Here are our bold predictions for Sunday’s game.
The Dallas Cowboys wrap up their regular season on Sunday afternoon as they face off against the Washington Commanders. Before the two teams go head-to-head, here are three bold predictions for the regular-season finale.
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1) Rico Dowdle eclipses 100 rushing yards in a game for the fifth time this season
What a second half of the season it has been for Cowboys’ running back Rico Dowdle. After being handed the reigns to take over as Dallas’ lead back, Dowdle has been one of the most productive running backs in the league since Week 11.
In those six games, Dowdle has totaled 605 rushing yards on 120 attempts, the second-most in football behind only shoo-in All-Pro Saquon Barkley. Dowdle also has the second-most explosive runs (16) and D15+ yard runs (7) during this span.
The former undrafted free agent has been a true difference maker on Dallas’ offense and has made it abundantly clear he is more than capable of being a number one back on a competitive team.
This week, Dowdle gets a favorable matchup against a Washington defense that is bottom-six in defensive rush EPA (-0.015) and total rushing yards allowed (2,187). The Commanders’ defense has given up 140 or more rushing yards seven times this season, and that number will go to eight on Sunday afternoon.
Dowdle caps off his outstanding second half with one of his most productive games of the season, recording 130 rushing yards and a touchdown.
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2) KaVontae Turpin records the first multi-touchdown game of his NFL career
In the past three weeks, we’ve seen the Cowboys finally start to use KaVontae Turpin in different ways on offense. Over that three-game span, Turpin, who was named to his first Pro Bowl this week, has totaled seven rushing attempts for 56 yards, averaging an extremely impressive 8.0 Y/A.
Turpin’s game-changing speed was on display when Dallas lined him up as a running back, and he’s been very close to breaking a few huge runs. It’s only a matter of time before he uses that breakaway speed to take a run all the way, and that will happen this Sunday.
The 28-year-old breaks a 20+ yard touchdown run in the first half to go with a receiving touchdown in the second half, recording the first multi-touchdown game of his NFL career.
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3) Trey Lance records his first touchdown pass in three years
It’s been a long time since Trey Lance has completed a touchdown pass in a regular season game. You’d have to go all the way back to January 2nd, 2022 against the Houston Texans to find the last time Lance achieved this feat.
Three long years have separated Lance and his last TD pass, but on Sunday afternoon he’ll finally break the streak. With this game meaning virtually nothing for Dallas, they’ll turn to Lance early in the second half to give him some playing time. The young quarterback takes advantage, throwing his first touchdown pass as a Cowboy to KaVontae Turpin.
