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ARLINGTON, Texas — Brock Wright’s eyes were on the end zone. The tight end thought he was about to give the Detroit Lions a fourth-quarter lead.

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons had a different idea.

Parsons was 5 yards behind Wright at the time of the reception. He weaved his way through traffic — reaching 20.41 mph, according to NFL Next Gen Stats — collared Wright at the 2-yard line and brought him down at the 1. At initial glance it looked like Wright might have scored, but replays eventually showed he was down.

On the next play, Lions running back Jamaal Williams lost the first fumble of his career, with linebacker Anthony Barr scooping up the loose ball for the critical takeaway in a game that turned into a 24-6 Cowboys win.

“I mean, I tell people I’m going to be tired, but you’re going to be more tired than me because I’m never going to stop,” Parsons said. “And I practice that way. I work that way. Just being relentless, understanding that anything can happen on the field.”

Parsons’ play symbolizes what the Cowboys’ defense has become in 2022:

• A unit that will not go down without a fight; the Cowboys have given up more than 19 points just once.

• A unit that can rush the passer as well as anybody in the league; their 29 sacks through seven games are the most the Cowboys have had since 1987 (34).

• A unit that can take away the ball, too; they have 11 turnovers in their past five games.

For the first time this season, the Cowboys did not allow a touchdown, holding the Lions, who entered with the No. 3 scoring offense in the NFL (28 points per game), to two first-half field goals.

This came a week after the Cowboys allowed two touchdowns in a game for the only time all season in a 26-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The next day, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn used the term “pissed off” nine times in his weekly news conference.

If this is what “pissed off” leads to, opponents better watch out.

“Like they say,” said defensive end Sam Williams, who became the first rookie with two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in the same game since Nick Bosa in 2019, “you play with the bull, you get the horns.”

Quinn actually told his defenders this was Shark Week.

“Every day we saw sharks,” Parsons said.

And when the blood got in the water Sunday, they circled.

“Sometimes you get one of them,” Parsons said. “And sometimes they attack in packs. It’s just like that.”

The first bite was cornerback Trevon Diggs’ interception of a deep pass from quarterback Jared Goff intended for wide receiver Josh Reynolds on the first drive of the third quarter. The Cowboys turned that into the first of running back Ezekiel Elliott’s two touchdown runs for a 10-6 lead.

“They’re playing into my game,” Diggs said. “I want the ball to go up, especially the deep ball. I feel like that’s when I’m at my best.”

The next takeaway was Barr’s recovery after an apparent punch free from defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence at the Dallas goal line. While the Cowboys did not turn that into points, they were able to avoid a deficit by stopping a Detroit touchdown. On the next drive, cornerback Jourdan Lewis made a diving interception of a Goff throw to receiver Tom Kennedy. Unfortunately, Lewis was lost for the season with a midfoot injury on the takeaway.

Fortunately, the Cowboys turned that into Elliott’s second touchdown and a 17-6 lead.

“When those guys go out there and get turnovers, it’s important for us to make sure we get points out of that,” quarterback Dak Prescott said. “That’s how you win games, and it’s also how you blow them away, honestly. This whole group, how hungry they are and the way that they attack is something I’ve seen in training camp and something I’ve seen in these last five weeks.”

Williams got into the act next, stripping Goff of the ball with 2:20 to play, and Parsons got his first sack/fumble on the next drive with defensive end Dorance Armstrong recovering the loose ball.

The Cowboys’ five takeaways were the most they have had in a half since they had five in the first half against the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVII.

“I don’t know that I’ve seen a defense that is influencing the team any more than this one has, even the very best ones,” owner and general manager Jerry Jones said. “Now there’s a high skill level out there. There’s a high competence level. They’re well-coached. It’s a mix of some veterans, a lot of young players. They’re getting more confidence and, frankly, getting better technically every game.”

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:

1. Thornton in the (red) zone: The Patriots’ offense has had a red zone problem, but with two dynamic plays in just his second NFL game, rookie receiver Tyquan Thornton showed he can be a central part of the solution.

Thornton’s work inside the 20 has been a revelation to those who viewed him as more of a straight-line speedster coming out of Baylor, after he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.28 at the NFL combine.

“To be that fast and stop that quick, man, that’s tough,” fellow receiver Jakobi Meyers said. “A lot of guys couldn’t do that, to be able to stop on a dime and at the same time get up to 4.2.”

