The Dallas Cowboys finish off their little two-game AFC East road trip against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Hopefully, things go better than they did last week after a 21-point loss to the Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins haven’t beaten the Cowboys in 20 years as you’d have to go all the way to November of 2003 for their win. A lot’s changed since then.
The Dolphins are among the best teams in the league, so the Cowboys will have some competition. When these two teams play on Sunday, there are five things to watch out for.
1. SOUTH BEACH IS GETTING HOT
The heat is coming from South Beach. That’s the opening line of Will Smith’s 1990 song “Miami,” which also happens to be a description of the Dolphins’ ridiculously talented offence. In terms of yards gained and scoring, Mike McDaniel’s offence leads the league. They excel in many different areas. Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane, a duo of running backs, have 1,905 scrimmage yards and 29 touchdowns between them. Jaylen Williams and Tyreek Hill, two wide receivers
The Dolphins’ offence is extremely talented. When they scored 70 points against the Denver Broncos in Week 3, it was evident to all of us. To avoid taking a blow to the face on Sunday, the Cowboys’ defence needs to have some answers.
2. A DOWN-TO-EARTH FIGHT FOR THE SECONDARY
Due to an ankle injury, Tyreek Hill was unable to play last week, but the team still defeated the Jets 30-0 without his help. Although his health is still unknown, his return would be crucial to the offensive potential of the Dolphins. Hill demolishes opposition defences with over 1,500 yards of receiving. Although the Cowboys have done a good job of containing Stephon Gilmore, the Dolphins have two big-play threats.
3. AVOID BEING SHELLED FOR AN OFFENCE
Regarding the Broncos, do you recall when they visited Dallas in 2021 and soundly defeated them, snapping their six-game winning streak? Denver had a 30-0 lead in the fourth quarter as a result of two garbage-time touchdowns from the Cowboys. After Dallas lost two of their next three games, there were those who claimed that Vic Fangio, the head coach of the Broncos at the time, had set the groundwork for opposing the Cowboys’ offensive style.
Fangio worked as a defensive consultant for the Eagles the previous season, when they led the league in passing yards per attempt. He is no longer with Philadelphia, and as everyone knows, that team is having defensive difficulties. However, since Fangio took over as their defensive coordinator this season, the Dolphins are the team that isn’t having any problems on defence. Miami’s defence, which is marginally superior to the Cowboys defence, is ranked fourth in the league in yards per play. Miami’s explosive offence is the foundation of their success, but their defence is also capable of big plays.
The Cowboys just finished a game in which their passing attack was stymied by Buffalo’s defensive strategy. They only managed 106 passing yards against the Bills, which is the fewest yards a Dak Prescott-led Cowboys team has had since November 2017. Fangio will undoubtedly have a solid strategy to counter Dak Prescott and the Cowboys’ passing game.
4. FANGIO WILL AIM TO ATTACK YOU
The Dolphins defence has a wealth of talent. They have rising star safety Jevon Holland in addition to two All-Pro corners in Jalen Ramsey and Xavien Howard. Considering this team’s excellent pass rush, the secondary is even better. Together, they have 24 sacks and three former top 20 overall picks: Christian Wilkins (13th overall), Jaelan Phillips (18th), and Bradley Chubb (5th overall). They are second only to the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL in total sacks (48), as a team.
Anticipate Fangio to apply more pressure against an offence that, when rattled, has displayed moments of chaos. After not being sacked at all in the first three games, Prescott has been sacked ten times in the last three. This will put pressure on the two Tylers and an injured Zack Martin, if he can play, because of his formidable interior presence.
5. GRASS DOES NOT EVER GET GREENER
The Cowboys’ superiority at home over away is already established. That information isn’t revolutionary. At AT&T Stadium, they score nearly twice as many points per game on average as they do away from home (39.9 vs. 21.7 ppg). They have a perfect 7-0 record at home and a
The Cowboys have played ten games on grass over the last two seasons, losing all but two of them. The Cowboys perform well when they can execute their game plan; however, they falter when forced to make last-minute adjustments. They’ve previously experienced problems with their footing. Because it has more give, natural grass is safer for players to avoid injuries, but it also makes cutting more difficult and slows players down.
The Cowboys’ 21-game winning streak on turf came to an end on Sunday with their loss to the Bills. In any case, Buffalo experienced wind and rain. Don’t ignore the splits between the turf and grass.
Hard Rock Stadium is a grass pitch where Miami plays. defeating a strong team away from home
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