This week’s matchup between the Cowboys and the Rams is one pitting teams headed in opposite directions. For the visiting Dallas Cowboys, everything seems to be falling into place. The team is on a three-game winning streak since losing star quarterback Dak Prescott to a thumb injury. Undrafted sensation Cooper Rush has been playing mistake-free football and has led the Cowboys’ offense to an average of 23 points per contest. The Dallas defense leads the NFL in sacks and pressures and has been the biggest reason for optimism that Dallas will be a contender upon the return of Prescott.
For the Los Angeles Rams, it feels like a long time since they were hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. The offense has topped 20 points just once this season and Matthew Stafford is off to the worst start of his career. He has been sacked 16 times already and has six interceptions to only four touchdowns through four games. The Rams still have a talented roster and a great coach, so this will be anything but a walk in the park for the Cowboys.
Dallas Front Four vs. L.A. Offensive Line
It was believed by many that the loss of pass-rush stud Randy Gregory would put even more pressure on Micah Parsons to bring the heat against opposing quarterbacks. So far, Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler have filled in admirably for the departed star. The Cowboys have gotten more sacks from those two for about five million less in salary for 2022 according to OverTheCap. Dallas has half as many sacks as they did in 2014, which was the last time they were considered a serious Super Bowl contender. The great Patrik Walker captured a prime example of the potential of this pass rush. Notice that Dallas is only rushing three defenders.
A look at why pressures matter: https://t.co/8TWOTSGF1p pic.twitter.com/2ZJx2KAmYv
— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) October 3, 2022
With injuries ravaging the o-line, the Rams are possibly going to be starting three backup linemen against the Dallas defense in this matchup on Sunday. Look for Dan Quinn to take full advantage of the talent gap and expect Stafford to unload the ball in a hurry.
Trevon Diggs vs. Jalen Ramsey
Ok, so these two won’t be competing against each other directly, but both can make a big impact in this game. Trevon Diggs has been a polarizing figure coming off a season where he led the league in interceptions with 11. He now has amassed 16 interceptions in 25 games. The knock on Diggs was that he had given up a good amount of yards, but I would much rather see the game-changing plays from my corner. So far this season, Diggs has been stellar. He has a league-leading 11 pass breakups with two interceptions and never allowed more than 40 receiving yards in a game. It appears safe to say that the budding superstar is on a mission. Will he ever be matched up with Cooper Kupp? It isn’t likely since Kupp runs close to 70 percent of his routes from the slot.
Jalen Ramsey was the draft day darling of most Cowboys fans back in 2016. Ramsey has as many interceptions as Diggs in more than double the career games, but that can be attributed to teams not wanting to test the three-time All-Pro. Dallas will benefit from the return of Michael Gallup who was very effective in limited duty vs. the Commanders last week. Ramsey has been known to shadow opposing top wideouts, so a matchup with CeeDee Lamb could be on tap. Ramsey has been burned deep of late by the likes of Stefon Diggs and Tee Higgins. Could we see it happen again on Sunday?
How will the Cowboys Stop Aaron Donald?
Like Parsons, Aaron Donald is a game-wrecker. He has been doing it for a long time and displayed his ability on the biggest stage. Dallas has seen improvement from center Tyler Biadasz and brought in two-time All-Pro Jason Peters to play left guard. So far Cooper Rush has only been sacked twice in three starts but Donald can change that. Connor McGovern will split reps with Peters and it is a situation worth monitoring as the game goes on. The Rams’ defense has proven beatable in the early going, but none of that matters if Donald gets loose in the middle.
These are the matchups to watch in Sunday’s Cowboys vs. Rams battle. What matchups are you watching for in this game? This tilt will most certainly have playoff implications down the line. Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts on this matchup. Follow me on Twitter or find me on Facebook for Cowboys talk and fantasy advice!
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