he’s proving to be one of Dallas’ most impactful pass rushers on this defensive line.

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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: What We Learned: WR1 chat, Osa unlocked as Cowboys stun Eagles in win