It may not be a sexy game from a national perspective, but tonight’s Monday Night Football showdown between the Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans is pretty intriguing. It features two 3-4 teams who are at somewhat of a crossroads at the midway point through the 2018 season. It’s hard to call this one a “must win” for both teams with so much football left to be played this year. But, the loser of this contest is in danger of seeing their season slip away.
So, it’s a big game. It’s Monday Night Football! And, while it’s not the showdown of juggernauts like Green Bay vs. New England last night, Titans fans should be ecstatic to see their team playing a meaningful prime time game. We don’t get ’em too often, and when we do, it’s less often that it’s not a Titans-Jags Thursday night game.
These two teams are similar in that their success is predicated on defense and their offenses have both been sluggish at best. In fact, these are the two worst teams in the NFL in terms of passing yardage. The Cowboys opened at 6.5-point favorites. Now, that number’s gone down to around 4.5, but it still shows how superior the Cowboys are to the Titans on paper. And, why not?
We’re sitting here in November, and the Cowboys boast the best defense in the entire NFL. Just like we all drew it up in August. They’re only allowing 96.3 rushing yards per game, and are the fifth best pass defense in the league. Ezekiel Elliott is the 4th leading rusher in the NFL with 619 yards. Plus, they added Amari Cooper at the trade deadline.
Cowboys OC Scott Linehan has indicated that there are no intentions to ease Cooper into the Cowboys offense. They’re going to try to get him the ball tonight. Between Elliott, Cooper, and Dak Prescott, the Cowboys have a decent core to build around. But, its offensive line, one I thought would return to its ‘best in the NFL’ form, has had its fair share of struggles.
Taking advantage of that is the key to winning this game for the Titans.
Pro Bowl guard Zack Martin is battling a sprained MCL – he’s questionable for tonight’s game. The Cowboys are starting Joe Looney at center. Rookie left guard Connor Williams has drawn criticism for his lack of core strength. The interior of that Cowboys offensive line is a liability, and the Titans happen to be well equipped to capitalize on it.
Jurrell Casey is perennially one of the most underrated players in the NFL. He’s known for his strength and ability to collapse a pocket on a quarterback. He, DaQuan Jones, and Austin Johnson make for quite the formidable trio. They’re going to have to feast on the struggling interior of the Cowboys offensive line. Hopefully, that causes a chain reaction of pressure and sacks that can at least help the secondary cover guys. At most, it could force a few takeaways.
If they can keep the Cowboys from making big plays in the run game and especially the vertical passing game, that’s going to put less pressure on an offense that hasn’t really clicked the way we thought it would. This game is going to be closer than the original spread would indicate – definitely feels like a field goal type of game.
But, with the Houston Texans winning six straight games, the Titans can’t afford to fall too far behind in the AFC South. This is a huge game for ’em.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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