Rams at Cowboys Fish Predicts: 'Fool Me 14 Times? Shame on Dallas'

ARLINGTON - I exited the Dallas Cowboys' Glitzy Bandwagon the week before the loss at Chicago upon my realization that The Cowboys Bandwagon is actually a Cowboys Leaky Ship. Or, at best, a Cowboys Rickety Roller-Coaster.

Consider: in this 14-week NFL season, the Cowboys have been favored 13 times. (At New England the lone exception). It's supposed to be difficult to pick against the spread; that's why bookies get rich while gamblers go broke. But simply picking the winning team? Grandma Fish should be able to do that ...

But not with this year's Cowboys. Oddsmakers putting their own money on Dallas this year - just trying to pick the winner of 14 games! - would've failed to make a penny.

Fool me once? Shame on you. Fool me twice? Shame on me.

Fool me 14 times? Stop The Cowboys Rickety Roller-Coaster. I wanna get off.

I picked the Bears to beat Dallas because I knew that while the Cowboys were mouthing positive things about their practice sessions, in truth there was distracted conflict, on the field and in the building at The Star. And then came my prediction coming true, followed by QB Dak Prescott's subtle admission.

"We have the skill level, we have the players, we have the chemistry,'' Dak said, "at times.”

"Chemistry, at times.''

This is a Dak Crack in the armor, an in-italics revelation from a guy who labors furiously to keep this locker room cohesive. He will labor furiously today, too, in the afternoon start here at AT&T Stadium, trying to achieve success against a loaded Rams defense that's allowed 17 points or fewer in six of the last seven games. Dak's numbers jump at home (as do Amari Cooper's). But Rams newcomer Jalen Ramsey could travel with Cooper today and completely ruin that plan.

Even if I ignore the fact that NFC East-leading Dallas has dipped to 6-7 by losing seven of 10, I think back to a recent high-water achievement, last year' NFL Playoffs second-round advancement ... when Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips didn't much bother trying to contain Dak.

It allowed for a nice day for receiver Michael Gallup. But it very much controlled Ezekiel Elliott. He had 22 touches and 66 yards in that 30-22 postseason blowout loss. And this year? L.A. is allowing running backs 3.76 yards per carry and 34 receiving yards per game.

Is coach Jason Garrett and staff going to utilize "Institutionalized Stubbornness'' here? History says if they do, they lose.

Meanwhile, suddenly, coach Sean McVay's offense is getting back on track. QB Jared Goff has experienced back-to-back good-number games, he gets running back production from Todd Gurley and Malcolm Brown (against a Dallas D that’s permitted 100-plus rushing yards in each game during its three-game losing streak) and his pass-catching options run deep.

Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp 20, Brandin Cooks and even backup tight end Tyler Higbee can kill opponents if Goff is on. And what does Dallas counter with on defense? Big names. Big speeches. And, if you're still a believer, maybe the much-awaited big performance from DeMarcus Lawrence and his multi-nicknamed mates.

"You’ve got to punch a (bleep) in the face and be ready for them to come back and punch you back,'' said Tank, who takes responsibility for Dallas' defensive failures while also this week breaking his pledge to his mom to quit using profanity in public. "We haven’t been doing that. It’s time to get back to it.”

A win could re-inflate the tires in The Glitzy Bandwagon, plug a few holes in The Leaky Ship and even sell a few tickets aboard The Rickety Roller-Coaster. But a loss ... is more easily predictable, at least by this oft-fooled observer.

Prediction: Rams 27, Cowboys 24.

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