3 Takeaways from Cowboys' Week 4 Win vs. Commanders

The Dallas Cowboys moved to 3-1 on the season with a big win over the rival Washington Commanders on Sunday. In arguably Dallas' most impressive win of the year to date, the team ran away with it in the second half.

Washington made things tight through the first two quarters before the Cowboys went on a 13-3 run over the final two. The Dallas defense paved the way in this one, though the Cowboys got plenty of help from quarterback placeholder Cooper Rush.

Rush's steady play over the past three weeks has been noteworthy, as the ground game wasn't stellar (2.1 yards per carry) on Sunday, and the Cowboys aren't sure when Dak Prescott (thumb) will be back in the starting lineup.

"I have no way to assess whether he’s going to be able to play this week," franchise owner Jerry Jones told reporters after the game.

We don't know whether Prescott will be back for next week's matchup with the Los Angeles Rams. Here's what we did learn during Dallas' 25-10 win over Washington.

The Cowboys defense came up big on Sunday, limiting Washington to five third-down conversions on 15 tries, getting two fourth-down stops and forcing two turnovers. The Commanders could get little going and scored just three points after halftime.

Trevon Diggs' interception just before the break helped set the tone for a dominant defensive performance down the stretch.

This marked the third straight week in which Dallas allowed 17 points or fewer, and the Cowboys have yet to surrender 20 points on the season. It's becoming quite clear that defense is a team strength for Dallas.

Diggs is a star, as is second-year linebacker Micah Parsons. On Sunday, though, the Cowboys got notable contributions from the likes of Dante Fowler Jr. (one sack) and cornerback DaRon Bland (interception).

The Cowboys are deep defensively, and they're picking up where they left off last season, when the defense ranked seventh in points allowed. Sunday's performance was further proof that the Cowboys can play consistently well on that side of the ball.

Prescott is the Cowboys' franchise quarterback and will start once he's fully healthy—which may or may not be against the Rams in Week 5. If Prescott isn't back to 100 percent, though, Dallas has no reason to force him on the field.

The Cowboys proved once again that they can win without Prescott when they need to. The Defense is going to keep things close, and Rush is playing well enough to put Dallas ahead.

"Let me say this he’s certainly playing as well as anybody could’ve expected," Jones told 105.3 The Fan last week (h/t ESPN's Todd Archer).

Rush was good again in Week 4, finishing 15-of-27 for 223 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Dallas is now 3-0 with him under center on the season.

The Cowboys needed Rush to deliver too, as Ezekiel Elliott (49 yards) and Tony Pollard (six yards) both struggled on the ground. Rush did exactly that, complementing the opportunistic defense with largely mistake-free play.

If Prescott needs another week to get healthy, Dallas should have plenty of confidence in Rush.

In Dallas' Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team's lack of a reliable No. 2 receiver was glaring. Since then, though, Noah Brown has proven himself to be a quality complement to CeeDee Lamb.

Brown had five catches for 68 yards in the opener, and he's shown that the performance was no fluke. He had five receptions in Week 2 and again in Week 3 and finished Sunday with three catches for 61 yards.

Sunday also marked the return of Michael Gallup from last year's torn ACL. While Gallup may not be quite back to pre-injury form, he made an immediate impact. He caught two passes for 24 yards and a touchdown.

Between Lamb, Brown and Gallup, Dallas has a solid receiving trio. With tight end Dalton Schultz and Elliott as well as Pollard also in the mix, Prescott won't lack reliable receiving targets upon his return.

Dallas has plenty of playmakers with which to work on offense.