The Dallas Cowboys (5-7) want to extend their winning streak to three games as they face the Cincinnati Bengals (4-8) on Monday night. After Dak Prescott’s injury in week nine, it seemed as if the season was over. The offense was lifeless, the defense couldn’t stop a nosebleed, and mid-November mock drafts would be the only happiness for Cowboys fans. Fast forward to week 14, there’s hope and a glimpse of life coming from the organization and there may be light at the end of the tunnel after all.
Don’t Count Out The Dallas Cowboys… Not Yet
So You’re Telling Me There’s A Chance
Sitting at 5-7, they still have a shot at a playoff spot but of course, they would have to win out. They have a three percent chance of making the playoffs the probabilities are extremely slim but not impossible. However, while they’re sitting at 12th in the NFC, four teams are ahead of them in the standings. One of those teams is also 5-7 while the other three are 6-6. If the season were to end today, the Washington Commanders would be the seventh seed and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be the first team out at the eighth seed.
The Cowboys beat the Commanders in Week 12 and will meet each other again in Week 18. They will meet with the Buccaneers in Week 16. All of a sudden the Cowboys have games with playoff implications after the season looked to be blown in the wind. They’ll need a lot of things to go in their favor and have zero room for error. The season does have a slight heartbeat so why not look at the what ifs?
For All the Marbles… Kind Of
Many who saw this game earlier in the year would’ve thought it could be a potential Super Bowl preview. Prescott and Joe Burrow, the electric playmakers on both sides of the ball but we just won’t be getting that. Both teams have been disappointing this year but there’s hope for both sides.
Similar to the Cowboys, the Bengals still have a shot at the playoffs despite their record. At 4-8, they’re 10th in the AFC with the 8-5 Denver Broncos sitting in the last playoff spot. Whoever loses can get a head start on their 2025 campaign. As both teams want to hold on to that glimpse of hope this game is also about both coaches trying to save their jobs.
The noise around Dallas and Mike McCarthy hasn’t come as a shock, especially with the direction of this season. On the other side of it, Zac Taylor could be coaching his last games in Cincinnati as well. Both coaches will be looking to strengthen their case to remain in 2025 but with the direction of both teams, it may be too hard for both to bounce back.
Flipping The Script
The Cowboys team that lost five straight and the team that just won two in a row are opposites. Cooper Rush has begun to settle in and trust himself. His first two starts were shaky but he’s thrown for 442 yards and three touchdowns during the winning streak. Rush hasn’t had to throw the ball around the field and he can thank Rico Dowdle for that. Dowdle had his best two games of the season and a career-high 112 rushing yards in their Thanksgiving win. If the Cowboys can continue being consistent offensively they have a good shot at making a push.
Defensively it seems as if they have finally woken up. For a good portion of the season, this defense was historically bad. Now they’re showing a glimpse of how good many thought they would be. They’re rushing the passer, stopping the run, and forcing turnovers. Over the last two games, they’ve forced five turnovers and sacked the quarterback 10 times. Despite what the scoreboard shows against the Commanders and their Thanksgiving win against the New York Giants, this defense has a fire lit under them and they’ll need it on Monday.
Keys To Winning Monday
To find success on offense they need to find a good balance and this is a favorable matchup to do so. The Bengals rank 27th in total defense and are tied 31st with the Cowboys for PPG allowed (28.3). They’ve given up 30 or more points six times this season and teams have found success in the air and on the ground against this defense. Not saying Rush will go out there and throw for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns while Dowdle adds 120 and a touchdown on the ground. However, Monday could be an encouraging night for the Cowboys offense.
While the Bengals’ defense has struggled their offense has been rolling but their record doesn’t back it up. They have scored 30 or more in five consecutive games and it seems there’s no chance of them slowing down. Burrow and the Bengals come into this game ranked first in passing offense and the duo of Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase has been lethal. He’s thrown for 30 touchdowns and five interceptions while Chase leads the league with 1,142 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns.
Stopping the Bengals big three is going to be a tall task for the Cowboys defense but it must be done for them to steal a win. Slowing down the Bengals’ playmakers, sacking the quarterback, and limiting big plays will be the keys for the defense to shut down the high-powered Bengals offense. As good as they’ve been, their offensive line has struggled tremendously this season. Making Burrow uncomfortable will set the tone for the game and they must do it early.
Main Image: Chris Jones-Imagn Images
