Dallas Cowboys: 3 keys to beating the Carolina Panthers
FOX. Sunday, Oct 3. Cowboys -4.5. 1 PM ET. 3-0. 87. 123. 2-1
The Dallas Cowboys are coming off a big Monday Night Football victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. In a game where the Cowboys looked like the better team, they took care of business at home. It was an emotional return for quarterback Dak Prescott as this was his return to Arlington since his gruesome injury in Week 5 of the 2020 season.
From the opening drive, Dallas controlled the majority of the game by scoring an early touchdown just three minutes into the game. An unfortunate turn of events happened early in the game that could have changed the outcome.
The first instance was when Prescott fumbled the football in the endzone, resulting in an Eagles touchdown. Then, just four minutes later, on a fourth and goal, the Cowboys appeared to score a touchdown to take the lead. However, the referees declared that Prescott was short of the goal line on a QB sneak, giving Philly the ball once again.
Even with the “miscues” for the Cowboys, both the offense and defense never gave up. The offense scored five touchdowns (three through the air & two on the ground) and the defense scored another one as well.
This was a game that the Cowboys should have won, but no one probably imagined that they would have won by a landslide. As a result, this game likely gave the Cowboys some respect in the NFL.
However, they now draw the Carolina Panthers at home in Week 4. The Panthers who are 3-0 have looked good on both sides of the football especially their defense. Although it is early in the season, they do have the number one rush defense in the league allowing just 45.0 rush yards per game.
Going up against this defense is going to be a true test for this team. However, the Panthers haven’t played a top-tier offense this season yet. It’s going to be a back and forth game but here’s how the Cowboys come out on top.
Dallas Cowboys: 3. Control the game
The Cowboys have to control the game from the opening kickoff. So far, this team has done an exceptional job at doing this which is a major reason why they are 2-1. Controlling the time of possession is one of the best ways to win a game.
On the season, Dallas ranks fifth in time of possession in the league (32:49). One team that is higher than America’s Team is the Panthers. The Panthers rank second with a time of possession of 35:12.
Both the Cowboys and Panthers love to run the football and control the game. However, one of these teams can’t keep up with their season average in this matchup. As a result, Dallas has to keep their defense off the field as much as they can.
With the Cowboys’ offense being the strong suit of their team, having their defense on the sideline for as long as they can will only help this team. If the Cowboys can control the time of possession, they should come out victorious in this game.