Thornton’s 2-yard touchdown catch last Sunday in the 38-15 win over the Cleveland Browns showcased one reason why he projects to be a major part of the team’s red zone offense after missing the first four games of the season because of a broken collarbone. He faced press coverage from cornerback Greedy Williams and was uncovered quickly on an over route.

Veteran receiver DeVante Parker, now in his eighth NFL season, was among those impressed.

“He crossed the defender up on the line and was able to get open. It’s footwork and the upper body — shoulders, head moving and everything — making the defender think you’re going one way, but go the other,” Parker said. “For a tall receiver to move like that is good.”

Parker also noted that the 6-foot-2, 182-pound Thornton has a “long stride,” which showed up when he took a fourth-quarter handoff on an end around, galloping untouched into the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown.

Thornton’s work helped the Patriots finish with one of their best red zone days of the season (three touchdowns in five trips). They still rank 29th in the NFL in red zone touchdown percentage (9 TDs in 20 trips), an area that looms as critical as they prepare to host the 2-4 Chicago Bears on Monday night (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN).

“For a tall, linear-built guy, he has a lot more looseness than you would think,” offensive assistant Joe Judge said. “He definitely has some savvy to him, a lot of natural ability of just having a feel for where the defender is.

“Obviously, he has top-end speed. That’s no secret. I think the thing that really kind of jumped out at us in training camp was seeing him in short space, of how well he moves in and out of cuts, and how elusive he is right there.”

2. Monday night memories: Ahead of the Patriots’ first Monday night game of the season, players and coaches reflected on their memories of watching the weekly event as kids. Kicker Nick Folk told the story of how he and his brothers Erik and Greg had piano lessons every Monday from 5 to 6 p.m. PT, splitting 20 minutes apiece, so the big debate was who got to go first so he wouldn’t have to miss kickoff.

For Bill Belichick, it was watching broadcasters Howard Cosell, Don Meredith and Frank Gifford.

“Monday night highlights, that was big,” he said. “That was before Boomer [ESPN’s Chris Berman] had his [“NFL PrimeTime”] wrap-up, and that was kind of your only chance to see what the highlights from the weekend were. Usually, you waited up until halftime, watched the highlights, then went to bed. That was my routine if you could make it that long.”

3. Zappe’s likeability: Rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe won over a lot of fans with his play over the past 11 quarters and a mix of genuineness and humbleness in media interviews. One of the common themes in social media interactions with followers has been how Zappe’s emergence and steady improvement made watching the team fun.

So when Mac Jones ultimately returns — and signs point to it likely being Monday night — that’s part of the dynamic he’s stepping back into from a public perception standpoint.

As for within the locker room, safety Devin McCourty described it this way: “Zap’s been awesome. Mac’s been awesome. You saw Mac start the year, then Zappe come in and we win two games, so it creates the whole story. But I think overall, guys are just appreciating things and having a good time. That feeling of winning is what everyone is chasing, and I would say the last two weeks have been a lot of fun. That’s been more of the focus than ‘How is it with Zappe?’ And ‘How is it with Mac?’”

4. QB spot solidified: By the end of the week, one player said it was a battle to see which quarterback – Jones or Zappe – would be the last off the field after practice. They’re pushing each other, and the result is that the Patriots have further solidified the most important position on the field.

5. Belichick’s legacy: If the Patriots beat the Bears on Monday night, Belichick will pass legendary Chicago coach George Halas for sole possession of second place on the all-time wins list with 325, including playoffs. Don Pierson, who worked at the Chicago Tribune starting in 1967 (Halas’ final year as coach) and covered Halas as owner until his death in 1983, thinks highly of Belichick.

“I think he’s the best coach in history. I don’t think there is any question — he’s past [Vince] Lombardi and everybody, just by the record, the number of games he’s won and the playoffs,” Pierson said. “The Bears won six championships under Halas, but those weren’t playoffs. They [played and] won one [postseason] game. The Patriots, it’s just incredible how dominant they’ve been.”

Pierson rubbed elbows with Belichick, as both were on the panel to pick the top 100 players in NFL history as part of the NFL’s 100th season.

“Of all the people, I think he did more work than any of us,” Pierson said. “He watched film, asked questions, talked during our meetings. He was unbelievable.”

