NFL
By: Greg Rector
The Dallas Cowboys will beat the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. The bye week off certainly helps as does the injuries the Rams are dealing with. As long as the coaching staff for the Dallas Cowboys get their guys to be awake nice and early. Sorry to my “Brother in Anger” George Lopez but I want to be 2-0 against you as my Notre Dame Fighting Irish destroyed your USC Trojans, that’s the result I want on Sunday as well when the Dallas Cowboys play the Los Angeles Rams.
Dallas Cowboys Offense
Dear Coach McCarthy:
Do not give the ball to the Rams first if you win the toss. Please don’t give Tony Pollard the ball up the A gap on the first series two times as well. Hopefully, you learned enough from the first six games of the season to STOP calling such idiotic plays to start the game. As much as the players aren’t used to playing this early in the day on a Sunday the Los Angeles Rams will be on their morning schedule. Make them pay for that Coach McCarthy. The Los Angeles Rams have a record below the .500 mark at 3-4 so make them go two games under .500. Hopefully this bye week also helps the offensive line get their collective act together as well. By that I mean I don’t want any pre-snap penalties and no holding calls would be nice for a change. 11 penalties against the Chargers were horrible to witness.
I don’t care if you throw the football to start the game to Tony Pollard on the outside of the tackle box or call a run that isn’t up the middle. Your game plan needs to make the Rams pay early and often. Take notice of what Coach Harbaugh did with an early start against the Detroit Lions for the Baltimore Ravens. That’s what you do as a championship team, you dictate the terms of the engagement!!! This is something I have often said has hurt the Dallas Cowboys for far too long. The Los Angeles Rams offense with Cooper Kupp and Puca Nacua is scary enough so don’t give them the first possession.
Shhh the Los Angeles Rams aren’t playing Aaron Donald on every snap anymore either. That’s when you run the ball against the Rams just like the Pittsburgh Steelers did successfully against the Rams on Sunday.
Dak Prescott needs to have his fifth game of the season without any turnovers. Find Brandin Cooks and Michael Gallup when Ceedee Lamb is covered by the Rams’ secondary. Oh and if the Rams front seven are close to you don’t be afraid of taking off with the football yourself as you did against the Chargers. That’s something that wasn’t done in the playoff loss against the Rams. In other words, Dak Prescott, play the game the right way, and guess what will happen? You’ll lead the Dallas Cowboys to another victory.
One final message for Coach McCarthy, please move your receivers more than you have thus far. It’s the easiest way to get Ceedee Lamb open and it confuses defenses much like our defense was confused when the Niners beat the Dallas Cowboys.
Dallas Cowboys Defense
Dear Dan Quinn:
Please don’t have Micah Parsons thinking of doing anything but sacking Matt Stafford. The Los Angeles Rams can still hurt the defense with their running game if that’s the case. I would prefer if you had Micah Parsons playing linebacker a bit more than you had him playing there against the Chargers. Why? Because Micah Parsons can cover guys like Nacua and even Cooper Kupp on those short area gaps they both use highly effectively. Jayron Kearse Markquise Bell and Damone Clark can’t be left to defend those pesky wide receivers for the Los Angeles Rams The “Lion Is Always Hungry” needs to be that way against the passing attack for the Rams and not just going after Matt Stafford. Dante Fowler Dorance Armstrong Osa Odiguzuwa and Demarcus Lawrence are plenty good enough to get the sacks and pressures on Matt Stafford for the Dallas Cowboys.
Daron Bland and Stephen Gilmore need to keep Tutu Atwell from attacking downfield as well. In addition to stopping Cooper Kupp and Puca Nacua, the safeties Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker will need to be on their game all game long as well as defending both of the Rams receivers along with stopping Tyler Higbee who is still playing a solid tight end role for the Rams.
This game is the perfect opportunity for you Dan Quinn to show the rest of the NFL and the next opponent the Philadelphia Eagles that when they face the Dallas Cowboys defense in week nine at Lincoln Stadium this Dallas Cowboys defense is so much better than the one they saw face the San Francisco 49ers.
My Prediction
If the Dallas Cowboys are awake and ready for their early game start and do the things I discussed earlier in this article I believe they will be 5-2 and in a position to take first place away from the Philadelphia Eagles in week nine as they handle the Los Angeles Rams after beating the Rams by a score of 31 to 20.
As always you can find me on X @GregCowboys
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