Cowboys vs. Dolphins: Dallas should not expect the unexpected

As one of the worst teams in football comes to AT&T Stadium, it would be easy for the Dallas Cowboys to look on to Week 4. Here is why that will not happen.

Ladies and gentlemen, your Dallas Cowboys are playing some really amazing football two weeks into the season. Yes, it is very early but is it ever a bad thing to be playing well. While the defense is working itself into the shape, the offense is on fire.

Currently, the Cowboys are third in total yards, fourth in passing yards, sixth in points scored and seventh in rushing yards. No quarterback in the league has a better completion percentage or has thrown for more touchdowns than Dak Prescott. Meanwhile, his passer rating is second only to Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson.

Jackson got off to a ridiculous start to his 2019 campaign, thanks in some part to the opportunity of going up against the Miami Dolphins. This morning represents Week 3 of the young season. Just who will be the Dallas Cowboys opponent today? The Dolphins.

For everything the Dallas Cowboys have been, in order for the universe to balance, there must be an equally bad counterpart. That would be a fair way to describe the current situation in South Florida. After two games, Miami has lost 59-10 and 43-0.

Their offense is dead last or in the bottom three in all of those categories mentioned above. Miami is shipping off talented players for draft picks and are already in the midst of a quarterback change. Did I mention it is just Week 3? Look no one and I do mean no one thinks this game will represent any sort of jeopardy to the Cowboys unblemished record.

Those people out in Las Vegas who get paid to prognosticate have Dallas as a three-plus touchdown favorite. All of you fantasy football owners are starting all your Cowboys today. If you’re in a survivor pool, most of you will immediately look for the Dallas Cowboys, click, submit and not think about it the rest of the day.

Here is where the story usually turns and the writer tries to provide a cautionary tale. Not today. Look, I suppose you could mention that starters on both the offense (receiver Michael Gallup) and defense (end Tyrone Crawford, tackle Antwaun Woods, safety Xavier Woods) are all out.

Even so, this Cowboys team is light years more talented than Miami. You can mention that the Dolphins get paid to play the game, just like Dallas does and that any given Sunday … Nope. Any fears you may have about complacency or a possible upset should be quelled by three main points.

First off, no matter how you feel about head coach Jason Garrett, during his tenure with the Dallas Cowboys, they have rarely lost to bad teams. In fact, Dallas usually blows those teams out. Since 2011, Garrett’s first full year as head coach, Dallas is 23-2 in games against teams that finished 5-11 or worse that season. The average margin of victory in those games is 11.6 with four of those wins by three touchdowns or more and a fifth win by 20.

Secondly, one of his key players in this locker room is already aware of and addressing these points. Earlier in the week, receiver Amari Cooper told David Moore of the Dallas Morning News the following per Twitter …

Lastly, I’ll go back to the talent level. Miami has little to none of it while Dallas has lofty goals in 2019. One might even say “Super” aspirations with expectations that are not far behind. Do I think the Dallas Cowboys win by 23+ points today? Nope. Do I think the Dallas Cowboys win today? Absolutely. Prediction: Dolphins 13, Cowboys 31