6. Meyers extension?: The Patriots’ bye comes the weekend of Nov. 12-13, and sometimes that can be a break when the club looks ahead to contract-related business in hopes of striking an early extension. Along those lines, Meyers is scheduled for unrestricted free agency after the season. His performance — a team-high 24 catches for 321 yards and one touchdown — has him in position to command a nice payday. Thus, the team would be wise to be proactive in talks.

7. Draft trades: In his 23 years leading the Patriots’ football operation, Belichick has never been on the clock on draft day and traded a future pick in an earlier round to select a player. One reason he’s avoided it is what has unfolded for the Panthers in their draft-day deal with the Patriots this year.

The Panthers were aggressive in acquiring the Patriots’ third-round pick (No. 94) in exchange for a fourth-round pick (No. 137) and 2023 third-rounder — as they targeted quarterback Matt Corral. Now, with the Panthers (1-5) struggling and selling off assets such as running back Christian McCaffrey, that third-round pick could potentially be as high as No. 64 (there are only 31 first-round picks in 2023 due to Miami Dolphins‘ penalty).

8. Montgomery’s status: Belichick wouldn’t reveal if the ailment that landed veteran running back Ty Montgomery on injured reserve after Week 1 is of the season-ending variety, which some might view as an indication it is. Montgomery had sprained his ankle in the preseason finale, and it would have been easy to assume he aggravated it in the opener. But a source close to Montgomery said the running back’s injury is different from the ankle, and something related to his upper body.

9. Pats in 3-3 pack: The Patriots are one of 10 teams with a 3-3 record, which is a higher-than-usual total. Elias confirms this is just the fourth season in NFL history with at least 10 teams at 3-3 through the first six weeks. There were 11 teams at 3-3 through six weeks in 1985 and 2012, and 10 teams in 1989. ESPN Analytics rates the Patriots as having the eighth-lowest odds among those teams to qualify for the playoffs, at 31%.

10. Did you know? After the Patriots signed special teamer Raleigh Webb off the Ravens’ practice squad Wednesday, Webb is now set to become just the second player from The Citadel to ever suit up for the franchise. Kicker Greg Davis, who played in nine games in 1989 before Jason Staurovsky rejoined the team, is the other.

Nita Strauss’ phone buzzed overnight somewhere in Europe while she was asleep on the Alice Cooper tour bus, traveling from city to city during the band’s early 2022 tour. Strauss, Guitar World’s No. 4 guitarist of the decade and considered one of the greatest female guitarists of all time, woke up in the morning, saw the note and bubbled with excitement.

The message she hoped for in the weeks after the Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl LVI victory had arrived. It was a text from Sarah Schuler, the Rams senior director of game presentation and brand experience. She asked a simple question: What’s your ring size?

Strauss immediately texted her boyfriend/manager, Josh Villalta. The ring in question was something few, if any, rockers other than Strauss have: A Super Bowl ring.

“Ran around showing everybody that would look at my phone,” Strauss said. “Look at this text I just got, told you guys.”

So how does a rocker end up with a Super Bowl ring? Strauss earned it — she’s part of the Rams.

Strauss, a die-hard fan, has been the in-house guitarist for Rams games since the team moved to SoFi Stadium in 2020. Her affiliation with the Rams began at L.A.Memorial Coliseum, where Strauss played “America the Beautiful” during a Salute to Service game. The next year, she performed the Sunday Night Football theme on her guitar.

Since then, she has been part of the Rams’ ecosystem, playing to an empty SoFi other than players and coaches during the pandemic, and then packed houses last season all while wearing a No. 86 Rams jersey — her birth year and the number her father, James, wore when he played football.

“There’s nothing like playing to a stadium full of fans, no matter if you’re playing a rock concert, if you’re playing a sports event or whatever it is,” Strauss said. “Just having the energy of having tens of thousands of people is so different to just doing it alone in there or playing to the coaching staff and the team and the players.”

She performs over team introductions, on select second and third downs and the fan-selected song of the game. She plays the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ hit “Can’t Stop” during the team’s “Rampede,” which provided a surreal moment the band’s lead singer Anthony Kiedis was shown on screen at SoFi rocking out to Strauss.

Last season, in particular, was tricky. Cooper was touring, but his tours often took Sundays off. Saturday nights, Strauss played the Cooper show and instead of going on the tour bus, she stayed in an airport hotel and took an early Sunday flight to Los Angeles. She landed at Los Angeles International Airport, took an Uber to the stadium, played the game, took an Uber back to the airport and flew to Monday’s tour stop.

