DALLAS — The dust is still settling for the Dallas Cowboys after their 34-17 blowout loss in Baltimore on Tuesday night, but there is little time to waste in preparing for the next challenge.
It’s a short week for the Cowboys as they travel east again to play the Cincinnati Bengals in a Week 14 matchup that has more implications than you might expect for two teams that have combined to win five games in 2020.
Neither team is going to make the playoffs, but this game could ultimately determine the draft pick status for both franchises. Dallas would currently pick fourth overall and Cincinnati holds the third selection. The Cowboys are in a situation where a loss could be beneficial to them.
However, if the Cowboys want to leave with a win – despite the possibility of securing a better draft pick – they might want to learn these lessons from the beat down they received from the Ravens in Week 13:
Stop the running game
Stopping Baltimore’s top-tier rushing attack was among the keys to victory for the Cowboys against the Ravens and oh boy did the defense not accomplish that goal as they very nearly allowed 300 yards on the ground. However, the Bengals don’t have the same ground game, nor do they have a quarterback like Lamar Jackson, but the Cowboys will once again be challenged to stop the run if they want to win this game.
Unlike the Ravens, Cincinnati is near the bottom of NFL in rushing yards per game, at 91.6 ypg. A part of the reason for that is likely due to them often being down so much on the scoreboard and being forced to throw the ball to play catch-up. Indeed, Cincinnati’s 288 rushing attempts are tied with Detroit for 26th in the league.
Things are even more dire for the Bengals without their starting QB. 2020 1st overall pick Joe Burrow, much like Dallas’ Dak Prescott, succumbed to a season-ending knee injury earlier this season. Without Burrow, the Bengals will lean on the running game and try to replicate the success other teams have had against Dallas. The Cowboys will need to stop the run and continue to make the Bengals one dimensional on offense.
Regroup in the middle of defense
Tuesday’s loss wasn’t a good look for the Cowboys’ defense, particularly in the middle of the field. The interior of the defensive line played poorly, the linebackers routinely guessed wrong on run plays and ended up woefully out of position, and the safety play was awful. It doesn’t matter who you play, if you don’t play well up the middle on defense, it’s going to be a long day.
Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch will want to put Week 13 behind him after he made the wrong read several times in the loss, and safety Xavier Woods has to do something to redeem himself after his game in Baltimore. Woods’ play has been an issue all year and he was especially poor against the Ravens.
If the defense isn’t stronger up the middle, the Cowboys will struggle again, even against the 2-9-1 Bengals.
Be aggressive on offense
The Cowboys had opportunities to score points against the Ravens, but three missed field goals cost the team the ability to stay within reach. Kicker Greg Zuerlein didn’t do his job on Tuesday and it should clue coach Mike McCarthy in on the need to be more aggressive in situations where the offense has a chance to score points.
There is nothing for the Cowboys to lose now by taking chances. The effort in Baltimore showed that settling for long field goals isn’t a great option and the time to push the envelope is now. With the faintest of hope for the playoffs still alive, it’s time to be aggressive, not only for this game, but for the remaining games on the schedule.
Play with more intensity
The effort against the Ravens wasn’t strong and McCarthy apparently had to let his team know that it wasn’t good enough.
This wasn’t the first game where the Cowboys’ hustle has been questioned, but it should be the last. As professionals, there’s no excuse for not giving it your all and if Dallas brings the same intensity against the Bengals, the results will likely be the same.
The Cowboys of 2020 won’t be remembered fondly because they will have a losing record, but this particular squad will be loathed if they can’t muster a better effort in Cincinnati.
Are you rooting for the Cowboys to beat the Bengals or are you hoping a loss will leapfrog Dallas to a higher draft pick? Share your predictions with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.
