Entering the new season, there were high expectations for both the Dallas Cowboys and the Indianapolis Colts. Now that we are nearing the halfway point of the season, those expectations have been thoroughly shredded. The Colts find themselves in a four-game skid while the Cowboys aren’t much better, having lost three of their last four. It’s gotten so bad for Indy that they fired their general manager and have entered full fire-sale mode, shipping off the team’s top stars for future draft capital.
The Cowboys themselves are approaching their own crossroad, and another letdown loss may push them to the other side of the tracks. This game looks less like a matchup between potential contenders and more like a cast of characters who could recreate the Blunder Bowl from the Super Bowl V matchup many years ago.
What’s truly in store for us on Sunday? Here are five things to watch when these two teams square off.
1. RB rotation roulette
The Cowboys’ defense has been incredibly lucky over the last three weeks, at least when it comes to the running backs they’ve faced during that time. Because of injuries and other absences, the Cowboys avoided a heavy dose of Josh Jacobs, Saquon Barkley, and Jeremiah Love. Instead, they got a healthy diet of backups like Pierre Strong, Dameon Pierce, and Tyler Allgeier.
On paper, those are bullets dodged, but on the field, it didn’t matter because everyone is running all over the Cowboys lately. That makes the upcoming mystery of Jonathan Taylor almost moot. The veteran back is one of the premier players in the league, but his name had been thrown around as a potential trade candidate, so it’s unclear just how much of him we’ll see. He only carried the ball eight times last week as the Colts appeared to preserve his health to maintain his trade value.
This means the Cowboys will likely face more unheralded backups like Seth McGowan or D.J. Giddens, but honestly, does it even matter? If the Dallas run defense continues to be atrocious, either back could have a field day against it. Of course, if Taylor himself is cut loose, it could be an absolute nightmare. The last time the Cowboys faced a fully healthy, starting RB, Bucky Irving flat-out embarrassed them.
2. Short and shallow
While the running game is the absolute meat and potatoes of the Indianapolis offense, they will eventually have to pass the football. When they do, they are overly cautious, as they rely mostly on short, quick-hit targets to tight end Tyler Warren and receiver Josh Downs. Under normal circumstances, the Cowboys’ secondary has been the ultimate charity organization, handing out huge gifts to opposing offenses. However, Indianapolis lacks any type of vertical attack to take advantage of it.
Daniel Jones is playing behind a shaky offensive line that just traded away All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson. He’s likely to feel a little heat, even from an often inconsistent Cowboys’ pass rush. Among all NFL quarterbacks with enough pass attempts to qualify for leaderboard status, Jones is the only one without a single touchdown pass on a ball thrown 10 yards or more downfield. If the Cowboys’ defense still finds a way to let Jones look like the legendary Gardner Minshew, it’s going to get real sickening real fast.
3. Tyler’s revenge
On the other side of the ball, the Colts have put out a matador defense themselves, allowing the third-most points in the game. They are especially vulnerable against the run, a weakness that has only gotten worse since they traded away their best interior defender, DeForest Buckner. This could be a great opportunity for the Cowboys’ guards, Tyler Smith and Tyler Booker, to exert their power and open up holes.
The offense of the Cowboys desperately needs to find ways to keep their rushing attack active. They can ill afford to have problems and then completely abandon it, especially against the weak run defense of the Colts. Look for running back Javonte Williams to get rolling, but also for former Colts’ running back Tyler Goodson to have his best game of the season against his former team.
Last time these teams battled each other, it was another former Colts’ player, Malik Hooker, who had his best game in a Cowboys uniform. History may repeat itself in the form of an underrated backup who gets a slightly larger workload on Sunday.
4. Capitalize on sloppiness
The infamous Blunder Bowl featured seven turnovers, and this one has the potential to get a little sloppy. If it does, it likely won’t be initiated by the defense. These two squads are two of the worst in terms of taking the ball away, with both ranking in the bottom three in the NFL.
The good news for the Cowboys is that the Colts’ offense is prone to giving the ball away. Not only that, but the Cowboys’ defense has quietly started to improve in the takeaway department. After enduring a three-game turnover drought, Dallas has forced at least one takeaway in three straight weeks, including a season-high pair of turnovers in their last outing. That’s progress. If the Cowboys are ever going to turn the ship, they must aggressively hunt for the football against a compromised, struggling Colts’ offense.
5. Another crazy fourth quarter
Nothing could have prepared us for what we witnessed last week. The Arizona Cardinals finished the game with 33 points despite only having three points late into the third quarter. It was a fourth-quarter wave the Cowboys were obviously not ready for.
Weirdly enough, the last time these two teams faced each other, a similar fourth-quarter onslaught occurred. Initially, both teams were involved in a tight 21-19 contest entering the final quarter before the Cowboys scored 33 unanswered points and blew them out 54-19.
While past events don’t assure future outcomes, the enigma that has become the Cowboys has created some late-game streakiness recently. Last week, it was a fourth-quarter collapse, the week prior against Philadelphia, it was a fourth-quarter surge, scoring 18 unanswered to comfortably pull away. What should we expect this time? Hard to say, but pencil in a little craziness.
