The Cowboys suffered a painful 33-30 overtime loss to Arizona, but Sunday provides an immediate chance to respond.
Indianapolis is 2-6, has lost four straight games, and is coming off a 42-7 defeat against Jacksonville. The Colts also appear to be looking toward the future after trading away two of their best veteran players.
So basically Indianapolis is struggling badly and haven’t won since Week 4. Their four-game losing streak includes defeats of 34-22, 26-20, 16-10 and 42-7. Sunday’s 35-point loss
to Jacksonville was their heaviest defeat in nearly four years and Jacksonville led the game 28-0 by halftime.
Dallas may be frustrated after Arizona, but Indianapolis enters this game with even less momentum. Daniel Jones keeps giving opponents opportunities and has thrown only five touchdowns to nine interceptions this season along with being sacked 22 times. Over his last three games alone, he has thrown five interceptions and been sacked 13 times.
Indianapolis ranks last in the NFL with a minus-11 turnover differential. Dallas is at minus-one. That is particularly encouraging after the Cowboys defense created two turnovers and five sacks against Arizona. Quinnen Williams had two sacks and has now recorded at least one in three straight games. DeMarvion Overshown also forced a fumble.
The Colts have also just traded away two stars so their roster is weaker than it was a week ago. They traded eight-time Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson to Seattle and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to San Francisco, both moves help Dallas.
Nelson’s absence removes Indianapolis’ best offensive lineman just as the Cowboys pass rush finally showed some life. Buckner’s departure removes a defender who had four sacks through seven games and had been one of the Colts’ most disruptive players for years. As proof how important those players were to the team, Indianapolis just played its first game without both against Jacksonville.
Indianapolis has already allowed 23 touchdowns and 2,748 yards this season. Opponents are averaging 5.7 yards per play and 4.9 yards per rushing attempt against the Colts. That gives Brian Schottenheimer options.
The way Dallas lost to Arizona was incredibly frustrating, but there were signs of improvement before the fourth-quarter collapse. The Cowboys produced five sacks and two takeaways. Shemar James recorded his first NFL interception, Overshown forced a fumble, and Williams recorded two sacks. Dallas also held Arizona to only three points in the first half and carried a 14-3 lead into halftime. The challenge is making that defensive performance last four quarters.
Against a Colts offense averaging only 19 points per game and struggling badly at quarterback, Dallas has an opportunity to do exactly that.
History provides another positive. The last Cowboys-Colts game went very well for Dallas where they won 54-19 in 2022, scoring an incredible 33 points in the fourth quarter.
Prescott threw three touchdowns, while the Dallas defense forced five turnovers, including three interceptions. It was another example of what can happen when Dallas forces Indianapolis into mistakes. That’s particularly relevant this week with the Colts carrying the worst turnover differential in football.
