A tough matchup for the Cowboys

[CWR]

The Steelers are an average team IMO that is supremely coached. They haven’t had a QB since Big Ben yet Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season.

You’re right that they don’t a lot of things well but they know who they are as a team. They’ve run the same 3-4 defense for decades and they are not afraid to just play smash mouth football on offense.

Agreed. They are beatable but we need to bring our Jeuvos Rancheros, because they will attempt to bully us.

 

[OGSixshooter]

Has anyone mentioned coaching? Tomlin is among the league's best - he has warts, but his teams respond to him in a tough division.

Meanwhile...we got...the Reactive Doofus.

 

[75boyz]

Has anyone mentioned coaching? Tomlin is among the league's best - he has warts, but his teams respond to him in a tough division.

Meanwhile...we got...the Reactive Doofus.

I mentioned coaching in my response to the OP.
But you are right about this, totally agree.

 

[rambo2]

Has anyone mentioned coaching? Tomlin is among the league's best - he has warts, but his teams respond to him in a tough division.

Meanwhile...we got...the Reactive Doofus.

Who has the better winning percentage? They are pretty close.

 

[darealvelle]

Lol every week will be a tough match up for the boys. No need for posters to keep making this same thread weekly with the only change is the opponent.

 

[Risen Star]

I would use Deuce Vaughn to chip on Watt to keep him neutralized.

 

[MarcusRock]

I think we can win this game if we don't lose it.

 

[Darkhound]

A win will be the "surprising" result let`s face it

 

[sbark]

I would use Deuce Vaughn to chip on Watt to keep him neutralized.

Isnt blocking below thw waist a penalty
/s

 

[tomokawan]

Hey, it’s the NFL…sure it’s possible we can win.

It not the long shot you think it is. I think it will be a close competitive game.

 

[plasticman]

The matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday night sets up to be a huge challenge both as a team and in the individual matchups. The Steelers are a tough, physical team on both sides of the ball, which has proven to be a real challenge for the Cowboys for years.

STEELER STRENGTHS

• Stopping the run. The Steelers defense averages giving up less than 90 yards per game on the ground and only 3.7 yards per carry. They have run the 3-4 defense for decades have been one of the most consistent teams to stop the run in the NFL.
• TJ Watt is arguably the best pass rusher in this league on a consistent basis. He moves around a lot to frustrate blocking schemes. He is disruptive in all phases of defense.
• Steelers defense only gives 262 yards per game after 4 games. They are currently ranked 2nd in total defense and only give up 13 ppg.
• The Steelers have been able to run the ball fairly well this year averaging about 129 yards per game. They don’t have a big play running back but they pound defenses with lots of short runs and are committed to especially with the lead. QB Justin Fields is a good runner but not a good passer.

STEELERS WEAKNESSES

• QB Justin Fields is not a good passer. He’s mobile and can run but if his team gets behind more than a TD he’s way less effective.
• The Steelers offense only averages 317 ypg, currently ranked 17th, two spots below our offense which is ranked 15th.
• If the Steelers get behind, they don’t have a great ability to comeback because their passing game is not that great.
• The Steelers have not been that great at home going back to last year. In their last 10 home games, they are 6-4. Sunday night’s game will only be their second home game this year.

I think the absolute keys to a Cowboys win in this game are:

• Cowboys need to score first. The Steelers defense is devastating with a two score lead.
• Find a way to limit TJ Watt’s pass rush. (Easier said than done)
• Get some turnovers somehow. Fields has a tendency to throw picks under pressure so we may need to blitz more with Parsons and DLaw out.
• Cowboys must be willing to take chances on both sides of the ball. Playing conservative against a team that is way more physical plays into their hands.

I expect this to be a very physical game and potentially low scoring. If the Cowboys get behind early, it plays right into the Steelers strengths. We are going to find out quickly Sun night how tough the Cowboys are both physically and mentally.

Very nice analysis.

Steelers throw the ball an average of 27 times a game and they run an average of 35 times a game. This ranks them 2nd place in highest percentage of running plays behind only the Saints.

I think that Tomlin's gameplan here will be to run and keep running until the Cowboys prove they can stop it. It would have been the same gameplan had both Parsons and Lawrence been healthy. Regardless of who is pass rushing, Tomlin will not put the outcome in Field's hands. He will leave it up to the defense.

Mazi Smith will get an opportunity to prove that last week was no fluke. He will be a key player in the outcome of this game. Did he actually turn a corner or will the team be back to the same guy they have had for the previous 20 games? Consider the results on Sunday to be a reflection on the coaching he received as well.

As long as I am mentioning percentage of offensive plays that are runs, the Cowboys are on the other end of the spectrum, dead last. They run the ball only 35.9% of the time.

Naturally, we might assume that this is a result of the Cowboys playing from behind. However, this is a trend that exists at the very start of games.

The Cowboys are ranked 29th in percentage of running plays in the first quarter alone. In the first quarter, so far this season, they have run the ball 37.7% of the time.

The 2nd assumption is that the Cowboys are aware of their shortcomings in the running game and electing to pass is a more productive strategy.

Although the Cowboys are ranked 19th in average yards per run in the 1st quarter at 3.7 yards, I would like to point out that both the Steelers and the Eagles average far less in the 1st quarter at 3.3 yards and 3.1 yards respectively.

I think the Cowboys need to pick a RB and give him 20 carries against the Steelers. Passing the ball 64.1% of the time is an open invitation for T.J. Watt to pad stats. The Cowboys must do something they are notorious for not doing. They must stick with the run regardless of immediate results.

In my opinion, Dowdle is not durable or physical enough to take 20 carries against an aggressive defense. He is a "Pollard" type that can give you 100% on a finite number of plays. It has to be Zeke.

