Key Matchups: Dallas Cowboys vs Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati is hoping to rebound after an ugly Week 1 loss.

Author:
Nicole Zembrodt
Publish date:
Sep 17, 2022 11:30 AM EDT

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The Bengals and Cowboys are wanting to get back on track this week after their season opening losses.

Things spiraled downward for Cincinnati out of the gate when Joe Burrow threw a pick-6 to Minkah Fitzpatrick on his first attempt. Burrow went onto have five total turnovers (four interceptions, one fumble).

Dallas couldn't build momentum on offense after their only score of the game coming on a mid-first quarter field goal in their 16-point loss to the Buccaneers. To make matters worse, Dak Prescott broke his right thumb in the fourth quarter. Cooper Rush will start for the Cowboys on Sunday.

In the midst of their miscues, both teams' defenses showed bright spots and will be key to their team coming away from Week 2 with a win.

Let's take a look at the matchups to watch for on Sunday.

Matchup of the Game: Ja'Marr Chase vs. Trevon Diggs

Chase picked up from where he left off from his rookie record-setting season with a strong start to his sophomore campaign. Chase had 10 catches for 129 yards and one touchdown against the Steelers.

Diggs has had plenty of highs and lows in his young career. He had 11 interceptions last season (six in each of the first six games). However, Diggs has allowed the second-most yards allowed (823) and a 51.1% coverage success rate since 2021, per NextGen Stats.

The Cowboys' secondary held the Buccaneers passing attack to 195 yards, but allowed two completions of at least 20 yards on Tampa Bay's first possession. Mike Evans beat Diggs on a 19-yarder to start their second drive and the lone touchdown of the game in the 3rd quarter. Despite those miscues, Diggs allowed three catches on six targets for 33 yards and two passes defended.

"He's got great ball skills in the air. He's super-fast," Chase said on facing Diggs. "He's not too technically sound though. He's hit or miss. He's either all the way on or not at all, but he's definitely a great athlete."

The Chase vs Diggs matchup goes back to their college days at LSU and Alabama. Chase won the battle in 2019 and will look to continue his success against the defensive back at the professional level Sunday.

Bengals Offensive Line vs. Micah Parsons

All five offensive linemen will see action against Parsons. The versatile outside linebacker can line up almost anywhere in the front-seven to disrupt opposing offenses.

“He’s really strong at every position he lines up at,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “Whether it’s stack linebacker, right D end, left D end, over the center, plugging him as a backer. They’ve got different personnel groupings focused around him. He’s really dynamic. Vonn Miller's the closest skillset I remember.”

Parsons lined up more in the box last year as a linebacker than he did on the defensive line, but took a majority of his snaps in the opener along the line.

He continued his hot hand from his rookie season in his season debut with five tackles (four solo), two sacks, and three pressures. Parsons became the fastest player in NFL history to record 15 sacks in just 17 games.

The reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year's ability to play around in different positions is a "nightmare" as Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan put it describing the mismatches Parsons creates.

Cincinnati's offensive line allowed seven sacks, 11 quarterback hits, and a 29.2% pressure rate per Pro Football Focus against the Steelers. Parsons will try to mimic similar play to what T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward were able to do against this Bengals line last week.

Joe Mixon vs. Cowboys Rush Defense

Mixon had an exceptional season debut, finishing with 82 rushing yards on 27 carries and 63 receiving yards on seven receptions. It still felt like yards were left on the field with the state of the game.

This week could be Mixon's opportunity to break the decade mark on the ground for the first time this season. Leonard Fournette ran for 127 yards averaging six yards per carry.

Fournette's success came from consistent penetration from the Buccaneers' offensive line to open running lanes. The running back averaged three yards per carry before contact (2nd among all runners with 10+ carries) and 85 of his yards came on 10 carries outside the left tackle per NextGen Stats.

Cincinnati's offensive line showed glimpses of creating running lanes against Pittsburgh. If they can win the battle in the trenches, Mixon will find success.

Logan Wilson vs. Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard

Rush is a respectable backup quarterback. He's familiar with the Cowboys system in his fifth season with the team, but Elliott and Pollard should be the focal points of the Dallas offense.

Elliott saw action on 40 offensive snaps (58%) and averaged 5.2 yards per carry on 10 touches. Pollard was in on 38 offensive snaps (55%). He didn't make a big splash Week 1, but Pollard proved to be a dual-threat last season.

Wilson was graded as the third-highest linebacker in Week 1 according to Pro Football Focus. He had nine total tackles (six solo) and a pass defended with a coverage grade of 79.9, the third highest in his career.

The third-year linebacker will need to make sure Elliott and Pollard don't reach the second and third levels of the defense both as a rushing and pass-catching threat. If the Bengals can pressure Rush enough, he'll look to Elliott and Pollard as dump-off options.

Wilson could also see routes against Dalton Schultz. Schultz caught seven passes for 62 yards. The tight end could be another safe option for Rush over the middle or on short crossing routes.

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