After a victory over the Panthers in Carolina on Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys head into game two of a stretch where they play three games in 11 days.
This is nothing new for the Cowboys.
The annual hosting of a Thanksgiving Day game locks them into this stretch, but this time it’s a bit different.
Instead of an 11-day layoff after Thanksgiving, the NFL schedule makers decided to schedule the Cowboys for the very next Thursday night game.
The NFL is a man’s game, and recovery time in between games is important.
For a league that is constantly pushing for player safety, putting a team through three games in 11 days doesn’t fit that narrative.
If you want a small silver lining, Dallas’ 11 days off after next Thursday’s game will be very much needed as they head into a huge divisional matchup at home versus the Philadelphia Eagles.
We are getting a little ahead of ourselves here, however.
On the slate during this short week are the Washington Commanders, who just played their worst game of the season.
Washington suffered an embarrassing loss at the hands of the New York Giants, led by third-string QB Tommy DeVito to drop their record to 4-7.
The Commanders always seem to give the Cowboys trouble, and they’ve won three of the last four Thanksgiving matchups.
Today I will be making my bold predictions for this game.
Remember, my bold predictions are meant to be far-fetched, yet still in the realm of possibility.
Jake Ferguson Goes For 100
Whether it was Dallas just trying different things in their offense or trying to get other players involved, the Carolina Panthers were able to neutralize the passing attack.
For the first time in four games, CeeDee Lamb was held under 10 receptions and 150 yards receiving.
He did haul in a touchdown but finished with just six receptions for 38 yards.
Brandin Cooks didn’t fare much better, leading the team with 42 yards on just three receptions.
Commanders’ Defensive Coordinator Jack Del Rio will be scrambling for any inkling on how to stop the Cowboys’ passing attack.
He will start by watching the film on what Carolina Defensive Coordinator Ejiro Evero was able to accomplish last week.
Del Rio’s plan of attack will likely focus on limiting the targets for Lamb and Cooks, and I believe that will open up opportunities for Jake Ferguson.
Ferguson will notch the first 100-yard receiving game of his career this Thanksgiving, and the first time a Cowboys tight end will hit that milestone since 2009.
As you can probably guess, that tight end was Jason Witten, who hauled in five receptions for 107 yards from the arm of Tony Romo in a win over the Oakland Raiders.
Sam Howell Will Not Reach 200 Yards
This might not seem like a bold prediction, but what if I told you Sam Howell leads the NFL in passing yards?
Go ahead and Google it for yourself. It’s real.
Howell has already surpassed 3,000 yards passing on the season, sitting at the top of the league with 3,038 yards.
If you really think about it, what Howell has done is actually pretty amazing considering he only has one receiver in the top 30.
Terry McLaurin ranks 26th in the league with 644 yards receiving, and the next Washington pass catcher ranks 63rd with 409 yards.
Howell is spreading the ball around to many different pass catchers, completing passes to 13 different players.
However, Howell is also the most sacked quarterback in the league by a wide margin.
He has been taken down in the backfield 51 times, with the next closest quarterback (Zach Wilson) sitting at 38.
One of the Cowboys’ greatest strengths is the pass rush, and they will pressure Howell enough to keep him from reaching 200 passing yards.
Cowboys Defense Forces 6 Turnovers
This might not seem bold on the surface either considering the Commanders are tied with the Las Vegas Raiders for the most turnovers (21) in the NFL.
What makes this take bold is the fact that the Commanders just committed six turnovers this past Sunday in their loss to the Giants.
To commit six turnovers in consecutive weeks would have to be some kind of NFL record.
The record for most turnovers in a single game is 12 so having 12 in a two-game span wouldn’t be unprecedented, but it hasn’t happened this century.
Dallas’ defense has all the tools to make this bold prediction happen.
A fierce pass rush led by Micah Parsons coupled with a ball-hawking secondary led by DaRon Bland versus a team that loves to throw the ball is a perfect recipe.
Dan Quinn’s group will help themselves to a six-course meal of turnovers versus a Commanders team that doesn’t know how to take care of the football.