So to summarize, considering I believe the outcome of this game will depend on the likes of Mazi Smith and Ezekiel Elliot and would require a complete reversal of the Cowboys offensive strategy dating back to Jason Garrett as a OC.....

...I agree, this is a tough matchup.

 

[CCBoy]

Great post....and, you didn't even blame Jerry.
Salud and Go Cowboys!

This game I think has to be one that Prescott takes charge and makes it a win for Dallas. He has already stated prior that he doesn't feel like he has to have a great game to win it.

Missing top two CB's and DE and a starting WR...he is wrong and the replacements aren't going to do anything else but start aggressive straight up physically to remain in game.

 

[Aven8]

Let’s face it, this was going to be a tough time even if Dlaw and Micah were healthy. On the road against a professional NFL defense.

 

[CCBoy]

I'm watching Steele on the right side and penalties on the left offensive line.

 

[BrassCowboy]

If I was to rate these cowboys chances to win on a scale of 1-10, I would say they have a .5 chance. Lack of talent, too many players out, McCarthy playing a very basic offense.

Sorry but considering our defensive line as depleted as it is, I predict a very long day. Maybe 34-17

 

[CCBoy]

I'm watching Steele on the right side and penalties on the left offensive line.

The most manageable area to improve in is penalties. Dallas isn’t an explosive offense, holding the ball for long drives often, but the team continually sets itself back with penalties. The team is in the bottom five in the NFL in penalties, second worst in offensive holding penalties, and bottom 10 in false starts. These setbacks have cost the team first downs, taken them out of scoring range, and the team isn’t good enough to overcome the penalties. It’s crucial to clean those up, as more points will come and the time of possession will shift to Dallas, allowing them to protect their defense.

https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/2024/10/03/cowboys-life-after-parsons-lawrence/

This could take Prescott out of the picture if the coaches don't get this fixed, here and now. Directly to the coaches, then...

Don't put Lamb in constant double and triple coverages.

 

[CCBoy]

The Steelers, Dallas’ opponent Sunday night, are still trying to figure things out on offense. They rank 20th in EPA offense this season and have been having significant struggles running the ball. Their rushing EPA ranks 29th in the NFL with a success rate of just 35.5 percent. Even with one of the best rushing quarterbacks in the league in Justin Fields, the Steelers have struggled to move the ball on the ground.

Facing a below average offense that’s struggling to run the ball is just what the doctor ordered at a time like this. Zimmer can experiment with new players, new alignments and blitz packages he may not otherwise feel comfortable with.

With the Lions and the 49ers next up on the schedule, the following two matchups aren’t so inviting. The first-place schedule they face in 2024 certainly isn’t doing them any favors, so all things considered, the injuries fell at a good time for the Cowboys. Now is the time to experiment on defense and try to figure some solutions because things get much harder down the road.

https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/2024/10/03/steelers-cowboys-experiment-defense/

 

[john van brocklin]

The matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday night sets up to be a huge challenge both as a team and in the individual matchups. The Steelers are a tough, physical team on both sides of the ball, which has proven to be a real challenge for the Cowboys for years.

STEELER STRENGTHS

• Stopping the run. The Steelers defense averages giving up less than 90 yards per game on the ground and only 3.7 yards per carry. They have run the 3-4 defense for decades have been one of the most consistent teams to stop the run in the NFL.
• TJ Watt is arguably the best pass rusher in this league on a consistent basis. He moves around a lot to frustrate blocking schemes. He is disruptive in all phases of defense.
• Steelers defense only gives 262 yards per game after 4 games. They are currently ranked 2nd in total defense and only give up 13 ppg.
• The Steelers have been able to run the ball fairly well this year averaging about 129 yards per game. They don’t have a big play running back but they pound defenses with lots of short runs and are committed to especially with the lead. QB Justin Fields is a good runner but not a good passer.

STEELERS WEAKNESSES

• QB Justin Fields is not a good passer. He’s mobile and can run but if his team gets behind more than a TD he’s way less effective.
• The Steelers offense only averages 317 ypg, currently ranked 17th, two spots below our offense which is ranked 15th.
• If the Steelers get behind, they don’t have a great ability to comeback because their passing game is not that great.
• The Steelers have not been that great at home going back to last year. In their last 10 home games, they are 6-4. Sunday night’s game will only be their second home game this year.

I think the absolute keys to a Cowboys win in this game are:

• Cowboys need to score first. The Steelers defense is devastating with a two score lead.
• Find a way to limit TJ Watt’s pass rush. (Easier said than done)
• Get some turnovers somehow. Fields has a tendency to throw picks under pressure so we may need to blitz more with Parsons and DLaw out.
• Cowboys must be willing to take chances on both sides of the ball. Playing conservative against a team that is way more physical plays into their hands.

I expect this to be a very physical game and potentially low scoring. If the Cowboys get behind early, it plays right into the Steelers strengths. We are going to find out quickly Sun night how tough the Cowboys are both physically and mentally.

I expect the Cowboys he get beat down, whipped, spanked and sent home without dinner.
Other than that, it should be a great game!

 

[NoLuv4Jerry]

Steelers crowd will be rabid but tbf I see this as a comfortable Dallas win. Dallas defense can focus on the run and Fields won’t take advantage of 1 on 1 coverage.

24-13 Dallas

Wow.....just wow!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Proof]

I don't know I agree with all. They run the ball because they stay with it. They aren't particularly good at it, but they are committed. Fields is a different threat though and we may struggle to contain him.

On offense we can't run anyway, so I'm not sure strength vs weakness matter that much.

If we are going to win it's going to have to be the QB getting it done.

calling ferguson being the x factor sunday.