It was an exhausting schedule, one Strauss called “a labor of love,” but she didn’t want to miss any games. The one Rams game she didn’t play? The Super Bowl. She asked, but the NFL declined.

Instead, Strauss found herself in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean on the Monsters of Rock cruise. She wore her blue Rams jersey — she’s given one of every iteration for Rams games with “Hurricane,” her nickname, on the back — and fielded questions about whether she’d get a ring if they won.

She watched the Super Bowl with Cooper, a Detroit native and Lions fan who Strauss said pulled for the Rams because of Matthew Stafford, and the band. If someone in Cooper’s suite cheered for the Cincinnati Bengals, she joked “you don’t want me to get my ring,” even though she had no idea if she would get one.

When the Rams won, Strauss described it as “pandemonium.”

Getting the ring was trickier. In Strauss’ offseason, she made her own change, taking a gig on Demi Lovato’s current world tour which meant a couple of things. First, she’d miss the ring ceremony because of rehearsals. Second, she wouldn’t be able to play Rams games until Nov. 13.

“It’s really a unique part of our show,” Schuler said. “And frankly, we miss her so much right now cause she’s on tour.”

Just before the tour started, Strauss drove to Schuler’s house to pick up what she considers, along with her first signature guitar, one of her prized possessions: the Super Bowl ring.

She drove home, where Villalta paced in anticipation. Together, they opened it and flipped a light switch in the back of the box that created a glow from the ring’s shininess.

Then they went to dinner at Katana, a Japanese restaurant, massive rock on Strauss’ finger.

“It was really funny,” Strauss said. “Because the waitress thought Josh proposed with this gigantic sparkling diamond ring.”

But this ring was bigger than most engagement rings.

“You have these goals and dreams and aspirations in your life,” Strauss said. “And then sometimes as your career goes on you’re fortunate enough to achieve things that weren’t even a part of those aspirations because those things didn’t even exist before.

“I would have never dreamed of getting a Super Bowl ring because it never would have occurred to me that a guitar player would get one. So now here it is.”

FRISCO, Texas — It’s an easy question without an easy answer.

What changes about the Dallas Cowboys’ offense in Dak Prescott’s return from a fractured right thumb, potentially as early as Sunday against the Detroit Lions (1 p.m. ET, CBS)?

Nothing and everything.

Nothing changes, because how the Cowboys (4-2) played in their five games with quarterback Cooper Rush starting in place of Prescott is how they designed their offense in the offseason. When the team traded wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns and did not replace him with a proven veteran or high draft pick, the plan was to be a run-first operation and play to the defensive strength of the team.

Everything changes, because Prescott can do more than Rush. Despite the calls from certain segments of the fan base or national media types wishing for drama, there was no quarterback controversy and there never was going to be. Even owner and general manager Jerry Jones’ comments that he hoped there would be a controversy were about the team winning games without Prescott.

This was not 2016, when Prescott took over for an injured Tony Romo. After losing the opener, the Cowboys won 11 straight games that season. They failed only once to score at least 24 points during that winning streak.

Under Rush, the Cowboys topped 24 points only once, scoring 25 against the Washington Commanders.

While the Cowboys did not feel handcuffed offensively with Rush as their quarterback, Prescott’s ability and experience opens up more possibilities. However, the Cowboys don’t want Prescott to feel like he’s returning as the conquering hero, needing to do everything for the team to succeed.

When Prescott has been at his best, the Cowboys have had a complementary bent, even when he threw for 4,900 yards in 2019 and set a franchise record with 37 touchdown passes last season.

“I just think Dak needs to play his game — if he goes this week,” McCarthy said.

Prescott said after last week’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles that it is his plan to play against the Lions. Speaking on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Tuesday, Jones said, “He looks ready to go.” He has been cleared medically.

“Dak’s as motivated of a person as we’re ever going to meet in life,” offensive coordinator Kellen Moore said. “We’ll just have to go through this thing the right way, and we’ll see where it takes us day by day.”

Whenever Prescott returns, the Cowboys will continue to rely on a running game that has put up at least 134 yards in three of the past four games. The Cowboys are averaging 118.8 rushing yards per game, up from 97 last season.

