NFL News & Analysis

NFL Week 3 PFF ReFocused: Dallas Cowboys 31, Miami Dolphins 6

As expected, the Dallas Cowboys rolled over the Miami Dolphins at home, picking up the 31-6 win to improve to 3-0 on the season.

PFF's ReFocused series features immediate takeaways from the two analysts who graded the game live. The two offer a detailed breakdown of the game's most notable performances before the grades and advanced stats are reviewed and finalized by Senior Analysts.

All of PFF's grades and advanced stats from this game and the other games played this week will be finalized and made available to ELITE subscribers within 24 hours of the final whistle. ELITE subscribers can view player grades, advanced statistics, positional snap counts and more in Premium Stats.

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Final Score

Dallas Cowboys 31, Miami Dolphins 6

Dallas Cowboys

Robert Quinn was the main beneficiary of Miami's disaster situation at left tackle, as he notched two sacks and a pile of pressures and wins to go with them. His speed allowed him to consistently win the edge, but his second sack came off a wicked spin move late in the game.

The Dolphins tested Cowboys cornerback Byron Jones early in the game but quickly (and wisely) went away from him. He broke up one pass and had extremely tight coverage on a number of other throws sent his way in the first quarter. He was rarely targeted after that.

La'el Collins and Tyron Smith were effective on the edge in the run game, and getting to the second level, allowing tons of room for Ezekiel Elliot and Tony Pollard.

Other than a couple of mistakes from Dak Prescott early, the Cowboys' offense continued to be efficient and on time under Kellen Moore. Amari Cooper showed again that he's one of the best route runners in the NFL with two touchdowns against Xavien Howard.

Rookie Takeaways

Running back Tony Pollard was excellent backing up Zeke in the team's win over Miami. He rushed for over 100 yards on 13 carries and caught three passes for 25 yards.

Miami Dolphins

Josh Rosen did everything he could to move the Miami offense in the first half, but a comedy of errors and misfortunes kept him out of the end zone. He was plagued by a number of drops and saw a would-be touchdown toss get broken up very late as his receiver went to the ground.

Jesse Davis gave up a sack and a number of pressures early in the game, and when he was forced out, rookie Michael Dieter, normally a guard, struggled just as much.

Other than a couple of nice run stops from Christian Wilkins and John Jenkins, the Miami defense was getting run over the entire game. And to make matters worse, the secondary had a tough time bringing down the Cowboys running backs.

The Dolphins applied some pressure on Dak Prescott in the first half but wore down in the second half, giving Dak all day in the pocket. A couple busted assignments in the secondary allowed big gains for Randall Cobb and the Dallas offense.

Rookie Takeaways

Dieter really struggled in this one, and Wilkins wasn't much better. Miami just can't catch a break anywhere right now.

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