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Dallas Cowboys vs Tennessee Titans: Know Thy Enemy

By Terence Watson

Nov 5, 2018; Arlington, TX, USA; Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) runs with the ball against Dallas Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (55) at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 5, 2018; Arlington, TX, USA; Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) runs with the ball against Dallas Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (55) at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
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NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – NOVEMBER 27: Jeffery Simmons #98 of the Tennessee Titans takes to the field before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Nissan Stadium on November 27, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – NOVEMBER 27: Jeffery Simmons #98 of the Tennessee Titans takes to the field before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Nissan Stadium on November 27, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

What We’ve Seen from Titans and Possible Defensive Game Plan Against Cowboys

Opponents’ Points Per Game: 20.8

Opponents’ Passing Yards Per Game: 296.1

Opponents’ Rushing Yards Per Game: 80.1

Opponents’ Total Yards Per Game: 376.2

Opponents’ Third Down Conversion Percentage: 31.8%

Opponents’ Red Zone Conversion Percentage: 55.8%

Titans Defensive Strategy vs Cowboys

The Titans do a good job of stopping the run this season and will look to try and slow down a Dallas Cowboys air attack that just put 40 points on the best defense in the league. The Titans don’t have the personnel that the Eagles do and will need to be creative on the back end of their defense to try and confuse Dak Prescott. Prescott has been a little turnover happy as of late, some his fault and some not, but the Titans are going to have to keep that streak for Prescott going to win this game.

They are also going to need to get pressure on Prescott to force those bad throws, if they can then they have a shot of picking off Prescott who is forced to throw into tight windows thanks to his receivers not creating separation. Simmons will be the key along with Dupree in getting that pressure because if not Prescott who is averaging 233.4 through the air this season will be able to pick them apart all day long and keep Henry and the Titans’ offense off the field in the process.

Cowboys Offensive Strategy vs Titans

The Cowboys running game will be tested against a stout Titans run defense led by Simmons and Teair Tart in the middle. To get around that the Cowboys will look to test the boundaries of this defense and see if they will hold up against Dallas’ rushing attack led by Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott. The Cowboys know this is going to be a clock management game from the Titans’ standpoint but in order to stop them from doing it they will need to be able to pick up tough yards in short-yard situations.

Another way to force the Titans out of their clock management game plan will be to put points on the board early and often against a Tennessee secondary that is currently giving up 296.1 a game to opposing quarterbacks and receivers.

The Cowboys with CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, Noah Brown, and the new deep-threat playmaker in T.Y. Hilton, are going to give Prescott multiple options to convert on third downs as well as put points on the board based on which matchups Prescott likes. The Cowboys have the firepower to easily win this game, they just need to execute it at a more efficient level.

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