Running back Ezekiel Elliott had his best game in the loss to the Eagles (13 carries, 81 yards), and running back Tony Pollard has the big-play ability. He has two runs of at least 46 yards and a 46-yard reception.

“We never thought that was a question, I think that was some of that outside noise,” right guard Zack Martin said on questions regarding Elliott’s viability. “But he’s still our go-to back, and I think Jerry [Jones] said it in the beginning of the year: A lot of what we do goes through Zeke. Him and TP [Pollard], it’s fun blocking for both of them.”

One thing that will be different now than in the season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, when Prescott got hurt, is the passing game that surrounds him.

Rookie Tyler Smith is more accustomed to left tackle after not taking a snap there all training camp. Wide receiver Michael Gallup has returned from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is growing into the No. 1 role, while Noah Brown has become a viable receiving option. While a knee injury has slowed down tight end Dalton Schultz, rookies Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot have developed.

“Our best days are ahead of us,” McCarthy said. “I’m being ‘Captain Obvious’ here, but we still have a lot of work to do. That’s been our approach. But obviously when Dak last played, there were some young spots there. Dalton, hopefully we can get him back this week. We definitely have a chance to improve. Having Michael in there is a big plus. … Our improvement is starting to climb.”

There are many areas where the Cowboys need to improve.

They are converting on third down just 30.9% of the time, which is a big reason why they’ve run only 294 plays. They have just 12 pass plays of 20 yards or more, including none against the Eagles on Sunday night. Through six games last season, the Cowboys converted on third down 46.7% of the time, ran 420 plays and had 25 pass plays of 20 yards or more.

That offense is not this offense, but Prescott’s return has everybody excited.

“Sky’s the limit,” Lamb said. “The offense is very good and everyone knows this. When we get him back, we’re going to show everybody.”

FRISCO, Texas — Credit can be intoxicating.

By ripping off three straight wins without Dak Prescott, the Cowboys have surprised many folks, if not themselves.

Cooper Rush is getting his deserved share of the credit for how he has performed in replacing Prescott as the starting quarterback. Dan Quinn’s defense has put up numbers not seen around the Cowboys since the first edition of Doomsday in the early 1970s. Micah Parsons is considered one of the best defensive players in the NFL.

Well down the credit list is the coach, Mike McCarthy.

“I don’t know how you could say enough about how he’s handled this team initially starting out,” owner and general manager Jerry Jones said. “It’s like [a] picture to me. A boxer, a fighter, walking out and just getting hit with the best shot you absolutely could right on the chin. First step out. How do you get that all back together? Give him his due. He has managed to right the ship, steady it, and then progressively get this team in shape to play without Dak.

“That’s a teamwide thing. I think it would be an injustice not to give him the kind of credit as head coach for getting this thing right and getting it to this point. What’s happened over the last three weeks with the makeup of our team, and I think our personnel and potential with the makeup of this team, these three games got us back in the hunt.”

In one of their last practices of training camp, the Cowboys lost their Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith until December with a torn left hamstring. In the season opener, they lost their quarterback, Prescott, to a fractured right thumb, and that wasn’t all. Jayron Kearse, their leading tackler a season ago, sprained a ligament in his left knee, and left guard Connor McGovern suffered an ankle injury.

Yet the Cowboys are 3-1 in consecutive years for the first time since 2007-08.

Now imagine if the Cowboys were 1-3 after four games. Or worse.

McCarthy’s job security would be under even more scrutiny. There might be calls for Quinn to move from defensive coordinator to head coach. Former New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton’s shadow would grow heavier over the organization.

Instead McCarthy has provided a steady hand to a team that is playing its backup quarterback, a rookie left tackle, three different left guards, untested wide receivers behind CeeDee Lamb, rookie tight ends, a kicker who was signed late in training camp and, against the Washington Commanders on Sunday, had to use a fifth-round pick, DaRon Bland, at nickel cornerback when Jourdan Lewis came up injured in warmups. And Bland had an interception.

“He’s just so steady,” Quinn said. “He doesn’t ride the roller coaster, the up and downs. You know what you’re going to get every day. That’s a good quality to have from your leader to make sure in the tough games he’s there. In the ones you’re doing well, he’s there. But he’s just so consistent a person for all of us. Not everybody has that. Through the storms he can kind of see right through it and keep everybody on a level field. I think that’s probably one of his superpowers that probably doesn’t get spoken about enough.”

