Rams vs. Cowboys: No Excuse for Dallas Not to Win Big

Remember in The Lion King when Rafiki said, “It is time!” when Simba was due to return back to Pride Land? Wait—that’s how it happened, right?

At any rate, we have arrived at the “It is time” moment for the Dallas Cowboys.

The ‘Boys face off against the St. Louis Rams on Sunday at Jerry World in a ready for the world type of contest. The Rams are playing for…well, they aren’t really playing for much, but this game may just define the Cowboys season.

Dallas currently sits at 2-3, with upcoming games against the Eagles, the Bills and Giants. The Cowboys are in a must-win situation. While the Cowboys aren’t far off from leading the NFC East, as the division is having a down year, it will not help for Dallas to take another L and fall further down the ladder.

The Giants are 4-2, the Eagles 2-4 and the Redskins are 3-2. Not much breathing room, but not much room for error, either. So again—Dallas needs to win this ballgame.

So with conventional wisdom being that Dallas should walk away with an easy victory in this game, allow me to tell you why that wisdom just may be true.

Last week, the Cowboys held the NFL’s top offense to 371 yards, as the Pats average a healthy 474 total yards per game. New England, or Tom Brady, also averaged 350 passing yards per contest, and the Dallas defense kept Tom Brady to just 289. Brady had two turnovers, but he got the win in the end, which is all that matters.

In essence, Dallas was able to contain one of the NFL’s most dangers offensive outfits. The Rams offense isn’t as potent. Second year Rams quarterback Sam Bradford is injured, and St. Louis is only putting out a little over 300 yards per game.

Advantage: Dallas.

The Cowboys defense is also one of the most dangerous in the NFL, as evidenced by their ability to hold Tom Brady back from exploding all over the Cowboys secondary. Pause.

If Bradford is unable to go against Dallas, then St. Louis will have to rely on back-up A.J. Feeley. Feeley has a history against the ‘Boys, as he was an Eagles back-up for many years. I’m sure that A.J. won’t keep Ryan and the Dallas defense up at night, but that should make him breathe a little easier if he does start.

Advantage: Dallas.

In regards to the rushing game, the Rams employ one borderline great running back and one former good running back. Well, I’ll say that the former has restored his good status with his play this season. Those backs just so happen to be Steven Jackson and Cadillac Williams.

St. Louis’ rushing game as a whole may not scare anyone, but the two gentlemen they have in the backfield should make Dallas think twice about looking past the Rams. They average a little less than 100 yards per game, but with a guy like Steven Jackson totting the rock, he can explode at any moment. The good thing about Dallas is that their rush defense is tops in the league, as they hold opponents to just 69 yards per game.

I understand that the NFL is a passing league now, but it’s still impressive nonetheless.

Advantage: Dallas.

In the end, I believe that Dallas has a recipe for success in this one. As Garrett continues to grow as a head coach, he’ll slowly start to understand what makes his team go and which calls to make in certain situations.

Quarterback Tony Romo should be able to go off for more than 300 yards which is something he usually does on the regular anyway. Dallas should win big and will win big.

Cowboys 34

Rams 16

 -JH  

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