The Dallas Cowboys will take the field tonight in a desperation game for them and their opponent, the Tennessee Titans. Both teams are coming into the Monday night contest at 3-4. The team that loses tonight will face an uphill climb to reach the playoffs, while the winner will have hope that the second half of the season can be better than the first. Here are my five keys to a Dallas Cowboys victory.
1. Pressure Marcus Mariota
The Tennessee Titans have given up 22 sacks in their first 7 games, including 11 in one game against the Baltimore Ravens. Dallas must keep Mariota uncomfortable and sack him. Forcing a fumble or two would help as well.
2. Keep the Titans offense sputtering
It’s rare for the Dallas Cowboys to enter a game where they have the clear advantage on offense. Dallas’ offense has had its fair share of problems but the Titans offense is an even bigger mess. The Titans rank 30th in both points per game and yards per game. The only teams worse are the Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals. Dallas needs to make sure that this is not the game where Tennessee’s offense gets on track.
3. Cowboys offensive line make a statement.
During the Cowboys bye week they fired their offensive line coach. The Dallas offensive line needs to take tonight’s game as a personal challenge. A challenge to show that they are still a dominant group that was considered one of the best in football a couple of years ago. The entire country will be watching and it’s a perfect opportunity to show they can still be one of the most dominant position groups in the NFL.
4. Dak needs to trust himself
Dak Prescott has been better the past two games but he needs to trust himself more. He needs to trust his instincts and not be afraid to take some shots downfield. Dak has missed open guys downfield and part of that is the fear of making a mistake. Prescott needs to throw the ball downfield and trust his receivers to make the plays.
5. Amari Cooper needs to make an impact.
Dallas made a blockbuster trade last week for Amari Cooper. Some people believe Dallas overpaid for Cooper when they gave up their first-round pick in the 2019 draft. Cooper needs to silence the doubters by making an immediate impact in game one with the Cowboys. For him to make an impact Dallas needs to target him early and often. If I were calling the plays I’d take a deep shot to Cooper on the first play of the game. Even if it’s incomplete, it still lets teams know you are willing to take a shot. Cooper can also make things easier for Ezekiel Elliott and the running game. If Dallas can do these five things they can get back to a 500 record while staying undefeated at home.
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