As the door begins to close on the regular season with only four games left, the (10-3) Dallas Cowboys are preparing to take on the (5-8) Jacksonville Jaguars this Sunday.
The Jaguars are playing very good football right now, and the Cowboys are looking to clinch their playoff spot in this game. As we do every week, let’s dive into the over/under reactions heading into Sunday’s game.
OVERREACTION
The Cowboys’ defense will put a halt on QB Trevor Lawrence’s progression.
Trevor Lawrence has seemingly taken form into his natural athletic ability as a quarterback this season, looking incredibly more poised and controlled than in his rookie year. With a new head coach and better offensive scheme, Lawrence has been playing some of his best ball this season and looks like the top recruit he was coming out of college. In his last game against the Tennessee Titans, Lawrence threw for 368 yards, three touchdowns, and had an outstanding quarterback rating of 121.9%.
However, we know just how good this Dallas defense is. The Cowboys’ defense currently ranks fifth in total defense and is only allowing 189.4 yards-per-game to opposing quarterbacks. The Cowboys only need to win this game to clinch their playoff spot, and with a huge matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles on the horizon, this Dallas defense will be showing out.
Not to mention, Micah Parsons has been eerily quiet over the last couple of games. While still wreaking havoc and making plays that don’t make the stat sheet, we haven’t seen the performance from Parsons that we are used to. It’s fair to wonder if Parsons is playing injured, or if other teams have figured out how to minimize his effect. Look for Parsons to have a big day, and ultimately cause a lot of disruption for Trevor Lawrence in the passing game.
UNDERREACTION
Dak Prescott will bounce back.
It is obvious that Dak Prescott hasn’t been himself over the last few weeks. Since his return, Prescott has thrown nine interceptions, which is not normal for the quarterback. Since his rookie year, Prescott has been one of the most accurate quarterbacks and has never seemingly struggled with interceptions. Whether they are his fault or the result of tipped balls, regardless, they need to be cleaned up and Prescott knows this.
With all the talk in the media clamoring over Prescott’s interceptions, I expect Dak to come out and have one of his better games of the season. The playoffs are approaching, and the Cowboys know they need to be firing on all cylinders going into January. With the addition of newly signed WR T.Y. Hilton and a returning LT Tyron Smith to the offensive lineup, Prescott will have more protection and help in the passing game that will benefit his ability to be more precise in the pocket.
If there’s one thing we know best about Dak Prescott, it’s his natural born ability to overcome adversity and persevere. After all the negative talk about his performance and with four tough games remaining, I fully anticipate Dak Prescott putting the rest of the league on notice with a big game. If you have Dak Prescott on your fantasy team, then I highly recommend you starting him this week.
