The Dallas Cowboys head on the road for the first time this season when they take on a divisional rival. The Giants are a surprising 2-0, something they haven't been since 2016.
On the other hand, the Cowboys are coming off a massive win at home against the Bengals, improving Cooper Rush's career record to 2-and-0 as a starter. Before the season started, I predicted Dallas would split their first two games to start the year. We know how ugly week one was from the offense, yet the defense kept them in the football game.
The game plan in week two was just better maybe the extra time Mike McCarthy spent with Kellen Moore helped? You could tell there was more of a flow to the offense than in the first week; with that being said, can the Cowboys have repeat success and find a way to steal another victory while they wait for Dak Prescott to return?
The Cowboys will wear their navy jersey with silver pants in Monday's game vs. the New York Giants.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) September 21, 2022
Let's start on the defensive side of the ball; Dan Quinn and his defense should be focused on one thing, stopping the run. Saquon Barkley is healthy and has 236 yards through the first two games; he had 164 yards in week one and 72 last week. The Giants' offense runs through him; make no mistake about it.
Force Daniel Jones to beat you; they have played two very close games, winning by a combined four points. The Cowboys have done a solid job on two pass-heavy offenses in the season's first two weeks. Guys are getting their catches, but nobody will explode on them. The Bucs and Bengals have much better weapons out wide, and the Cowboys were able to limit them.
If the offense can do what they did last week, get off to an early lead, and attempt to limit Barkley's touches, I like the Cowboys' chance to win this game, even with Cooper Rush. Nobody gave them a chance last week, and they did enough not to lose the game; that is all that matters.
Michael Gallup will be back this week, also. That will be a massive boost for the offense that has averaged just over 200 passing yards after the first two games. Even on a snap count, his presence on the field makes the defense take note. It should open up CeeDee Lamb and Noah Brown, who has been off to a great start. Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard will also find more success with his return.
Kellen Moore, stick to the game plan, don't go away from what worked, stay balanced, and they should score enough points to keep the game close; if the defense can create one or two turnovers and give the offense a short field, that would be even better.
I am not going to say the Cowboys will win because they still need to stop the run, and if they don't, it may be a long day; they will try and avoid Micah Parsons as much as possible by doing so. It is a coin flip for me, the first road game of the year might be challenging, but Rush did it last year against the Vikings, hoping for the best.
