It wasn't always pretty, but the Dallas Cowboys (6-5) were able to come away with a crucial 31-23 Thanksgiving win over the Washington Redskins (6-5).

The Cowboys were able to grab their third straight win on account of some timely plays by Amari Cooper, effective running by Ezekiel Elliott, and forced turnovers by the defense.

Even without Tyron Smith blocking Dak Prescott's blind side, the Cowboys offense was able to accumulate 404 total yards, averaging 5.9 yards per play, while never turning the ball over. The defense, on the other hand, allowed 331 total yards (5.4 yards per play) while forcing three turnovers.

As improbable as it may have sounded a month ago, the Cowboys are now tied for a share of the lead in the NFC East. So with that in mind, let's take a look at a few things we've gleaned from Dallas' winning performance.

Amari Cooper is a season changer

Eight catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns. This is exactly what the Cowboys were envisioning when they sent a first-round pick to Oakland in exchange for Cooper.

In the third quarter, Washington had a 13-10 lead and the Cowboys offense was struggling to get a first down, let alone score points. It felt as though the game was slipping from the Cowboys' grasp.

The offense needed someone to make a play and right the ship. Before Cooper arrived, the Cowboys lacked a true play-making threat to go with Elliott on offense. If a team could slow him down, it would bring the Cowboys offense to a screeching halt.

Cooper proved without a shadow of a doubt that he is indeed a true play-maker for the Cowboys in the third quarter, as he came up with two clutch catch-and-runs for touchdowns.

On his first touchdown, Cooper showed off his excellent route-running ability before hauling in a short pass and taking it for a 40-yard touchdown:

Great route by Amari Cooper to beat Dunbar for the score.pic.twitter.com/NwM4pw8hQb — Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 22, 2018

On this play, Cooper aligned with a 'plus' (outside the numbers) split with Quinton Dunbar in a man coverage - a true mismatch. Once the ball is snapped, Cooper uses a quick hesitation move to release outside, signaling a vertical route concept to the cornerback.

But, it's a trap!

After initially stemming outside, which forced the cornerback to turn his hips to the sideline, Cooper quickly threw on the brakes and broke inside, leaving the cornerback grasping for air and stumbling to the ground. Prescott's pass wasn't even in a good place to facilitate a yards-after-catch opportunity, but Cooper was so open that it didn't matter. From there, Cooper's acceleration and deep speed took over as he was able to scamper untouched into the end zone to put the Cowboys ahead.

To top it off, Cooper had one of the best celebrations of the year, as he mimicked Markelle Fultz's infamous free-throw routine:

Amari Cooper is money from the charity stripe 💯 @AmariCooper9 pic.twitter.com/dKbDv1RSJh — The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) November 22, 2018

However, Cooper wasn't done. On the next possession, Cooper took it a step further as he had a gorgeous 90-yard catch-and-run to put the Cowboys up by two scores:

Here, Cooper is lined up in the slot to the wide side of the field (top of the screen). Cooper is running a skinny post, and Washington actually does a decent job defending it as they have three defenders within a yard or two of Cooper when he makes the catch. However, after shucking off Fabien Moreau's (No. 31) tackle attempt, Cooper was able to escape from and outrun the Washington defenders for a 90-yard touchdown - the longest pass play in the NFL this season.

Outside of his two touchdown grabs, Cooper had three third-down conversions and five first downs overall. When the Cowboys needed someone to make a play or extend a drive, Cooper was the man they turned to, and it sure did pay off.

Cooper's presence has turned this Cowboys offense from one of the worst in football into a slightly above-average unit. And with the way the Cowboys defense is currently playing, that's certainly enough for Dallas to take control of the NFC East.

When the Cowboys acquired Cooper, they were 3-4 and reeling after a disappointing loss to Washington. Now, the Cowboys are 6-5 and tied for a share of the NFC East lead.

Amazing what one player can do for the fortunes of a team.

DeMarcus Lawrence is going to break the bank with his next contract

DeMarcus Lawrence has the been the most consistent contributor for the Cowboys in the last two years, regardless of position. Whether it's against the run or pass, Lawrence figures out a way to make a couple of plays that positively affect Dallas' winning chances. It doesn't always end in a win, but Lawrence typically gives a winning individual performance, or, at the very least, a winning effort.

This week against Washington, it was more of the same, as Lawrence finished with three tackles, three quarterback hits, one interception and a half-sack.

Typically, Lawrence only makes an impact as a pass rusher or run defender, but on Thanksgiving, he hauled in an interception:

Here, Lawrence did an excellent job of reading and defending the cut-block to stay upright. Without that, Lawrence doesn't even have a shot at making a play on the ball. However, because he was able to keep himself clean, it allowed him to leap and make a play on McCoy's short pass. He initially bobbled it, but Lawrence was able to gain control of the ball and rumble downfield for a few yards.

Demarcus Lawrence is not fun to play against. pic.twitter.com/ey3XJJma0Z — Cian (@Cianaf) November 22, 2018

Outside of the interception, Lawrence was still effective against the run and pass. As a pass rusher, Lawrence was able to beat Washington right tackle Morgan Moses inside and outside throughout the game, making it difficult for Moses to get in a rhythm in pass protection. As a run defender, Lawrence set a strong edge and was a big reason Dallas held the Washington running backs to 52 yards.

On the season, Lawrence has 47 tackles, 14 for loss, 17 quarterback hits and 8.5 sacks, eliminating any belief that Lawrence is simply a one-year wonder. In fact, after playing the rest of this season on the franchise tag, Lawrence is primed to cash in big on a contract that could be worth the GDP of a small nation.

And he deserves every single penny.

The Cowboys actually can survive without Tyron Smith

In the past, when Tyron Smith has missed time, the Cowboys offense took a nose dive. When Smith was out of the lineup last year, the Cowboys went 0-3 (which includes the Chargers game where Smith missed the entire game outside of the first handful of snaps), failing to put up 10-or-more points in each contest.

So when Smith wasn't in the lineup when the Cowboys offense took the field for its first possession against Washington, panic rightfully beset the Cowboys fan base. In the first half, it looked to be déjà vu as the Cowboys offense was borderline inept outside of the first possession (even though they did break that elusive double-digit barrier in Smith's absence).

Smith's replacement at left tackle, Cameron Fleming, struggled, as he was getting toasted on the edge by Washington outside linebacker Preston Smith - who had seven pressures, four quarterback hits and 1.5 sacks in the first half alone. Prescott was under heavy pressure the entire first half, forcing the offense to move at a snail's pace.

The second half was a different story, as the offensive line did a much better job of keeping Prescott upright given that Prescott was sacked four times in the first half and zero times in the second half.

Whether it was sliding protection toward him, using a running back to chip his man or keeping a tight end to help him block, the Cowboys did a good job of funneling help to Fleming on the edge in the second half, which gave Prescott the extra tick or two he needed to make plays in the passing game.

Fleming won't grade out well on a snap-to-snap basis, but he played well enough that the Cowboys offense didn't crumble without its All-Pro left tackle - something the team couldn't say in the past.

Twitter: @JohnOwning