Coming into tonight’s game, both teams find themselves in playoff mode with five weeks left and looking to avoid elimination with a loss.
Of the two teams, the Dallas Cowboys could still be alive after a loss tonight. That would put this team under pressure that it probably can’t withstand over the last four games.
So, how exactly does this Dallas team walk out of AT&T Stadium with a win tonight, and their playoff hopes still clinging to life?
Their best defense will be the Cowboys’ offense.
If Cooper Rush can direct the Cowboys on extended, time-consuming drives that end in points, this is a winnable game.
If they can’t control the ball, that means they can’t keep Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase on the sidelines. That will almost certainly lead to a loss.
While Cincinnati is a game worse than Dallas at 4-8, it hasn’t been because of Burrow and the offense.
The Bengals put up 38 points last week in a loss to the same Steelers team that Dallas only scored 20 points on earlier this year.
While the Cowboys’ defense has improved with the return of Micah Parsons, they will be hard-pressed to contain Burrow. So far, Burrow has over 3,300 yards, 30 touchdowns and just five interceptions this season.
Dallas will need Cooper Rush to keep playing mistake-free football. He hasn’t thrown an interception in 11 quarters.
They’ll also need Rico Dowdle to continue his recent success at rushing the football.
A smart, ball-control game plan is the Cowboys’ best chance to win tonight and stay alive for the seventh seed in the NFC playoffs.
Do that, keep the score low and close, with a helping play from the defense and special teams again, and Dallas walks off the field tonight the victor.
Against The Bengals
Tonight’s game between the Cowboys and the Cincinnati Bengals will be the 15th meeting between the two franchises.
The Bengals joined the old AFL in 1968 and was slotted into the AFC when the two leagues merged in 1970.
Which means all 15 games have fallen in the regular season. Dallas will carry a 10-4 record into tonight’s game, 7-1 when the games are played in Texas.
The Cowboys have won the last five meetings overall. The Bengals last win came in 2004, a 26-3 rout at Cincinnati.
The Cowboys won the first meeting ever, 28-10, back in 1973 at Texas Stadium.
On Monday Night Football
For the second time this year, and in less than a month, the Cowboys play on Monday night.
Dallas would like to forget that game, against another AFC team, as it was a 34-10 beat down by the Houston Texans. It’s also the last time the Cowboys lost a game.
It will be the first time the two teams have met on Monday night.
It probably wouldn’t have happened this year either, but an animated simulcast with The Simpsons kept the NFL from flexing tonight’s game to Sunday.
Dallas comes into tonight’s game with a 51-36 record all-time on Monday night, 22-18 when playing at home on Monday night. The Cowboys are 7-7 against AFC teams and just 3-4 when playing at home.
Week 14 All-Time
Dallas is 34-28 all-time in Week 14 games and 15-9 when those games are played at home.
The Cowboys have won their last four games played during this week of the schedule. The last two coming at home.
This will be the fourth time that Dallas has battled the Bengals on the 14th week of the schedule.
The Cowboys are 2-1 all-time in the previous meetings.
The previous three games were all played at Cincinnati though, with Dallas winning the last two (2012, 2020) after losing in 1985.
The Prediction
At the beginning of the season, having picked Dallas to finish 8-9 by season’s end, I had the Bengals winning this game to drop the Cowboys to 5-8.
Joe Burrow is not the problem in Cincinnati. As Shane Taylor mentions in an earlier post, he’ll rip this defense apart.
It’ll be up to the Cowboys’ offense to keep Burrow on the sidelines to keep this one close.
Cincinnati 35, Dallas 20
All-Time Week 14 Vs Opponents
NFC EAST
- GIANTS (5-4)
- EAGLES (6-3)
- COMMANDERS (3-4)
NFC WEST
- CARDINALS (3-0)
- RAMS (0-1)
- 49ERS (0-2)
- SEAHAWKS (1-1)
NFC SOUTH
- FALCONS (0-0)
- PANTHERS (0-0)
- SAINTS (0-3)
- BUCCANEERS (0-1)
NFC NORTH
- BEARS (1-2)
- LIONS (1-0)
- PACKERS (0-1)
- VIKINGS (0-0)
AFC EAST
- BILLS (0-0)
- DOLPHINS (0-0)
- PATRIOTS (0-0)
- JETS (2-0)
AFC SOUTH
- TEXANS (1-0)
- COLTS (1-0)
- JAGUARS (0-0)
- TITANS (2-1)
AFC NORTH
- RAVENS (0-0)
- BENGALS (2-1)
- BROWNS (0-1)
- STEELERS (2-1)
AFC WEST
- BRONCOS (2-0)
- CHIEFS (1-0)
- RAIDERS (1-1)
- CHARGERS (0-1)