ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 19: The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders perform during the fourth quarter as the Dallas Cowboys take on the Indianapolis Colts in a Preseason game at AT /
The Dallas Cowboys travel to Denver to take on the Broncos in week two. Here are the five keys to victory…
The Dallas Cowboys exorcised some demons last week, beating the only team they couldn’t beat in 2016. Now Dallas looks to keep the momentum rolling as they take on the 1-0 Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
Here are the five keys to the game for the Cowboys:
Limit the big play – Much like last week, the Cowboys play a team with an inconsistent offense, equally capable of hitting the big play or falling flat on its face. Clearly the Cowboys hope for the latter. Stopping Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas is task one, and if they can contain those two, the Cowboys should be able to survive the rest of the Broncos attack. QB Trevor Siemian may not exactly strike fear in the hearts of men, but armed with big-play weapons, he’s no push over. He passed for 60.7% last week, spreading the ball around, even hitting little-used Bennie Fowler for a pair of TDs. If Dallas can force Siemian to rely on Fowler again this week, it’ll be a success.
Creative receiver formations – Everyone knows Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr form one of the best CB tandems in the NFL. Simply lining up in traditional receiver formations will be easy for this duo to stop. But mixing in bunch formations and running rub routes may be a way to circumvent their strength. The Cowboys traditionally lean on 11 personnel the most, but this week it may be wise to go with the extremes and run with either two tight end sets or go four wide.
Run the ball early and often –
Last season the Broncos were terrible against the run, allowing over 130 yards per game. They may have found success last week against the Chargers, but my gut says that was a fluke. Denver will stack the box to stop the run but the Cowboys should still be able to find success running in their 12 personnel package. Dallas must stick to the run no matter how much one-on-one man coverage they see. That’s fool’s gold. The Cowboys need to play to their strength by running the ball and exploiting mismatches.
Dare Von Miller – This may not sound like a brilliant idea since Von Miller is arguably the best pass-rusher in the NFL. Many opponents attempt to avoid Miller and company by running a lot of three-step drops and releasing the ball quickly on outs and slants. The only problem is this plays to the coverage’s strength. Talib and Harris love to jump routes and the LB corps has a sneaky ability to come out of nowhere and intercept slant routes. Pump fakes and double-moves may allow Von Miller more time to get to the passer but it also opens up opportunities against this aggressive secondary. Dallas must be mindful of the Denver rush but not let it impact the way they call a game. Denver loves seeing short passes. La’el Collins can’t hold down the fort alone so expect assistance from the tight end group as well as Zeke. Dak is also going to have to deliver on the move.
Forget Dez –Dez Bryant has a history of getting neutralized against top-flight physical corners. Some of it the matchup itself, and some is the physical competition seems to make Dez forget he’s a receiver. If Aqib Talib shadows Dez, the Cowboys would be wise to avoid him altogether. Not that Dez can’t beat him, just that there are better mismatches elsewhere. If Denver plays Dez in off coverage, Dak can throw to him. But forcing him the ball in tight coverage just isn’t a good idea with this crew. Cole Beasley, Jason Witten, and Brice Butler will have the best opportunities based on their matchups.
