The 2-2 Dallas Cowboys host the struggling 0-4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week. Here are the keys to the game.
Win fast or win slow?
George Pickens. CeeDee Lamb. Which one do you attempt to remove from the game? Tampa Bay is faced with the impossible task of picking exactly how they’d like to lose against one of the league’s most dynamic receiving rooms.
Last week, Houston decided to limit big plays with deep zones. But by doing so allowed Dallas to methodically destroy them underneath. CeeDee Lamb exploded for 189 yards
on 17 receptions, thriving on the short-medium game. He also scored the game-winning touchdown when the Texans chose to double Jake Ferguson in the endzone instead of the receiver that had already put the offense on his shoulders throughout the day.
It’s unlikely that Tampa Bay will play a blanket coverage like we saw the Texans do last Sunday. The Buccaneers currently possess the fourth highest blitz rate on defense, according to Sumer Sports. They also are going to be without defensive backs Antoine Winfield Jr. and Benjamin Morrison.
The only viable path towards success for their defense is to pressure Dak Prescott throughout the night. But if they choose to do so by sending extra men on the blitz, they’ll be playing with fire. Prescott is one of the league’s best quarterbacks when blitzed, and he has the weapons on the outside to make defenses pay.
Whether Prescott and the offense are able to open the field up for explosive plays will be determined by what kind of defense Tampa Bay rolls out. If the Buccaneers refuse to allow Lamb to beat them underneath, this could be time for George Pickens to make his presence felt. But either way you cut it, Dallas has more than enough ability to win fast on offense or to score on methodical, clock chewing drives versus this defense.
Turnover time?
The Dallas defense is the only team in the NFL to not record a single interception this season. It’s possible they will not have a clearer path to forcing turnovers this season than they will against the Buccaneers. Undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels heads to Dallas on a short week for the second start of his career. He’s coming off of a one touchdown, two interception loss against the Packers.
The young quarterback demonstrates a quality that has plagued Dallas this season – mobility. It will be key for Dallas to not only rush the passer, but also to contain him and force him to make decisions from inside the pocket. This defense has not demonstrated the ability to do that so far this season, ranking last in rushing yards allowed to opposing quarterbacks.
If the Cowboys are able to fluster the rookie, we should expect to see mistakes made, potentially leading to turnovers. If Daniels is allowed to utilize his legs throughout the night, however, this game could end up being closer than many anticipate.
Joey Porter Jr. arrives on the scene
We’ve yet to see exactly how defensive coordinator Christian Parker will utilize newly acquired cornerback Joey Porter Jr. But judging by what we saw in his limited snaps last week, it appears that he will be allowed to thrive in what makes him special – press man coverage. You simply don’t make a big trade for a player to force him into a scheme that won’t utilize his talents.
With that in mind, Porter Jr. should be matched up against Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin for much of the night. Egbuka leads the Tampa Bay receiver room in receiving yards through four weeks and has been a highlight machine. Godwin has a remarkable 88.9% reception rate, catching 16 passes on 18 targets. The hope is that Porter Jr. is able to erase the man he’s covering, taking away one of those two options for the rookie quarterback each time he drops back. If that is the case, it should also provide the pass rush extra time to get home, something they’ve rarely accomplished this season.
While Porter Jr. should be able to limit things to his side, Dallas still has to be concerned about the other cornerbacks. DaRon Bland has struggled through four weeks in finishing plays. The veteran cornerback hasn’t necessarily been lost in coverage, he just has not been able to get his hands on the ball to force pass breakups. His separation rating is in line with all-stars Christian Gonzalez and Trent McDuffie. Bland just needs to complete the process and finish plays. This week, against an undrafted rookie free agent quarterback, he’ll have the chance to do exactly that.
