Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Which Cowboys players do you think have a chance to have great games against Cincinnati? The Dallas Cowboys host the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night, and the key factor in the game might be Cincinnati’s defense. It’s given up at least 34 points in their three straight losses coming into Week 14. If that pattern holds, some Dallas players will enjoy a big night on primetime television. Who will most likely benefit, and who else may see low production in this matchup? BUY TE Jake Ferguson Missing the last two games and most of another with a concussion, the starter is set to return and could do it in style. For one, the Bengals have consistently allowed opposing tight ends to have strong games. Pittsburgh’s Pat Freiermuth had season highs with six catches and 68 yards, plus a touchdown, last week. Baltimore’s Mark Andrews posted the exact same stats a few weeks ago, and the Chargers’ Will Dissly posted 80 yards and a touchdown on four catches. Not only should the opportunities be there, but Dallas’ recent play under Cooper Rush has favored the TE position. We’ve seen more out of Luke Schoonmaker than ever before and even some solid work out of undrafted rookie Brevyn Spann-Ford. While Rush may be familiar with his fellow backups, there’s little reason to think he won’t lean on an even more QB-friendly target in Ferguson. QB Cooper Rush If Ferguson doesn’t have a big night, it probably means CeeDee Lamb or someone else did. No matter who gets hot among the receivers, Cooper Rush will be the one racking up passing yards. Having already put up some significant numbers in recent weeks, Rush stands to have another high-volume night against the Bengals. No, Rush is not Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert, or Russell Wilson. But these upper-tier QBs have put up huge numbers against Cincinnati, with Wilson just hanging 414 passing yards on them a week ago. With Ferguson and Lamb expected to play, Rush will have sufficient firepower to keep the ball moving against this opponent. And assuming the Bengals are similarly effective with their own offense, a shootout is very possible. EDGE Micah Parsons Joe Burrow’s been sacked 3-4 times in each of the Bengals’ last three games, so it feels like ripe territory for Dallas’ resident sack artist. Parsons has returned from injury with a vengeance, getting 5.5 sacks over the last four games. These two trends speak to a clear and present danger for Burrow, and a key ingredient to the Cowboys’ potential success. SELL Cowboys secondary You won’t hear this often about a 4-8 team but the Bengals have one of the NFL’s elite offenses, especially in recent weeks. They can hit you in multiple ways and Joe Burrow is on fire right now, posting at least 300 yards and three touchdowns in the three recent losses. Dallas’ secondary has been susceptible to big plays from far lesser quarterbacks and receiving options, so expect some pain on Monday night. Chuma Edoga & Terence Steele The Bengals’ Trey Hendrickson has 11.5 sacks this year and will be a problem for Dallas’ offensive tackles. Steele has struggled all season and now Edoga, who only just returned from injury last week, likely gets his first start of 2024. At the very least, it probably wouldn’t make a big difference if Tyler Guyton was out there. But that won’t offer much consolation if Cooper Rush spends the game on his back.

Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images Here are our bold predictions for Monday night’s matchup. After a 10-day layoff, the Dallas Cowboys return to action on Monday night as they host the Cincinnati Bengals. This is basically an elimination game for both teams, so it figures to be a competitive contest. Before the two teams square off, here are three bold predictions for the matchup. Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images 1) Joe Burrow continues his dominant season, throwing 3+ touchdown passes for the fifth-consecutive game When you look at Joe Burrow’s season stats, it’s hard to believe the Bengals have a 4-8 record. The former number-one overall pick is living up the the billing, having the best season of his young career. Burrow leads the NFL with 30 touchdown passes and 3,337 passing yards with just five interceptions. The 27-year-old quarterback has recorded nine multi-touchdown games on the year, including throwing three or more in a single game six times. Burrow is top six in the NFL in EPA + CPOE (0.159), EPA/Play (0.214), CPOE (4.8), and Success Rate (52.1%). Burrow has been far from the reason why the Bengals are all but out of playoff contention. He and the Bengals’ offense have scored 30 or more points in a game six times this season, but have just a 2-4 record in those games. If Cincinnati didn’t have such a bad defense, Burrow would be a near-lock to take home this year’s MVP award. This week Burrow should continue his dominant season against a Cowboys’ defense that has struggled against top offenses. The signal-caller puts together another great performance, throwing three or more touchdown passes for the fifth consecutive game. Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images 2) CeeDee Lamb records a season-high 150 receiving yards As mentioned above, the Bengals’ defense as a whole has been atrocious this season. Cincinnati has given up the fourth-most passing touchdowns (22) and sixth-most passing yards (2,892) in the league. They also have the third-worst defensive success rate (47.35) and fourth-worst defensive Rush EPA (0.023) and Dropback EPA (0.140). When Cincinnati’s defense has struggled, the Bengals have not won games. When the Bengals have given up 26 or more points, they are 0-7. When they’ve given up 25 or fewer, they are 4-1. If the Cowboys can score three or more touchdowns in this game, they should have a good shot at walking away with a win. One of Cincinnati’s biggest problems on defense this season has been slowing down the opposing team’s top receiving threats. Below are some of the best receivers the Bengals have faced this season and how they have done against Cincinnati’s defense. Zay Flowers = 7 receptions, 111 yards Terry McLaurin = 4 receptions, 100 yards, 1 TD A.J. Brown = 5 receptions, 84 yards DeVonta Smith = 6 receptions, 85 yards, 1 TD Ladd McConkey = 6 receptions, 123 yards Jakobi Meyers = 8 receptions, 105 yards This bodes very well for Dallas’ top wideout CeeDee Lamb. The 25-year-old has been a bit quiet the past two weeks, but that will change Monday night. Lamb puts on display one of the best performances of his career, recording 150+ receptions yards on 11 receptions. Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images 3) Both teams combine to score 60+ total points There is going to be plenty of offense in this game. The O/U total for the matchup currently sits at 49.5, and the teams are going to soar past that total. For the first time in weeks, the Cowboys face a defense that they should be able to move the ball through the air against. CeeDee Lamb and Dallas’ receivers will consistently have favorable matchups, allowing Cooper Rush to get the ball out quickly to open receivers. We’ve seen what the Bengals’ offense has done this season, even against some of the better defenses in the NFL. Dallas’ defense is playing much better, but they still are a unit that has its fair share of issues. Burrow and company will take advantage of this, using their dynamic passing attack to hurt Dallas through the air. This game turns into one of the more entertaining Monday Night Football matchups of the season as both offenses light up the scoreboard.

Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images Notable headlines surrounding America’s team. This is the Cowboys offense’s best chance without Dak Prescott- Reid Hanson, Cowboys Wire The Cowboys must lean on Rush’s strengths over the back stretch of the season. In situations such as this it will be tempting for the Cowboys to take shots down the field. That’s not only unnecessary, but it asks Rush to succeed in an area of personal weakness. Based on FTN Data shown by Doug Analytics, Rush has thrown catchable deep balls on less than 30 percent of his attempts this season. He’s also bottom three in attempts and catchability percentage. PFF tracking shows Rush has attempted 16 passes of 20 or more yards and completed just four of them for a 25 percent completion rate. One of those passes qualified as a big-time throw and one pass qualified as a turnover worthy throw. It’s arguably the biggest inefficiency in his game, making the case for McCarthy to avoid deep passes with Rush at the helm. Even in the 10–19-yard range Rush has struggled in 2024. His completion percentage sits at just 40 percent and this intermediate range grades as his poorest on the field with him throwing three times as many turnover worthy throws than big time throws. For as much as the Cowboys running game and defense have struggled in 2024, they are areas Dallas simply has to lean on in order to win games. Combined with a dink and dunk passing attack that plays inside the numbers, the Cowboys are best positioned to win games behind Rush at QB. Week 14 Injury Report: Cowboys hope to have All-Pro return tomorrow – Shane Taylor, Inside The Star Dallas might finally get to see the Diggs-Bland combo in 2024. Questionable: CB Trevon Diggs (Knee) T Tyler Guyton (Ankle/Knee) Let’s be honest here, Trevon Diggs needs to play in this football game if they want any chance at winning. DaRon Bland is not enough against Joe Burrow, Chase and that group. Cinicy defense is awful, but that side of the ball is scoring 35 plus a game. It has been a tough season for the Cowboys secondary with Diggs and top cornerbacks DaRon Bland, Jourdan Lewis, and Caelen Carson all dealing with injuries this season. Mike McCarthy hinted Diggs could suit up on Monday night after the progress he has made throughout the