Dallas Cowboys vs St. Louis Rams: Complete Week 3 Preview for Dallas
The Dallas Cowboys have the chance to build upon the crucial momentum they gained against the Titans when they face the St. Louis Rams at the Edwards Jones Dome on Sunday.
This will be a perfect opportunity for the Cowboys to improve their record to 2-1 heading into the pivotal Sunday night game against the New Orleans Saints.
The Rams are an injury-laden team with losses to star quarterback Sam Bradford and stalwart defensive end Chris Long.
The Cowboys defense has a chance to build off their two impressive performances to start the season against the below-average Rams offense. Outside of tight end Jared Cook, the Rams don't have any playmakers on offense that should scare the Cowboys.
The Cowboys offense will have their hands full inside with the star-studded Rams defensive line but should have some favorable matchups on the outside.
Even though the Rams are severely hampered by injuries, this contest has the making to be a trap game for the Cowboys.
It will be up to head coach Jason Garrett and the rest of the coaching staff to make sure the players aren't looking beyond this game to the critical matchup against the Saints.
Read on for some news and notes, injury information and players to watch on Sunday.
Cowboys Week 2 Recap
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The Dallas Cowboys notched their first mark in the win column with a 26-10 victory over the Tennessee Titans in a game that was dominated by DeMarco Murray and the Cowboys offensive line.
Murray carried the ball 29 times for 167 yards and a touchdown against a formidable Titans defense. He ran the ball hard and displayed great ability to utilize cutback lanes, which were opened up by the Cowboys offensive line. Jason Witten aided the offensive line in opening running lanes throughout the game.
Witten may not be getting much love in the passing game, but he has done an incredible job in the run-blocking department.
The Cowboys defense was particularly dominant against the Titans. Rolando McClain, Tyrone Crawford and Sterling Moore led the way for a defense that only surrendered 10 points.
McClain and Moore did a fantastic job in coverage, while Crawford did a great job of collapsing the pocket on multiple occasions.
The defense continues to prove that they are much improved from last year and could be in the top 15 or 20 defenses in the NFL this season, which seemed far-fetched before the regular season.
Dan Bailey went 4-4 on his field-goal attempts and showcased why he is one of the best kickers in the game.
The Cowboys' performance should give them plenty of momentum going into their game against the St. Louis Rams Sunday. If the Cowboys replicate their play against the Titans when they line up against the Rams, they should have no problem securing the win.
News and Notes
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Who Are the 3 Starting Linebackers?
Rolando McClain has missed practice all week because of a groin injury suffered against the Titans. This has cast doubt as to whom will be the three starting linebackers come game day. Justin Durant would normally slide into the "Mike" linebacker position with McClain out, but he is hurt as well.
It appears as if a rookie will take over the starting "Mike" linebacker position, according to ESPNDallas.com's Tim MacMahon: "The Dallas Cowboys continue to play linebacker roulette. It appears that the starting trio will be Bruce Carter, Anthony Hitchens and Kyle Wilber when the wheel stops spinning this week."
If these three do end up being the starters, then the Cowboys will be extremely inexperienced at linebacker against the Rams.
Hitchens is a rookie, and Wilber has only played a handful of games at linebacker; Carter is the only one of the three with significant experience playing the position in the NFL.
The McClain injury has turned the linebacker position into an even bigger weak spot for the defense, and you can bet the Rams will try and exploit that weakness.
Going Back to Old Ways
DeMarco Murray has been fantastic running the ball through the first two games; however, he has had trouble holding onto the ball early in both of them. He had crucial fumbles in the first quarter against the 49ers and Titans.
This is due to a change Murray has made carrying the ball, per ESPNDallas.com's Todd Archer:
"Murray’s fumbles against the San Francisco 49ers and Tennessee Titans came when he held the ball with his left hand. He said he will go back to holding the football primarily in his right hand.
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“I worked on it throughout the offseason," Murray said of using both hands as a ball carrier. "It was something that (running backs coach Gary Brown) and I talked about throughout the course of the year, throughout the offseason. We wanted to get it done and I tried it. Not saying I won’t do it again but I’m just more comfortable and stronger, I think, in my right (hand).”
The Cowboys can't afford to turn the ball over at all throughout the season. Whatever changes Murray has to make to put a stop to his fumbling habits will be a welcome one to the coaches and fans.
Murray has been the Cowboys' best offensive player through the first two games but could be even better if he just held onto the ball.
If Murray and the Cowboys offense can limit their turnovers, then they will be in a position to make a playoff run.
Anthony Spencer Returns to Practice
Anthony Spencer returned to practice for the first time since microfracture knee surgery, per The Dallas Morning News' Rainer Sabin.
The Cowboys sorely need someone who can provide a constant and consistent pass rush. Spencer could be the player to provide that pass rush when he returns to play in the next two or three weeks.
Tyrone Crawford has done a great job of collapsing the pocket with his powerful bull rush; however, the Cowboys need someone to get around the edge, which Spencer has proved he can do.