Given the structure favored by Jones, where McCarthy is more CEO than in the muck, credit is not something that goes his way often. He doesn’t call the plays, like he did with the Green Bay Packers. Quinn has autonomy over the defense. Special teams coordinator John Fassel has his say and is involved in game management.

The same thing happened to McCarthy’s predecessor, Jason Garrett, after he was forced to give up the playcalling after the 2012 season.

When the Cowboys made the playoffs in 2014, ’16 and ’18, credit was attributed to: QB Tony Romo, RB DeMarco Murray, TE Jason Witten, WR Dez Bryant, the offensive line, OC Scott Linehan’s playcalling, an opportunistic defense, Prescott’s mistake-free play, RB Ezekiel Elliott, the trade for WR Amari Cooper, VP of player personnel Will McClay’s ability to find talent and Jones’ general managing.

Garrett was just the guy clapping.

And now McCarthy is being treated the same way. He just holds the playcall sheet and wears the headphones.

The credit is going to coordinators Quinn and Kellen Moore, Rush’s mistake-free play, Elliott’s running with Tony Pollard, solid offensive line play (even without Tyron Smith), Parsons’ wizardry, DE DeMarcus Lawrence’s overall play, effective special teams, McClay’s ability to find talent and Jones’ general managing.

Last week, McCarthy was asked if Rush’s success is due to his ability to avoid sacks and not commit a lot of turnovers, which turned to a light moment from the coach.

“Well, I know you’re struggling not to just say it was coaching,” McCarthy feigned. “I don’t want any credit, God forbid. Let’s not change that now.”

Maybe it will change if the Cowboys continue to win, but McCarthy is secure in who he is.

“It’s always nice when people say nice things about you, but I think this — particularly my relationship with Jerry, you know, I’ve always enjoyed our conversations privately, and I’ll always have walked away from those conversations with a lot of confidence,” he said. “And I think it’s good to have that type of relationship. So, my point is, he says nice things to me privately too.”

ARLINGTON, Texas — When the outcome was still in question early in the fourth quarter Sunday and their Pro Bowl punter hit a ball off the side of his foot and saw it travel just 22 yards, the Dallas Cowboys‘ defense did not flinch.

The Washington Commanders took over at the Cowboys’ 30 with the ability to cut a deficit to one score, and they would get as deep as the 10. But then Dante Fowler Jr. recorded a third-down sack, and a fourth-down Carson Wentz throw to receiver Terry McLaurin was deflected by corner Trevon Diggs.

“It wasn’t even, ‘Oh, my gosh, bad field position,’” linebacker Leighton Vander Esch said. “It was everybody out there saying, like, ‘Do your job. They don’t get anything.’ And that was it.”

The Commanders got nothing. The Cowboys got everything, including a 25-10 victory.

Dallas (3-1) has won three straight games without Dak Prescott under center for a number of reasons: Timely offense, solid special teams, efficient running game.

But the biggest reason? The defense.

Even quarterback Cooper Rush recognizes it.

“They’re the reason we’re winning, it’s just plain and simple,” Rush said. “Those guys, I mean, 10 points in the NFL is pretty impressive.”

The Cowboys have yet to allow 20 points in a game this season. It’s the first time since 1973 the Cowboys have held their first four opponents to 19 points or fewer. They have allowed just four touchdowns in the first four games. Only the 1970 and 1972 defenses have given up four or fewer touchdowns in the first four games of the season.

That’s reminiscent of the Cowboys’ Doomsday Defense, when they had Hall of Famers Bob Lilly and Mel Renfro with Ring of Honor linebackers Chuck Howley and Lee Roy Jordan leading the defense in the 1970s.

“I’ll repeat it again: I think we’ve really got a chance to be the best defensive team in this league,” linebacker Micah Parsons said. “The way we prepare and the way we calculate, the players we have … everyone’s hungry out here. And I think that’s just been the key. Everyone’s just been relentless. Everyone’s been trying to take their chances and their shots.”

On Sunday, the Cowboys sacked Wentz twice, raising their season total to 15. It’s the eighth time in franchise history they have recorded that many sacks in the first four games of a season and just the second time since Jerry Jones took over as owner and general manager in 1989.

