The Dallas Cowboys rebounded from their loss to the San Francisco 49ers with a convincing victory over the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium last week. They entered their bye week with a sense of confidence, and now they face the Los Angeles Rams at AT&T Stadium, aiming to improve their position in the NFC playoff race with a post-bye winning streak. To avoid a letdown after the bye, Mike McCarthy’s team must focus on five key strategies, starting with an assessment of the team captains and the inactive players, notably Tyron Smith and his neck injury.
1. Neutralize the Rams’ Dominant Trio: To secure their fifth win of the season, the Cowboys must contain the trio of Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp, and rookie Puka Nacua. While Donald hasn’t displayed his typical dominance with just 2.5 sacks in seven games, the Cowboys need to disrupt his rhythm and prevent him from wreaking havoc in their backfield. Kupp and Nacua pose significant challenges for Dan Quinn’s defense, with Nacua’s impressive performance (58 receptions, 752 yards) and Kupp’s reliability as Matthew Stafford’s go-to receiver.
2. Convert Third Downs: The Cowboys excel at third-down conversions, ranking fourth in the league, while the Rams’ defense ranks 16th in stopping such conversions. Dak Prescott’s ability to use his mobility and extend drives by picking up crucial third downs could prove effective against the Rams, who struggle to halt opponents in these situations.
3. Feed CeeDee Lamb: The Rams’ defense has struggled to contain star receivers like Deebo Samuel, A.J. Brown, Dallas Goedert, and Ja’Marr Chase this season. This presents an opportunity for CeeDee Lamb to become a focal point of the Cowboys’ offense. Although the Rams limit opponents to an average of 220 passing yards per game, they have difficulty defending elite receivers, making it crucial to get the ball to Lamb.
4. Revive the Running Game: The Rams allow an average of 117 rushing yards per game, but they have yielded over 150 yards in two losses and over 130 yards in other games. The Cowboys’ running game has been lackluster in recent outings, with only 57 yards against the 49ers and 96 against the Chargers. They’ve had just one 100-yard rusher all season (Pollard against the Patriots), and in the last three games, no player has gained more than 47 rushing yards. It’s imperative for the Cowboys to rejuvenate their ground game against the Rams.
5. Pressure Matthew Stafford: The Rams’ offensive line has given up 18 sacks in seven games, ranking eighth in the league, and Stafford has been under pressure 20 times (tenth most). Stafford has faced the fourth-highest number of blitzes (87 times) in seven games, making him vulnerable. To disrupt Stafford’s rhythm, the Cowboys’ defense, featuring players like Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Osa Odighizuwa, and Dorance Armstrong, must make life uncomfortable for him. This pressure will also support the primary goal of containing Kupp and Nacua. In conclusion, these strategies might lead to the predicted outcome by Mike Fisher: Cowboys 24, Rams 16.
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