The Dallas Cowboys have their backs against the wall as they are now tied with the Philadelphia Eagles at the top of their division, each with a record of 6-7.
Given how their seasons have played out, there will be no wild card on the table. To make the playoffs, the only path for these two bitter rivals is to win the NFC East.
With that said, and with a three-game losing streak to break, the Cowboys are looking to get one of the two games they must win out of the way with just three games left.
The Eagles will host the Cowboys next week in what will likely amount to an impromptu NFC East championship game, but before they renew their long standing rivalry, the Cowboys will be looking for retribution against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Amari Cooper-infused Cowboys were red hot last January heading into the divisional round with a 8-1 record after the bye week in 2018.
Fresh off a wild card win against the Seattle Seahawks, Jason Garrett was attempting to take Dallas beyond the round for a third time but, that night in L.A., the Cowboys were gashed on the ground and knocked out of the playoffs by the Rams.
After using that game against the Cowboys to catapult themselves all the way to last season’s Super Bowl, in 2019, the Rams have had a bit of a hangover and sit at 8-5. Though outclassing the Cowboys, that record that would see the club miss the playoffs altogether were the season to have ended after 14 weeks. The Rams currently trail the 9-4 Minnesota Vikings for final wild card spot.
Now Sean McVay’s squad likely needs to win their final three games and get some help in the NFC to return to the playoffs which means Dallas can be the ones to help send them packing on Sunday.
Vengeance is a role that would suit the Cowboys if they didn’t have their own problems to worry about.
Here’s a look at how the Cowboys can set themselves up in a better position before Week 16’s showdown in Philadelphia and put a kink in L.A.’s plans at the same time:
Win the trench warfare
For the Cowboys to have an opportunity against the Rams, it begins in the trenches. The Cowboys offensive line has to find a way to neutralize two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year in Aaron Donald.
The problem is, the Cowboys interior offensive line has struggled with Xavier Su’a-Filo in for the injured Connor Williams.
Both Travis Frederick and Zack Martin will need to find ways to assist with taking Donald out of the game. The Cowboys also will have to find ways to slow down the other pass rushers. Michael Brockers, Dante Fowler and an old nemesis Clay Matthew Jr. will all be looking to harass Dak Prescott so the entire unit, who has often been heralded as the best unit in football, needs to be on their A game.
On the other side of the ball, DeMarcus Lawrence has been very vocal about what needs to be done, as has Michael Bennett. The Cowboys need more than words from the duo.
They need disruption. Bennett has shown the ability to win from the inside and the Cowboys need a big game from him to allow Lawrence some one on one opportunities to stop the run game and give Jared Goff problems from the outside.
Sean Lee is being counted on to play but Leighton Vander Esch is still out. The team is very thin at linebacker so the defensive line needs to create lanes for the linebacker group to fly to the ball and prevent LA RB Todd Gurley from taking over the game. The ability to stop the run starts with winning in the trenches for this defense.
Quinn’s revenge
This is not only a chance to get payback for a Cowboys team that was bounced from the playoffs in their last matchup against the Rams, but also an opportunity for satisfaction for Robert Quinn.
Quinn was a first-round selection by the Rams out of North Carolina in 2011. He enjoyed his best years as a pro with the Rams including a 19 sack season in 2013. That same year, Quinn was named a first-team All-Pro and the PFWA NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
Following some up and down seasons in the mid-2010s, Quinn was unceremoniously sent to Miami following the 2017 season. This year, Quinn has revitalized his career in Dallas after posting a meager 6.5 sacks last season with the Dolphins.
Quinn has shown that he can still be a threat to get to the passer with his relentless motor. In fact, in his first season with the Cowboys, he is just 1.5 sacks away from posting the second most sacks in a season over his nine-year career.
Not that he needs the extra motivation but Quinn could very well be looking to make a statement against his former club and the Cowboys defense sure could use that something extra as they have to find a way to stop an offense that has recently found some of their 2018 magic that got them all the way to the Super Bowl.
Cooper v Ramsey
The Cowboys will be looking to get their offense going in this matchup after a couple of games where Prescott and gang went cold after the scripted plays of the first quarter ran out.
Needing a spark, it is no secret that Amari Cooper performs best under the bright lights of AT&T Stadium and the Rams will have to find a way to slow him down.
Cooper will be facing Los Angeles’ in-season acquisition Jalen Ramsey for much of the night, a huge matchup that Cooper will need to win often enough for the offense to find success against these Rams.
That battle will be a tough test for Cooper against the cornerback selected immediately after the Cowboys grabbed Ezekiel Elliott in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Cooper is known for his route running and he will need to be on his game to create separation and get into the head of Ramsey. Getting Cooper involved early on will help the rest of the offense find opportunities elsewhere on the field.
The Rams have a good defense led by former Dallas head coach Wade Phillips and stifling the Cowboys’ offense is their best chance at winning this game on the road.
The Cowboys will still take their shots and Cooper needs to command some attention so fellow receivers Michael Gallup and Randall Cobb can get favorable matchups as the game progresses.
This will be a tough game for Dallas as they have struggled to win games like this all season.
And, in fact, the Cowboys haven’t come out on top against a team with a winning record in the regular season in well over a year now. One can’t help but feel that this will continue on Sunday, especially since this is much more of a must win for Los Angeles than Dallas.
Prediction: Rams 31 Cowboys 17
Do you think the Cowboys will be able to end their losing streak and help end the Rams’ hopes of returning to the playoffs on Sunday? Share your predictions with Patrick Conn on Twitter @DraftCowboys.
