The Cowboys last victory was just four days ago and now come the undefeated Carolina Panthers. For me, when I looked at the calendar in the offseason I had this game pegged as a win, and I still think this is a game the Cowboys would have won if this game was in week 1 with our full compliment on offense.
Unfortunately, bigtime injuries hurt the Cowboys in a bigtime way to the tune of 7 consecutive losses. I’m looking at this game as a 3-0 Cowboys vs the undefeated Panthers. The reason I say 3-0 is because that is our record with Tony Romo starting for the Cowboys, he’s undefeated, and he is that much of a difference maker when it comes to wins and losses.
That being said, and to come back to earth for a second — the Cowboys are 3-7 for more than missing Romo. The defense killed the Cowboys and they had their moments last week against a relatively bad Miami Dolphins team. So while I do feel the Cowboys should win this game, I am being cautious with my optimism.
Gaining some ground
A victory this week would go a long way in moving up in the NFC East. Our division rivals’ match ups will shake-up the division. Here’s a look at this week’s games:
NFC East Standings
Giants 5-5 @Redskins
Redskins 4-6 Giants
Eagles 4-6 Lions
Cowboys 3-7 Panthers
The Eagles are a mess as an organization and word on the street suggests just Chip Kelly has lost the locker room, so I would not be surprised if they lose to the Lions which would drop them to 4-7.
The Redskins host the Giants this week, and for this week, we’ll want the Redskins to win this game which would keep the Giants at 5 wins. A Giants win would keep the pressure on the Cowboys to keep winning.
The Cowboys need to beat the Panthers and we need the Redskins to win, if that happens we’re another game closer to taking over the division. Let’s hope the Cowboys can win at all costs and make everyone’s Thanksgiving that much more better!
Here are my keys to victory:
— The offensive line will need to play a clean game and help the Cowboys move the ball down the field with solid pass protection. I’m not so sure we’ll have a good game on the ground, but we’ll need just enough to keep the secondary honest.
— Our receivers will face a solid Panthers secondary and this game could come down to the chess match in the air. That being said, Cole Beasley and Terrance Williams will need to beat their guy on more than just a few times in this game. Dez is pretty close to being himself, so I look for more explosive plays coming his way and it’ll need to be this week — more.
— Getting Robert Turbin going could help the Cowboys beat down the Panther’s big guys up front. Turbin can help keep McFadden fresh, and he’ll give the offense that extra physical pop when he hits the second level. The Cowboys had a bit of that last year with Murray and Randle. The Cowboys could finally have that same dynamic with Turbin and Daren McFadden, and that could help empty the tanks of those big Panthers lineman.
— Luke Kuechly is arguably one of the top linebackers playing today, but don’t forget about Sean Lee. We’ll need a signature Sean Lee performance against the Panthers if we’re going to help put on the points. Lee has a knack for catching INTs and forcing fumbles, and that’s exactly what we’ll need on Thanksgiving. The defense needs to keep the turnovers coming, we had a few last week, and hopefully the unit as a whole will start forcing more each week.
— Tyron Smith hasn’t played consistently and he’s probably having a not-so good season. The offensive line cannot keep getting penalties at the most inopportune times of the game. We don’t know if Smith is playing inconsistently because Callahan is gone or is he having an off field issue? If you remember, a few years ago his family was harassing him for money, is there another issue like that again? Who knows, but we’ll need Smith to be back to the All-Pro we all know.
— Doug Free has had a sloppy season as well, he’s been inconsistent as well, and some are starting to whisper Chaz Green’s name around a bit. I’m not saying Green needs to be put in, but if Free keeps it up, those talks will gain more voices for change. Let’s keep an eye Free’s game.
— Mo Claiborne is out for his 2nd consecutive game and that means we’ll see Byron Jones away from safety more often than not. If Mo was starting we’d likely see Jones cover Greg Olsen, but we may not get that luxury this week. So we’ll need better play from Wilcox and Heath again, let’s hold our breath on that. I know the Cowboys like Jones’ versatility, but something tells me, they prefer him at free safety which could ultimately be where he plays full-time in 2016.
— The defensive line will need to get in Cam’s face with sacks and pressure, but they’ll need to contain him at the same time. This game is going to be very challenging for the lineman, and I suspect this is going to be a frustrating game for fans to watch. By that, I mean the Cowboys are going to have one of those games where they are inconsistent on 3rd down. The Cowboys cannot afford to slow down Cam and let him score an easy touchdown to close the half. We’ve seen the Cowboys defense give up some sorry touchdowns to end a half, and we cannot do that this week. Play consistent, get after people, and get off the field.
— I need to see something from Randy Gregory. It’s time — it’s time to see what Gregory is going to be for the Cowboys moving forward. Is he just going to be a rotational pass rusher or is he going to be the type of defensive end we do not want off the field like a DeMarcus Ware? I feel like the Cowboys are still looking for that type of defensive end, but a solid game from Gregory could help the cause.
Do you think the Cowboys will win this game? Who needs to step up?
Let’s go Dallas!
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