4 bold predictions for the Dallas Cowboys vs Indianapolis Colts

The Dallas Cowboys should have learned a very valuable lesson from the Philadelphia Eagles when they played the Indianapolis Colts back in Week 11: Don’t take this Colts team with a losing record for granted. The Eagles went into that game thinking it was going to be an easy win, but instead needed a last-minute touchdown to win the game. Hopefully, the Cowboys players and coaching staff got the message, and come out and play as if this were a playoff football game.

Against the Colts, a team that likes to run the football and control the clock, they are going to need to play with fury. That will keep the pressure on an inexperienced Colts head coach and a quarterback who’s had turnover issues this season.

This is the NFL, and on any given Sunday, anything can happen. With uncertainty in mind, here are this week’s four bold predictions.

4 bold predictions for the Cowboys vs Colts Week 13 matchup

4. Cowboys Run Defense Continues to Impress

Any time a defense is going up against one of the best running backs in the league, you know that the overarching goal is to make sure they stop that running back. Rest assured the Cowboys defenders, especially along the line, have been hearing the name Jonathan Taylor from defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and his staff all week long. You can expect the Cowboys’ defensive tackles and ends to be focused on keeping Taylor in front of them, especially with Matt Ryan, who isn’t known as a running quarterback, under center.

Without the threat of Ryan leaving the pocket to pick up yards with his legs, the Cowboys’ sole focus up front will be to stop Taylor and the Colts’ running game in its tracks. If they are able to continue to build on the success they’ve had slowing some of the top rushers in the league, they should be able to bottle up Taylor as well, who right now is averaging 4.6 yards per carry and 86.6 yards per game this season. If they can’t, then you can expect a lot of long runs in this game from Taylor, much like this one below.

Game Prediction: Jonathan Taylor 78 yards rushing on the day

3. Cowboys Offense Tests Colts’ Cornerbacks

We’ve seen Dak Prescott target receivers with playmaking cornerbacks covering them from time to time, but for the most part, he likes to find the weakest link in the defensive secondary and exploit it throughout the game.

This week, with Stephon Gilmore either shadowing CeeDee Lamb or playing one half of the field, we should expect Prescott to target the cornerback starting opposite Gilmore. Last week, that was Kenny Moore, but he went down with a shin injury and his status remains unknown.

If he plays, Prescott will test him and that shin early. If he doesn’t, then Prescott will test the backup, which might be equally fruitful. If it’s a matchup he can exploit, then he will attack him all game. The other player that will look to test this Colts’ secondary will be Ezekiel Elliott, whose bruising style of running can wear down the toughest players. Elliott will use that hard-running style to test the Colts cornerbacks’ willingness to bring him down in the open field when given the opportunity.

Game Prediction: Dak Prescott will throw for three touchdowns against whoever starts opposite Stephon Gilmore

2. Diggs Out-Performs Gilmore

Teams have been willing to test Stephon Gilmore this season, but the same can’t be said for Trevon Diggs. Both are extremely good cornerbacks, but in this matchup, the difference will come down to their quarterbacks. Who’s more willing to test the other team’s best CB?

I want to single out playcalling here specifically because, of the two quarterbacks in this game, Dak Prescott has the stronger arm. That allows offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to open up the playbook and be more creative, which in turn should allow Prescott’s receivers to perform more double moves to create space against Gilmore.

Compare that to Matt Ryan, who just can’t seem to throw the deep ball the way he used to, which hampers his offensive coordinator’s ability to push the ball downfield like the Cowboys will be able to.

This plays right into the hands of Diggs, who looks more like a receiver on the field when playing the football at times. He will be able to sit on more routes and make breaks on the football faster than Gilmore, who will have to worry about double moves all game. I believe both will have strong games, but overall, Diggs will outperform Gilmore.

Game Prediction: Diggs has one interception and three pass breakups/ Gilmore has zero interceptions and one pass breakup.

1. Michael Gallup Goes Off

I expect CeeDee Lamb to be covered the majority of the time by Stephon Gilmore, which means Sunday night is going to belong to Michael Gallup. Over the past four weeks, we’ve seen the production from Gallup increase, and during this span, he’s been averaging four catches a game for 11.8 yards per reception, many coming at crucial times.

The one thing though that he hasn’t been able to do is to turn those catches into touchdowns. That won’t be the case this time around.

Look for Gallup to use his route running and ability to high-point footballs to make more catches this week with Prescott looking to target cornerbacks opposite Gilmore.

More opportunities can only mean a spike in production, and it’s about time that Gallup goes off in a game and proves that the money the Cowboys paid him this offseason was worth the investment.

Game Prediction: Gallup posts 103 yards and two touchdowns.

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