The Cowboys need to extend dominance of Panthers

When the clock hits zero in the Dallas Cowboys matchup with the Carolina Panthers, Dallas will hit the one-third mark of the season.

If the team takes care of business, they should be at least 3-3 after this game ends.

They will need to be 3-2 coming into this matchup, especially if they continue to struggle to stop the run. The Panthers have two very good running backs to pound away at the Dallas defense.

Chuba Hubbard had 1,195 yards and 10 touchdowns in just 15 games last year for Carolina. He’s joined by former Cowboy Rico Dowdle, who had 1,079 yards and two scores in 16 games last year.

Given Dallas’ struggles to stop the run, that 1-2 punch can, and likely will, cause headaches for Cowboys’ Defensive Coordinator Matt Eberflus.

Who: Carolina Panthers

Where: at Bank Of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.

When: Oct. 12th, Noon (CDT)

How (to watch): FOX

This game will be a homecoming for Jonathan Mingo, assuming he makes the final roster. Mingo was drafted by Carolina in 2023.

He was traded to Dallas in the middle of last year, but made little impact on the Cowboys’ fortunes.

If any player on the team is motivated to have a career game on this particular Sunday, it will be Mingo.

All-Time Marks

Dallas is 12-5 all-time against the Panthers and have won the last three meetings by a combined score of 99-52.

This will be the third straight year that the two teams will play each other. All three being played at Carolina.

The Cowboys are 7-3 against the Panthers when playing in North Carolina.

The last time Carolina beat Dallas at home was in 2018, a 16-8 win.

The Cowboys are 32-26 all-time in Week 6 games with one game lost to the 1982 strike and six bye weeks falling on this week. They are 13-16 when playing on the road in the sixth week of the year.

The Prediction

The Cowboys mustered one of their better games of 2024 when they traveled to Carolina in December and left with a 30-14 win.

Dowdle had a career game for Dallas with 149 yards while Hubbard was held to 32 yards on 10 carries. The Cowboys will need a repeat performance on both sides of the ball.

If Dallas can’t contain the Hubbard/Dowdle combination, that will open things up for Bryce Young in the passing game.

Should that happen, the Cowboys will be in deep trouble. And I’m leaning toward an upset here.

Panthers 28, Cowboys 24 (Predicted record so far: 3-3)