Special teams success played a key role in the Dallas Cowboys‘ 43-20 blowout win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, including a big play from KaVontae Turpin.
Dallas’ standout return man made one sizable return and had another negated by a penalty on a day where the Cowboys flourished in all three phases as they jumped on the Rams early and never allowed them back within striking distance.
Aggression Fuels KaVontae Turpin’s Big Returns
Turpin was one of three kick returners to earn Pro Bowl honors on the NFC side last season, delivering time and time again with big plays on kickoff and punt returns as a rookie.
His 2023 season got out to a relatively quiet start through the first six games, however, as teams often elected to kick away from him. Turpin made just three kickoff returns and six punt returns through the first six games, none of them going for particularly sizable gains.
He was finally able to get going Sunday, returning two kicks for a total of 88 yards and taking a punt 87 yards for a touchdown before it was nullified by a holding penalty.
Turpin credited that success to the Cowboys’ focus on being more aggressive this week at the behest of special teams coordinator John “Bones” Fassel.
“[I] just finally got a chance,” Turpin said. “We came out on special teams, and Bones told us we were going to be more aggressive. That was the plan coming in — special teams being more aggressive, offense being more aggressive, and defense being more aggressive. I just feel like we came out of the bye week ready to play.”
MORE: Observations From the Cowboys’ Dominating Win Against the Rams
Turpin’s biggest play of the day that ultimately counted came after another big special teams play when Sam Williams blocked a Rams punt, which rolled out the back of the end zone for a safety.
Turpin fielded the ensuing free kick in plenty of space around Dallas’ 25-yard line; then he made an initial move left before cutting back right into a big hole and rolling down the sideline to the Rams’ 13-yard line, where he was forced out of bounds.
KaVontae Turpin's turn to make a play for Dallas 🔥
📺: #LARvsDAL on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/Quwvdzpx7G pic.twitter.com/W3naWhN0cZ— NFL (@NFL)
“I ain’t get too many chances with special teams,” Turpin said. “I just feel like today, I feel good being able to get some chances on kick return and punt return. Bones told us we had to come out here and be aggressive, so that’s what I tried to do on special teams.
“A lot of guys are scared to kick it to me. It just feels like I have to be patient and take advantage of my opportunities like I did today.”
Turpin Matches Career-Long Return
The 63-yard return tied Turpin’s career-long with Dallas after he also returned a kickoff 63 yards during a 26-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6 last season.
His big return on the free kick came early in the second quarter Sunday and set Dallas up to score two plays later on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Dak Prescott to CeeDee Lamb that made it 26-3 and kept the momentum rolling firmly in the Cowboys’ favor.
Turpin appeared to have made another big return early in the fourth quarter as he fielded a punt at the Dallas 13-yard line and returned it 87 yards for a touchdown, but the play was negated by a holding penalty.
“It’s just like, ‘Dang, again?'” Turpin said of his reaction to the penalty. “But at the same time, my guys go out there and block their tails off. Like I tell ’em, we’re going to get another chance. Each and every week, another chance, another chance.”
The play still provided another example of the Cowboys’ heightened emphasis on special teams aggression paying dividends, as it did with the blocked punt and Turpin’s long free-kick return.
That aggression also resulted in Turpin deciding to return a kickoff from nine yards deep in the end zone early in the third quarter, which led to him being wrapped up at the Dallas 16-yard line and costing the Cowboys an additional nine yards of field position.
The play was ultimately inconsequential as Dallas drove 84 yards for a touchdown, but it showed the potential consequences of dialing the aggression up too far.
Still, remaining aggressive is in the Cowboys’ plans going forward after the success that emphasis reaped against the Rams.
“We’re going to go out there next week and do the same thing,” Turpin said. “Be way more aggressive.”
From the current NFL standings to team depth charts to coverage of every game in the 18-week NFL schedule, we have all the news from around the league to keep you up to speed!
