Sitting at 6-2 heading into the bye, the Dallas Cowboys can be relatively happy about their first-half performance.
Their defense has been one of the best in the NFL, led by defensive end Micah Parsons and cornerback Trevon Diggs. The Cowboys rank first in sacks (33), third in points allowed per game (16.6), and are tied for sixth in takeaways (13).
Yes, Dallas has had their problems stopping the run this season, as they rank bottom seven in rush yards allowed per game. But their ability to get to the quarterback has helped stop big pass plays. Dallas has allowed just 8.4 yards per completion this season, good for third-best in the NFL, compared to 11.1 a season ago.
As the defense has stepped up, Dallas’ offense has done enough through eight games. With quarterback Dak Prescott missing five games due to a right thumb injury from Week 2 to Week 6, Dallas held their own with Cooper Rush at the helm. Rush led the Cowboys to a 4-1 record in five starts and got the job done as the backup.
Now, the Cowboys are off their bye week and feeling good after Prescott led them to back-to-back victories over the Lions and Bears. The former Pro Bowl quarterback has thrown for 457 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception since his return.
Dallas Cowboys (6-2) remaining schedule:
— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) November 2, 2022
- BYE
- at Packers (3-5)
- at Vikings (6-1)
- Giants (6-2)
- Colts (3-4-1)
- Texans (1-5-1)
- at Jaguars (2-6)
- Eagles (7-0)
- at Titans (5-2)
- at Commanders (4-4)
The Cowboys were quiet once again at the Trade Deadline and remain confident in this group for the rest of the season, but there’s still plenty of football left to play. Let’s look ahead and rank the three biggest games remaining on Dallas’ schedule.
Ranking the 3 most important remaining games on the Cowboys’ schedule
3. Cowboys @ Vikings, Week 11
The Cowboys will travel to Minnesota for the third consecutive year looking for their third straight win against the Vikings. But this time will be different when these two teams square off in Week 11. Dallas will finally have Prescott under center.
In 2020, quarterback Andy Dalton filled in for Prescott as the backup and defeated the Vikings 31-28 and then Rush beat Minnesota 20-16 last season.
This time around, the Cowboys will have their hands full with a much improved Vikings squad that is 6-1 on the year and first in the NFC North. According to NFL.com, Minnesota sits seventh in their most recent Power Rankings, just three spots lower than America’s Team.
With the Vikings reportedly acquiring TE T.J. Hockenson from the Lions, the Cowboys will face Hockenson twice in a four-game period. He caught four passes on five targets for 48 yards in Lions’ Week 7 loss to Dallas. Cowboys travel to Minnesota in Week 11.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) November 1, 2022
This will be a good test for the Cowboys shortly after their bye against one of the top teams in the NFC. After losing Week 1 to the Buccaneers and Week 6 to the Eagles, a win against the Vikings could show the team’s potential come playoff time. This game could also be moved from the 4:25 p.m. ET slate to Sunday Night Football in Week 11.
2. Cowboys vs. Giants, Week 12 (Thanksgiving)
A divisional matchup against a team in the playoff picture serves as an important game for the Cowboys. Dallas will host the New York Giants on Thanksgiving for their second matchup this season in Week 12.
The Cowboys beat the Giants 23-16 earlier this season in Week 3. Rush threw for 215 yards and one touchdown while running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard combined for 174 yards on the ground with one touchdown. On defense, Dallas contained Daniel Jones through the air but both Jones and running back Saquon Barkley rushed for 75-plus yards in the contest.
This time around, the Cowboys will look to stop the run and face off in another key divisional game against the Giants that could help their playoff seeding. A win on Thanksgiving would give Dallas the season sweep and the tiebreaker in the NFC East standings.
With the Giants currently at 6-2 and 11th in NFL.com’s recent Power Rankings, it will be a big game for America’s Team.
1. Cowboys vs Eagles, Week 16
The biggest game left for the Cowboys will be the rematch against the Eagles in Week 16. Will Philadelphia still be undefeated? Will Dallas still be within striking distance of the NFC East?
Either way, this divisional matchup will be a big one for Dallas to win. With Prescott back for this matchup, the Cowboys will hopefully be at full strength. They lost to the Eagles earlier this season 26-17 when Rush was under center.
The Eagles dominated at the start after jumping out to an early 20-0 lead late in the second quarter. But, the Cowboys soon scored 17 unanswered points before Philadelphia secured a game-sealing touchdown in the fourth.
Cowboys LB Micah Parsons on playing the Eagles again later in the season: “I’m really looking forward to it. We’re going to get better from this. Our mistakes, we’re going to learn from them. We got a long way to go. You don’t win championships in six games. We got a long road.”
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) October 17, 2022
This game in Week 16 will be substantial for Dallas right before the playoffs. It can surely give them a major confidence boost heading into the postseason. It can also, depending on the standings seven weeks from now, be a game that determines the NFC East.
But can the Cowboys hang with and beat the top team in the NFC? A big test and a big game for Dallas towards the end of the season to answer that question. The Cowboys also haven’t been swept by the Eagles in a single season since 2011.
5 areas the Cowboys need to improve in after the bye week
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