Cowboys vs. Rams: 3 things on my mind heading into the game

The Dallas Cowboys face the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday in AT&T Stadium. Leaking oil down the stretch, here are 3 things to think about entering Sunday.

The Dallas Cowboys have been bad for a little while now. It didn’t seem like it as this slide started to happen after Week 3, but that little trip has subsequently turned into a full-on free fall.

Other than the first three games of the season, the Cowboys have been a whopping 3-7 across their last 10 games. What team do you know that has a stretch like that and ends up making something grand of the season? I’ll wait.

In any event, the Cowboys still have an opportunity to go out on Sunday in hopes of handling their business. Of course, if the Cowboys somehow wind up getting a win, it would still help them to keep pace, so to speak, as far as remaining virtually locked in as the leader of the NFC Division and the owner of the playoff spot that comes along with the title.

With that in mind though, it starts by going out on Sunday and trying to get a win against a Los Angeles team that may just be hitting its stride. Here are three things on the forefront of my mind heading into Sunday’s game.

Dak Prescott’s Finger

Dak Prescott’s finger was actually injured in last week’s contest against the Chicago Bears and it was apparent, although the game was lost for more reasons than just his injury. While all signs point to him being good to go, there were reports as of Thursday that he was taping that finger and the finger next to it together for support.

While I am sure he has gotten to somewhat of a level of comfort with the scenario by now, it still worries me for him and especially in a game of this magnitude for the Cowboys. With Dak especially, who can sometimes be a bit erratic or overthrowing on his passes, it also especially bothers me. How he will look with that finger is something that is really at the forefront of my thoughts heading into Sunday.

Offensive Balance?

With the recent talk surrounding the lack of a running game at times for the Cowboys this season, the word out of Cowboys practices and press conferences this week is that the team will go into Sunday with a more balanced approach on offense. This could go one of a few different ways.

It could all go right, where we hopefully see the Cowboys get back on a track of some sort. It could go very terribly wrong though and in more than one way.

Could this approach cause the Cowboys to regress in all they have done in other areas across this season? Could it cause them to fall too far back in a game that they absolutely must have like the game on Sunday? These are two of the bad possibilities, but there are at least a few more and that is why this all of a sudden talk of offensive balance is on my mind.

Defense … anyone … someone … please?

This thought can be summed up rather quickly in one request. Does anybody on the defense want it bad enough?

Does anybody on the defense want it bad enough to make a play? Does anybody on the defense want it bad enough to stop a runner in his tracks on a big play to move the sticks? Does anybody on defense want it bad enough to force a turnover?

This one was pretty simple and straightforward, but also quite frankly, could be asked for anybody on the team from either side of the ball, to special teams, all the way up and down the coaching staff.

Regardless of any of the above though, the Cowboys still have to go out and play the game like they want to win it. Let’s hope they do because if they lose this one, it is a very long road back and probably more like a long shot.