“We all talk about 17 [points] or less as a goal, but we all know how the rules have changed in the last 10 to 12 years, particularly with more space and so forth,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “I think it’s a real credit to our coaches and our players. You can see this really building in the second half of the season last year. As we stated throughout the OTAs and the training camp, this is a group that has a complete understanding of how we want to play. We’ve got a lot of depth, love their competitive spirit.”

Parsons is the most recognized defender, but he has gone two games without a sack.

“I started off good, but right now I’ve got to finish,” Parsons said. “I let too many plays get away from me today where I could have finished on the quarterback. That type of stuff can’t happen; [not] what a best player would do. I do think that I’ve been able to help my teammates get better.”

Against the Commanders, the sacks went to Neville Gallimore and Fowler. But it’s more than sacks.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Cowboys generated 16 pressures, which helped lead to two Wentz intentional grounding penalties. On the season, the Cowboys have 65 pressures, third most through four games since ESPN began tracking pressures in 2009.

“I mean, we know we real up front,” DeMarcus Lawrence said. “That’s a testament to the rush we put on the last couple of weeks. Yeah, if you was a quarterback, you’d be a little flustered too.”

And those pressures helped lead to two takeaways, including Diggs’ second interception in as many games and rookie DaRon Bland‘s first career interception, as he had to play the nickel corner spot after corner Jourdan Lewis went down with a groin injury in pregame warm-ups.

“I feel like there is no ceiling,” Gallimore said. “At the end of the day, we know what we’ve got in that room.”

Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers scored 19 points. The defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals scored 17. The New York Giants scored 16. Washington, 10.

“So next week: 7,” Parsons said. “You know what I’m saying? That’s the type of standard.”

The challenges will get stronger, starting next week with the Los Angeles Rams, followed by the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions.

“There’s another level we can get to,” Vander Esch said. “We ain’t there yet. We just got to keep chugging.”

BALTIMORE — Von Miller wants to beat Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson on Sunday, but the Buffalo Bills pass-rusher says Jackson deserves a big victory off the field.

Miller said Jackson has earned a record-setting contract extension because he does whatever it takes to win games.

“And that’s why he should be the highest-paid player in the NFL, and that’s why he should have the biggest contract out of all the quarterbacks,” Miller said. “He’s done everything he can possibly do to put himself in a great situation for that.”

Miller and Jackson collide at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS) in one of the biggest games of Week 4.

Jackson is playing under his fifth-year option after he turned down the Ravens’ offers for an extension before the start of the regular season. The sides have suspended contract negotiations until after the season.

Betting on himself, Jackson is off to a historic start. He is the first player since the NFL/AFL merger in 1970 to rank in the top five in both touchdown passes and rushing yards through the first three weeks of a season, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Jackson leads the league with 10 touchdown passes and ranks fifth with 243 rushing yards.

“Lamar is as dynamic as it gets,” Miller said. “Early on in his career, they tried to say he was just a runner. He has done nothing but prove that he’s the total package.”

Jackson turned down what league sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter was an offer worth about $250 million. Sources told ESPN’s Chris Mortensen that Baltimore proposed a six-year contract believed to pay Jackson a higher average salary and more guaranteed money than deals signed this summer by Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray ($46.1 million per season, $189.5 million guaranteed) and Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson ($48.5 million per season, $161 million guaranteed).

But Jackson’s wish was for a fully guaranteed deal, similar to Deshaun Watson’s record-setting $230 million, fully guaranteed contract, sources told Schefter.

Without an extension, Jackson doesn’t have any guaranteed money beyond his $23.016 million base salary for this season.

“Trust me, it’s a tough situation to be in [and] to not have anything promised and you go out there and you’re one of the fastest and most dynamic players in the world and everybody’s gunning for you,” Miller said. “Hats off to him. He’s handled it with respect. He’s really put it off to the side and not make it a distraction with his teammates. He’s done everything the right way. He’s not holding out and letting it bleed all to the media.”

Jackson became the first player in NFL history to record back-to-back games with at least three touchdown passes and 100 yards rushing. He is first in the league in passer rating (119) and rushing average (9.35 yards per carry).

Asked if he’s ever played better than what he’s doing now, Jackson said, “I don’t know. It’s too early right now. It’s only three games in.”

Jackson said he appreciates the outside praise but tries to block it out.

“I play ball — that’s all,” Jackson said. “I don’t feed into it, because they were just saying what they were saying. I’m still hungry about that, since the beginning of the season.”