week. “He’s making progress. He had a good day today,” McCarthy said, adding, “I thought it was clearly one of our best practices of the year.” Diggs is going to be needed in this matchup, and he has not step foot on the field since Bland has returned, so it would be nice to see both All-Pros on the field at the same time, and this would be the perfect time for it to happen. Gut Feeling: Predictions for Cowboys-Bengals- Staff, DallasCowboys.com What will happen on Monday night? Patrik: This is a tough one to call. On one hand, the Bengals’ defense is abhorrent and that is not an exaggeration. That unit is statistically one of the worst not only this season, but in the history of the league and most certainly over the past five NFL seasons. On the other hand, Joe Burrow and his band of unmerry men are torching scoreboards, and you have to defend every blade of grass against them. Even if Trevon Diggs returns to finally form the trio with DaRon Bland and Jourdan Lewis, the task is tall. If he doesn’t, it becomes that much more daunting. That means the name of this game, for the Cowboys, will to control time of possession with an offensive rushing attack (hi, Rico) and to play off of that to neutralize the only weapon the Bengals have defensively (Trey Hendrickson) and Burrow’s onslaught by keeping him on the sideline. Do that, and you eek out a third consecutive win. Don’t do it and you’ll get 50 points dropped on your head, and this Cowboys’ offense isn’t one that’s shown it can win that kind of a shootout. My prediction will be based on one thing and one thing only: the Cowboys’ hammering at them with Dowdle and sacking Burrow at least three times. If they don’t, it’s gonna get ugly. 24-21, Cowboys Micah Parsons is latest Cowboys star to publicly endorse Mike McCarthy- Josh Sanchez, Sports Illustrated Players continue to back McCarthy. Parsons says McCarthy deserves a “fair chance” to coach a season that isn’t marred by injuries. “I think I would like a fair shot with everyone back — players, coaches — because the injuries kind of struck of what this season could really be,” Parsons said, per Todd Archer of ESPN. “The injuries have been terrible. And, you know, it really sucks. Seeing Zack [Martin], D-Law [DeMarcus Lawrence] not having the year I know he planned to have. He had such a great start. It really sucks.” While Parsons shared his thoughts on McCarthy, he made it clear that the decision is ultimately up to Jerry Jones. “In terms of coaching, man, Coach Mike, me and his relationship has always been really good,” Parsons added. “He always took real good care of me. I just don’t know how the how the business side of it’s going to go, you know? [Owner and general manager Jerry Jones] has his own mindset about who he wants to coach. This is his team. I’m kind of just, like, a pawn in this business.”

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Who wins tonight… Los Angeles or Kansas City? The Los Angeles Chargers play the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football. FanDuel has the Chiefs as 3.5-point favorites over the Chargers. Final score prediction: Chiefs 23 – Chargers 20. Check out FanDuel for all of your NFL betting needs. This is an open thread for game chat.

Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The Dallas Cowboys did not pick up a ton of playoff help throughout Week 14. The Dallas Cowboys remain mathematically alive for a playoff spot this NFL season. As this is the case we are continuing to have conversations about their standing within the NFC, where they are, what they need, so on and so forth. Obviously this season has been trying so it is possible that you prefer a different outcome. Please recognize that the following conversation pertains to the potential of this team reaching the postseason. With our full and proper disclaimer now out of the way, Week 14 sort of stunk for the Dallas Cowboys. There were eight total things we were rooting for relative to the NFC side of things and only three of them went our way. The bulk of the reason why we were rooting against the teams that we were was to eliminate would-be threats to NFC Wild Card positions so as to open up more opportunity for the Cowboys. It is certainly helpful that both the Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals lost, but Green Bay’s defeat hardly helps in the same way. The Packers seem assured to take home at least one of the top Wild Card spots, if the Cowboys are going to squeeze themselves into this thing it is likely going to be as the final one. Even though Arizona and Atlanta lost in Week 14 other Wild Card contenders in the Rams, 49ers and (to a lesser degree) the Saints all won. The Cowboys have a chance to pull even with Atlanta, Arizona and San Francisco on Monday night before heading to Carolina next Sunday. ESPN Thankfully next week offers a game between the Rams and 49ers (the first of the week on Thursday night) which means one of them will have to