The biggest question will be how well Spencer reacts to playing competitive football for the first time since September 2013. If he returns to the Spencer of old, then the Cowboys defense will be much better; however, he will likely need a few weeks to get used to game speed before he can be an impactful and productive defensive end.
The best-case scenario is that Spencer and DeMarcus Lawrence return from their injuries and are able to provide a constant pass rush in the last quarter of the season.
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury Status |
| Davon Coleman (knee) | DT | Out |
| Anthony Spencer (knee) | DE | Out |
| Justin Durant (groin) | LB | Out |
| Dez Bryant (shoulder) | WR | Questionable |
| Tony Romo (back) | QB | Probable |
| Zack Martin (foot) | OG | Probable |
| Gavin Escobar (knee) | TE | Questionable |
| George Selvie (shoulder) | DE | Probable |
| Davon Coleman (knee) | DT | Doubtful |
| Ken Bishop (illness) | DT | Probable |
| Joseph Randle (concussion) | RB | Questionable |
| Rolando McClain (groin) | LB | Doubtful |
All injury information from the Dallas Cowboys official website.
The Cowboys have significantly more injury concerns this week than they had last week. If Davon Coleman can't play, Ken Bishop will likely replace him on the active roster. Bishop is not a bad player, but he doesn't bring the same quickness and disruptive ability that Coleman brings every time he lines up.
If Joseph Randle doesn't recover from his concussion in time for the Rams game, then the Cowboys may be obliged to call up practice-squad running back Ryan Williams. Randle did a fantastic job of running the ball against the Titans; however, Williams did a great job of rushing during the preseason and shouldn't be much of a downgrade from Randle.
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X-Factors and Matchups to Watch
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Tyron Smith vs. Robert Quinn
The most prolific matchup throughout the NFL in Week 3 will be when Tyron Smith matches up with Robert Quinn.
Smith is one of the best left tackles in the league. He displays great athletic ability for an offensive lineman. He has an elite kick step off the snap, displays great footwork and balance and is utterly dominant in the run game.
Quinn is the best pass-rushing defensive end in the NFL. He utilizes his incredible quickness off the snap to complement with his wide array of pass-rush moves.
Last year, these two players matched up in Week 3 of the season where Smith seemed to get the better of Quinn throughout the game. This was one of the few games where Quinn was held in check, and that was largely due to Smith's ability to stop Quinn's athleticism.
This matchup will come down to who is more technically sound Sunday, because if either one makes even a tiny mistake, the other will take full advantage.
Jared Cook vs. Cowboys Linebackers, Safeties and Possibly Sterling Moore
The most prolific weapon on the Rams offense is tight end Jared Cook. The Cowboys have had trouble stopping tight ends this season, as evidenced by Delanie Walker and Vernon Davis' productive games against the Cowboys.
The linebackers and safeties will have to do a much better job of covering seam routes and deep crossing routes. The safeties have had trouble tracking the tight ends well enough to make plays on the ball.
One option for the Cowboys may be to match up Cook with Sterling Moore, who has much better coverage ability than any of the linebackers or safeties.
Expect the Cowboys to play a great deal of Cover 1 and other man coverages so that Cook doesn't get free roam through the secondary.
Cowboys' X-Factor of the Week: Zack Martin
One of the Rams' deepest positions is their 1- and 3-technique defensive tackle positions. The Rams' two best players at those positions are Michael Brockers and rookie Aaron Donald.
Martin will be tasked with controlling at least one of these players on every play. Against Brockers, Martin will have to deal with a player who is extremely strong at the point of attack.
Against Donald, Martin will have to control someone who is quick off the ball with an incredible array of pass-rush moves.
Both players have stark differences, but Martin will have to do a great job on both throughout the game.
Martin has amazing technical prowess for a rookie and understands the blocking schemes at a graduate level. The one negative about Martin is that he is not incredibly strong at the point of attack. This leads to him not getting enough push in the run game at times.
Martin will have his hands full Sunday, but he will need to be solid for the Cowboys offense to have a chance.
Prediction
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Almost every aspect of this game points in the Cowboys' favor. Dallas has the better quarterback, running back, wide receivers, offensive line, secondary and special teams.
The Cowboys have to leverage the areas where they are stronger than the Rams to win this game.
Tony Romo should have a great game as the Rams try to load the box to stop DeMarco Murray.
Murray should have a productive performance since the Cowboys offensive line is so dominant in the running game. However, the offensive line must do a better job of protecting Romo against the Rams' vaunted pass rush.
The Cowboys defense should continue its stellar play against the below-average Rams offense. If the Cowboys can keep Jared Cook and Zac Stacy in check, then they should have no problem holding the Rams under 17 points.
Everything points to the Cowboys winning this game, but that is sometimes their biggest weakness. If they don't look past the Rams to the Saints game, then it should lead them to a 2-1 record. If they do look past them, then they will be in a dogfight from the very beginning.
Overall, Murray should continue his outstanding running, while Romo improves on his average Week 2 performance. The defense should be able to contain the few weapons the Rams have, which will lead to a likely win for the Cowboys.
Prediction: Cowboys 27, Rams 13
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