Pittsburgh Steelers Opponent Profile: Cowboys Look To Continue Winning Streak At Heinz Field
After a promising start at 4-1, the Steelers have lost three games in a row and are in jeopardy of falling below .500 by the end of Week 10. After three games in which their competitiveness seemed lacking, the Steelers now have to face off with the Dallas Cowboys and a couple of rookies who have led that team to seven wins in a row.
Dallas Cowboys Season Record: 7-1
This is a Cowboys team unlike any that Dallas has seen in years. They lost their season opener to the New York Giants by one point and haven't lost again since. Dallas is led by rookies on offense who have helped the team rack up big wins over the Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers just to name a few.
Now, they're 7-1, sitting on top of the NFC East and looking like true Super Bowl contenders.
Cowboys On Offense
Dallas has a very well-balanced offense that attacks through the air and on the ground. Rookie quarterback Dak Prescott has a wide array of weapons at his disposal, including Cole Beasley, Dez Bryant, Jason Witten and Terrance Williams. Prescott has shown that the fans and franchise don't need to miss the injured Tony Romo, who may have played his last game as a member of the Dallas Cowboys.
Rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott is proving that the Cowboys did very well in this year's NFL Draft. He has already run for 799 yards and five touchdowns to lead the team. Alfred Morris is also doing well as a second back and he's always a threat when on the field. The Steelers will have to keep their eyes on numerous players.
Cowboys On Defense
As evidenced by their season record, the Cowboys have a very stout defense that doesn't allow a lot of points. So far, they have only allowed three opponents to score 20 or more points and only one of those resulted in a loss. They don't cause a lot of turnovers (four interceptions and six fumbles), but they are true ball hawks who always know where to be on the field and how to attack the ball.
Leading the team in sacks is defensive tackle Tyrone Crawford, who has 3.5 on the season. He's a strong player on the inside of the line who helps stuff opposing rushers. Le'Veon Bell is not going to have a lot of room to run against the likes of Crawford, Terrell McClain, Benson Mayowa and Jack Crawford. The Steelers will definitely have to adjust their ground game against Dallas in order to have success running the ball.
Cowboys Players To Watch: QB Dak Prescott and LB Sean Lee
There is no denying that the key reason for the Cowboys' turnaround this season is Prescott, and what makes things even more interesting is that he's a rookie. With more than 1,700 yards and a completion percentage over 65 percent, Prescott has brought new life to this team and has made the Cowboys better. He has thrown just two interceptions and has 12 touchdowns on the season, having recently surpassed Troy Aikman's franchise record for most TD passes in a rookie year.
Linebacker Sean Lee is a great player on defense and he's the leader of that unit for the Cowboys. He may not always accumulate a lot of sacks or turnovers, but he always guides the team in the right direction against the opposing offense. Lee always knows where the ball carrier is, and it shows as he leads the Cowboys in total tackles with 69. Ben Roethlisberger needs to keep one eye on Lee at all times, as the linebacker can oft be found patrolling the middle of the field.
Outlook
The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a fight for their playoff lives. A fourth straight loss could do enough damage to knock them out of postseason contention entirely. Luckily, they're in a weak AFC North division this season and that should benefit them if they don't get out of this slump soon. If they're going to stop this streak in Week 10, the Steelers will have to be at the top of their game to keep an extremely strong Dallas Cowboys team from continuing their winning ways.
Post Author: Danny Cox.