lose. Obviously (as noted) the Cowboys have dug themselves quite the hole to pull themselves out of this season, but if they can continue to stack wins then it is possible that enough chaos will unfold around them to make this a legitimate conversation. The Cowboys will visit the Panthers next Sunday. It is possible that a week from today we are talking about a .500 football team. There is a bit to go between now and that hypothetical, but again things can happen quickly. The next step for Dallas is on Monday night against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images Stopping Joe Burrow is seemingly impossible The Dallas Cowboys are on a winning streak right now, and their defense is a big part of it. Since Micah Parsons returned to action, they’re 10th in EPA/play allowed after ranking 30th prior to his return. But they’ll face their toughest challenge of the year on Monday night when they host the Cincinnati Bengals. When the Bengals decided to move on from longtime head coach Marvin Lewis, they sought a fresh and innovative approach, particularly on offense. That led them to be one of the very first teams to try and pick from the Sean McVay coaching tree. Cincinnati hired Zac Taylor, who had been the Rams’ quarterbacks coach during a Super Bowl run in 2018 after assisting with wide receivers in McVay’s first year leading the team. Prior to that, Taylor had worked with quarterbacks for the Dolphins under Joe Philbin, and he was promoted to interim offensive coordinator not long after Dan Campbell became the interim head coach in 2015. That was pretty much all people knew about Taylor when he was tabbed to lead the Bengals. Fans wouldn’t learn a whole lot more about him until later, as the Bengals went 2-14 in Taylor’s first year on the job. But the terrible season landed them the top draft pick, which they used on Joe Burrow. The Heisman-winning quarterback showed promise as a rookie, but a torn ACL ended his season early and sentenced the Bengals to a 4-11-1 finish. Burrow returned in 2021, and Cincinnati added his college receiver Ja’Marr Chase in the draft, and suddenly things started clicking for Taylor. They finished 10-7 and won the AFC North for the first time in seven years before going on a run to the Super Bowl. They ultimately lost to Taylor’s mentor, McVay and his Rams, but the strong season cemented the notion that Taylor and Burrow were a winning combination. Taylor, who calls the plays on offense, has built much of his offensive identity around the Shanahan style offense that McVay popularized in Los Angeles. Of all the coaches across the league who hail from McVay’s tree, Taylor is probably the one who hews most closely to his former boss, even as McVay has tinkered with his own scheme. Early on, that meant a ton of outside zone and play-action for the Bengals with Taylor calling the shots. But when Burrow came onto the scene, things started to shift. Play-action dropped drastically in Burrow’s second year, and they’re now near the bottom of the league in play-action rate. Taylor has also evolved the run game to feature more gap schemes as a result of the changes in offensive line personnel. Taylor’s willingness to – ahem – tailor his scheme to Burrow has proven largely successful. The chemistry between Burrow and Chase is special, too. In the four seasons they’ve been playing together in Cincinnati, Burrow has a 116.3 passer rating when throwing to Chase. His career passer rating is 99.7, to give you an idea of how good the two are. The Bengals are one of the most pass happy offenses in the league, throwing the ball 64.3% of the time. They’re also one of the most explosive units, currently ranking inside the top 10 in scoring, yards, and EPA/play. Burrow has also thrown the second-most 20+ yard touchdowns this year. As good as the Bengals have been through the air, their ground game hasn’t held up its end of the bargain. Cincinnati is 27th in rushing yards per game and 22nd in EPA/rush, and only seven teams have fewer runs of 10+ yards. The decision to trade Joe Mixon in the offseason has not panned out, as Chase Brown ranks in the middle of the league in rushing success rate and the team as a whole is 26th in yards before contact. That makes for an ideal matchup for Dallas, or at least on paper it does. The Cowboys run defense has remained dismal even as they’ve played better in recent weeks, but their pass defense is hitting its stride. Since Parsons came back, Dallas is third in the league in EPA/pass. They’re also sixth in pressure rate, rarely giving the quarterback time to throw. For what it’s worth, Burrow has been one of the very best throwing under pressure this year, and very few defenses have been able to contain his connection with Chase or even Tee Higgins. The Cowboys likely aren’t going to be able to shut this passing game down, but they should be able to win enough drives to keep things close, especially if they don’t have to worry as much about the run game.