Bengals vs Cowboys: Three Keys and a Prediction for Sunday's Matchup
CINCINNATI — The Bengals will welcome back a familiar face on Sunday when Andy Dalton returns to Paul Brown Stadium for the first time since being released by Cincinnati.
The 33-year-old signed with the Cowboys a few days later. He took over as the Cowboys' starter in October after Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending injury.
The Bengals are hoping to end a four-game losing streak. They're 2-9-1 on the season.
The Cowboys are in a similar position. They enter Sunday's contest with a 3-9 record. They've lost six of their last seven games.
Here are three keys and a prediction for Sunday's matchup.
Competent Offense and Creativity
Can Zac Taylor find a way to overcome all of the injuries on offense? He's failed in two games without Joe Burrow. The Bengals' offense has scored just 17 points in the last 10 quarters.
They have a realistic chance to turn things around on Sunday.
Dallas is giving up 32.8 points-per-game, which is the worst in the NFL.
Nothing is going to be easy for Cincinnati, even against a poor defense. Taylor is going to have to be creative in his play calling and design.
The Cowboys likely view this as a "get right" game. If Taylor can catch them off guard with a few wrinkles on offense, then the Bengals have a chance to pull off the upset.
Being creative doesn't mean calling a fake 23 blast with a backside George reverse on every other play.
It could be as simple as finding news ways to get Giovani Bernard or Tyler Boyd in space.
Dallas is allowing 167.8 rushing yards per game, which ranks dead last in the NFL.
The Bengals have to establish the ground game for the first time in months. They've struggled running the ball all season, but Sunday is an opportunity to change that.
Will Taylor stick with the run if they struggle rushing the ball early in the game?
Pressure
Dalton has seen ghosts in recent seasons. The Bengals' poor offensive line broke him at times in his last few years with the team. He's dealt with some of that this season in Dallas.
If the Bengals are going to be successful on defense, then they need to pressure Dalton.
They only have 13 sacks this season, which is last in the NFL.
"It sucks. But let me put it like this: When you're going through tough situations, nothing's guaranteed," Carl Lawson said this week. "Nothing will change if you have a negative output on everything, so I mean, I'm positively just trying to improve my game, trying to get forward. I know the situation that we're in, I know what the stats are, I know all that stuff, so it is what it is. It sucks, but I'm going to keep getting better and keep climbing. I'm excited about that."
Pressuring Dalton is the only way the Bengals are going to slow down the Cowboys' offense. They have a three-headed monster at wide receiver, a quality tight end and two high-end running backs.
Pressure is the key to forcing turnovers and disrupting a Dallas offense that wants to make a statement on Sunday.
Special Teams
The Bengals hung around against the Giants in Week 12 because of quality special teams play. Brandon Wilson returned a kickoff for a touchdown, which gave them a huge boost early in the game.
Wilson is unlikely to play on Sunday against Dallas, but the Bengals have to find a way to win on special teams.
That includes making all of their kicks.
Randy Bullock has missed three of his last five field goal attempts. He also missed an extra point in Week 11 against Washington.
This team needs to be perfect on special teams, even against a struggling team like the Cowboys.
All-Time Record
Dallas leads the series 8-4, but the Bengals have won three of four in Cincinnati. The Cowboys have won the last three meetings, including a 28-14 victory in 2016.
Prediction: The Bengals could win on Sunday. They have the talent to compete with the Cowboys.
Dallas can't stop a nosebleed on defense and Taylor needs to show he can have some success on offense without Burrow on the field.
How will Dalton play in his return to Paul Brown Stadium? Will the pressure be too much for the former Pro Bowler?
I expect Dalton to play well. He's going up against the team that released him. He's facing a coach that benched him for Ryan Finley.
No one should expect Dalton to go full heel and stare down Taylor after a touchdown pass, but the Bengals' all-time leader in touchdown passes is going to throw for 300+ yards and three touchdowns against his former team on Sunday.
Final Score: Cowboys 34, Bengals 23
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