The Cowboys were dominated for the 1st time in a long time in 42-17 loss to the Broncos

The Dallas Cowboys lost just three regular season games in 2016, but none were as one-sided and puzzling as the team’s defeat at the hands of the Denver Broncos in Week 2.

Dallas wasn’t just beat by the Broncos, the team was dominated in the trenches and couldn’t establish the run.

That hasn’t been an issue for the Cowboys at all in the Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott era with the team’s offensive line bullying all opponents. After a 51-yard game in his professional debut, Elliott posted at least 80 rushing yards in the last 15 games of his rookie season.

Things looked the same in Week 1 of 2017 when Elliott rumbled for 104 yards on 24 carries against the New York Giants. A week later, he managed just 8 yards on nine carries against the Broncos.

Is it time for panic in Dallas? Not at all. The team is 1-1, just like it was at this time a year ago. While the struggles to get moving offensively damper the hype for a team that has come to define itself by its stout offensive line, it’s a long season and there are plenty of lesser defenses on the way.

An early hole against the Broncos meant leaning heavily on Dak Prescott to lead the Cowboys back and he finished with a career-high 50 pass attempts. The Cowboys aren’t likely to favor the pass that much in the future and will have a chance to establish the run more against future opponents, including the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3.

The story of the game in Week 2 was the Broncos’ ability to make Dallas uncomfortable.

Denver’s defense looks legit. It’s not a surprise that the Broncos defense is dominant, but it can be easy to forget after the team was 9-7 a year ago. With an improved Trevor Siemian at the helm of the offense, the Broncos are even more dangerous when the team can get an early lead.

After putting the Cowboys in a hole and emphasizing a stop of the run, the Broncos were able to take advantage of a one-dimensional Dallas offense.

The second-year quarterback finished with 238 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. His second interception was returned by Aqib Talib more than 100 yards for a touchdown — the 10th of his career, making him the fourth player to ever reach that mark.

Prescott was also the team’s leading rusher — although, it took just 24 yards on the day to easily grab that crown.

There will be better days ahead for the Cowboys. But there’s a tough day ahead for any team that has to face the Broncos this year.