ARLINGTON, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys are back to the grind in Week 8 and they’ll host the 3-4 Los Angeles Rams at AT&T Stadium for their first noon CT kickoff of the season.
The time and place are significant since the Rams haven’t played a road game since Oct. 1, and they could have a sluggish start due to the early time slot as a West Coast team.
Nothing should affect the Cowboys who are coming off their bye week and appear healthy heading into the contest. Perhaps there’s some rust to knock off, since they haven’t played in a few weeks, but Dallas is 2-1 after their bye week under head coach Mike McCarthy.
Here are the keys to beating the Rams to start the second half of their 2023 campaign on a high note:
Find a way to limit the terrific tandem at WR
You’d be hard pressed to find a better starting wide receiver duo than Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. The Rams drafted Nacua in the fifth round out of BYU and he’s been nothing short of spectacular.
Through seven weeks, here’s where Nacua ranks:
- First in targets: 82
- First in catches: 58
- Second in first downs: 36
- Second in yards after the catch: 284
- Third in yards: 752
- Fourth in yards per game: 107.4
That’s not just the rookie leaderboard, those rankings are for the entire league. Nacua has started his career on fire, and he’s been just as involved in the offense since Kupp returned after missing the first four games with a hamstring injury.
Kupp had an off week in Los Angeles’ Week 7 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but in his first two games back, the veteran wide receiver had two 100+ yard games, catching 15 passes. The Cowboys will have their hands full trying to stop the elite tandem, especially without cornerback Trevon Diggs. The size, speed, and athleticism from Kupp and Nacua will be a challenge for any cornerback not named DaRon Bland.
Force the Rams to play catchup
It might sound like an odd game plan to force the Rams to throw the ball with such good wideouts, but if the Cowboys can get a lead, they can attack quarterback Matthew Stafford. The veteran signal caller likes to throw the ball into tight windows, but that comes with consequences, Stafford has six interceptions this season, tied for third worst in the league.
Stafford also currently has his worst completion percentage in 10 years, so he’s struggling to find his groove. Even if Stafford has the weapons to make big plays, if the Cowboys have a lead that allows them to pin their ears back and go after him, they can force game-breaking mistakes.
The Cowboys are one of the best teams in the NFL at creating turnovers, and Stafford has shown that he’s willing to give defenses an opportunity to make plays. Los Angeles’ offensive line is also struggling, so the pass rush should be able to apply pressure on Stafford.
It’s been the way that the Cowboys have won games for the past few years; get a lead and then have the defense stamp out any offense their opponents can muster. Against a quarterback who has shown a propensity for taking chances, it would be an ideal path to victory.
Score on their red zone trips
One of the biggest problems with the Cowboys this season has been their red zone offense. However, the elixir could be playing the Rams at home.
In three road games this season, Los Angeles’ defense has allowed touchdowns on 80% of their opponents red zone trips.
Conversely, the red zone efficiency for the Cowboys at home is at just 30%, so something has to give. Dallas hasn’t had issues moving the ball, but they have had problems scoring touchdowns when they get inside the 20-yard line. The Cowboys need to convert on their red zone drives to put points on the scoreboard and force the Rams to keep up.
We’ll see if the offense found any solutions to their red zone woes during their bye week.
Slow Aaron Donald
The defense for the Rams doesn’t have many playmakers, but their best one is among the elite players in the league at any position. As an interior pass rusher, Donald dominates weekly and can ruin the game if he’s in top form.
Donald is tied for second on the team in sacks with 2.5, but he leads the Rams in tackles for a loss with eight, which is tied for fourth most in the league. That’s a big number for a defensive tackle and not surprising coming from a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and seven-time All-Pro.
Donald is a handful in the trenches, and he’ll make some plays, the key is to not to allow him to take over the game. It’s a solid trio inside for the Cowboys who will try to slow Donald down, but it’s going to take an enormous effort to ensure that it doesn’t happen.
Do you think the Cowboys will come out of their bye victorious against the Rams? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.
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