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Dallas Cowboys: 6 ways the Colts are uniquely dangerous

By Brad Austin

ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 19: Jaylon Smith #54 indicates motion in the first half of a preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts of the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on August 19, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 19: Jaylon Smith #54 indicates motion in the first half of a preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts of the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on August 19, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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The Dallas Cowboys have won five straight crucial games against ripe, motivated opponents. However, the Colts are a uniquely dangerous foe.

Every one of the last five Dallas Cowboys wins contained high stakes and were deservedly celebrated. Not one opponent walked in flat and pulled their punches.

With mutual playoff implications looming, Dallas simply outplayed them all and brought more will to the fight. While postseason inclusion is not yet guaranteed, sweeping the Eagles moved it a hair away from certainty.

The Colts match-up on Sunday also holds playoff meaning for both teams. Yet there is a wide gulf in the form of urgency. Actually, there are six ways Indianapolis presents a uniquely dangerous opponent for the newly secure Cowboys.

1) PLAYOFF URGENCY MISMATCH

With a 3-game lead over other contenders, the Chargers (10-3) have a virtual lock on the first AFC wildcard spot. Which leaves the Colts (7-6) in a dogfight with three other six-loss teams for the final AFC playoff spot.

On the flip side, the Cowboys chokehold on the NFC East affords three chances to secure one win for the division title. Even if they lose all three games, the odds of Philadelphia or Washington going 3-0 to overtake Dallas are remote.

2) 100 YARD RUSHERS PROHIBITED

Dallas will seek to run often and control the clock. The Colts rush defense is 8th in yards allowed per game (103) and 6th in yards per carry (3.8). Ezekiel Elliott has seven 100+ yards outings, while the Colts haven’t allowed any back over the century mark.

3) HIGH COACHING FAMILIARITY

In an odd twist, the Colts defensive coordinator is none other than recent Cowboys linebacker coach Matt Eberflus (2011-17). Since offensive coordinator Scott Linehan arrived in Dallas in 2014, Eberflus spent four years defending his offense in practice.

4) RED ZONE SCORING ADVANTAGE

The known Achilles’ heel of the Cowboys offense is red zone scoring. They rank 30th with only 19 TD’s in 41 trips (46.3%). The Colts offense is highly efficient at this critical task. 34 TD’s in 50 trips (68%) places them 7th in the league.

5) MASTERS OF CONVERSION

Indy’s offense ranks 2nd in the NFL at third down conversions (47.6%). At the same time, the Dallas defense sits 26th at defending these crucial conversions (40.1%).

Next. The all-time best defenders to wear the Star. dark

6) LOCATION MATTERS

The Colts are 4-2 at home this season. One loss came in the season opener and the second in overtime in Week 4. They’ve won their last four as hosts. Conversely, Dallas is only 2-4 on the road, though their last two trips resulted in victories.

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