5 Reasons Why the Cowboys Can Beat the Rams This Saturday
Las Vegas is giving the Los Angeles Rams a full touchdown and XP (-7) for Saturday night’s NFC Divisional Round scrum at the Coliseum. Part of that point spread is due to Sean McVay’s team having the home turf advantage, but there’s also a lingering doubt as to whether the Dallas Cowboys are ready for prime-time.
Never mind the doom and gloom. Here’s 5 things that the ‘Boys have going for them headed into the next step toward a Super Bowl appearance.
Reason #1 – Dallas was pretty darn good in prime-time last Saturday night. The Cowboys won the 2nd half easily and beat the proud Seahawks a lot worse than the 24-22 final score indicates. Dak Prescott continues to resurrect his chances to become a long-term franchise QB, the running game is humming, and the defense is running to the ball.
Reason #2 – Don’t forget Amari Cooper, the hired-gun thriving at WR. This season’s College Football Playoff taught NFL fans a lesson in game management. There’s nothing like being able convert on 3rd down and long, and the former Raider is giving the Cowboys a chance to do it consistently.
Reason #3 – Jason Garrett. To paraphrase Muhammad Ali, “everybody wanna talk about” Sean McVay, but give the Cowboys’ skipper some credit too. He out-foxed Pete Carroll in the Wild Card Round and has an offensive line that could keep Dak in 2nd-down-and-manageable all night long against an L.A. team that values field position.
Reason #4 – Ezekiel Elliott’s postseason form. The tailback is in his prime and chewing-up yards and 1st downs when the Cowboys most need them. Jerry Jones’ blueprint for the Silver Star is old-fashioned – he wants reliable stars at QB, RB and WR with a physical, tough supporting cast. Elliott is now an established piece of the championship puzzle.
Reason #5 – The squad has renewed confidence in Dak Prescott. Prescott’s stat line against the Seahawks wasn’t perfect, but postseason stat lines don’t have to be. At least not for signal-callers who win and exhibit leadership. September’s woes brought nightmares to mind about an offense that would fold in the clutch. Dak has shown that his posse is settled and relaxed on its way through the NFL playoff bracket.
