Post by Danchat on Nov 8, 2019 23:06:24 GMT -6
It's time for some Sunday Night Football! The Vikings take on the Cowboys in another NFC tussle between two good, but not great teams. Let's see how Dallas stacks up against the Vikes:
* My thoughts *
The Cowboys are a team in a very similar situation as the Vikings. They're 5-3 with 4 easy wins, with the only win against a team with a winning record is the Eagles. They couldn't topple the Packers or Saints and inexplicably lost to a next-level dumpster Jets squad. Dak Prescott, in a contract year, is doing a solid job, but played rather poorly in their 3 game losing streak. He's improved his accuracy as compared to last year, and he's not running the ball quite as much anymore. Zeke Elliott will be getting the ball a lot, unless they fall behind early. He's been ripping off 100 yard game after another, but PFF doesn't rate him as highly as others because a big chunk of that success is due to Dallas' O-line. The group couldn't stay healthy last year, but as of right now they're back to full strength. Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, and Travis Frederick are 3 of the best O-linemen in the league. RT La'el Collins is finally having a breakout year and playing up to expectation. LG Connor Williams hasn't been very good in his short NFL career.
Dallas will do their best to get the ball to Amari Cooper, who's become a true #1 WR since leaving Oakland. It's like he left his drop issues behind with the Raiders. Michael Gallup is having a strong sophomore year and is a strong #2 WR. The young WR already has 454 yards in just 6 games. Jason Witten and Randall Cobb are two passable players who are past their prime, and not as quick as they used to be. Blake Jarwin will get plenty of run as the second TE and Tavon Austin is a wildcard player who will get a couple trick plays every game.
On defense, the Cowboys have a formidable unit that held the Eagles to 10 points, the Saints to 12, and only one team has surpassed 24 points (Packers). They have a very strong pass rush led by the dynamic Demarcus Lawrence and the resurgent veteran Robert Quinn. Those two have combined for 11 sacks, and they've also got a breakout interior rusher in Maliek Collins. Some other veterans will rotate in to help, like Michael Bennett and Kerry Hyder. Christian Covington is the D-line's best run stopper according to PFF. Antwaun Woods has received some very poor grades from PFF, some he might be one to run on.
The LB group is fantastic on paper. Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch were the league's best LB duo last season, with elite run stopping grades and top of the line covering grades. They've both regressed by default this year, and Vander Esch might not be 100% after missing last week with a neck injury. Sean Lee gets name recognition, but he isn't what he once was. He's only going to be out there on about 50% of the snaps.
Finally, the DBs are decent. Byron Jones is a solid top corner with incredible athleticism, and in his first year as a full-time CB, he made the Pro Bowl. He'll likely shadow Diggs. Chidobe Awuzie is a fun name to pronounce (chee-doe-BAY ah-WOO-zee-ay) but is a run-of-the-mill cover CB. He's a strong tackler, however. Anthony Brown and Jourdan Lewis will rotate and man the slot - Lewis has received exceptional PFF grades, while Brown is below average in coverage. Woods and Heath are a safety duo you've probably never heard of. Woods is on the rise with 5 interceptions in 3 years after being a 6th round pick. PFF has him as a top 20 safety. Heath, meanwhile, is on the other end of the scale. PFF has him as a bottom-tier run stopper and cover safety.
Prediction: Cowboys 27, Vikings 13
Everything has aligned for a Cowboys victory - they're getting healthier as the Vikings are starting to get banged up, it's a road game for the Vikings in primetime, and Cousins is facing a good defense. The Vikings defense can't cover the pass and already lost 2 games to backup QBs, while the Cowboys have prevented everyone except Green Bay to below 25 points. While the Cowboys may be perenially overrated because they're "Amercia's team", their roster is sound from top to bottom. It's been a while since the Vikings' last 10+ point loss, and I think now is the time it's going to happen.
Any thoughts?
Vikings
CB Trae Waynes Questionable
WR Adam Thielen Out
DT Linval Joseph Out
SS Andrew Sendejo Out
DE Stephen Weatherly Questionable
Cowboys
T Cameron Fleming Out
WR Amari Cooper Questionable
CB Trae Waynes Questionable
WR Adam Thielen Out
DT Linval Joseph Out
SS Andrew Sendejo Out
DE Stephen Weatherly Questionable
Cowboys
T Cameron Fleming Out
WR Amari Cooper Questionable
* My thoughts *
The Cowboys are a team in a very similar situation as the Vikings. They're 5-3 with 4 easy wins, with the only win against a team with a winning record is the Eagles. They couldn't topple the Packers or Saints and inexplicably lost to a next-level dumpster Jets squad. Dak Prescott, in a contract year, is doing a solid job, but played rather poorly in their 3 game losing streak. He's improved his accuracy as compared to last year, and he's not running the ball quite as much anymore. Zeke Elliott will be getting the ball a lot, unless they fall behind early. He's been ripping off 100 yard game after another, but PFF doesn't rate him as highly as others because a big chunk of that success is due to Dallas' O-line. The group couldn't stay healthy last year, but as of right now they're back to full strength. Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, and Travis Frederick are 3 of the best O-linemen in the league. RT La'el Collins is finally having a breakout year and playing up to expectation. LG Connor Williams hasn't been very good in his short NFL career.
Dallas will do their best to get the ball to Amari Cooper, who's become a true #1 WR since leaving Oakland. It's like he left his drop issues behind with the Raiders. Michael Gallup is having a strong sophomore year and is a strong #2 WR. The young WR already has 454 yards in just 6 games. Jason Witten and Randall Cobb are two passable players who are past their prime, and not as quick as they used to be. Blake Jarwin will get plenty of run as the second TE and Tavon Austin is a wildcard player who will get a couple trick plays every game.
On defense, the Cowboys have a formidable unit that held the Eagles to 10 points, the Saints to 12, and only one team has surpassed 24 points (Packers). They have a very strong pass rush led by the dynamic Demarcus Lawrence and the resurgent veteran Robert Quinn. Those two have combined for 11 sacks, and they've also got a breakout interior rusher in Maliek Collins. Some other veterans will rotate in to help, like Michael Bennett and Kerry Hyder. Christian Covington is the D-line's best run stopper according to PFF. Antwaun Woods has received some very poor grades from PFF, some he might be one to run on.
The LB group is fantastic on paper. Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch were the league's best LB duo last season, with elite run stopping grades and top of the line covering grades. They've both regressed by default this year, and Vander Esch might not be 100% after missing last week with a neck injury. Sean Lee gets name recognition, but he isn't what he once was. He's only going to be out there on about 50% of the snaps.
Finally, the DBs are decent. Byron Jones is a solid top corner with incredible athleticism, and in his first year as a full-time CB, he made the Pro Bowl. He'll likely shadow Diggs. Chidobe Awuzie is a fun name to pronounce (chee-doe-BAY ah-WOO-zee-ay) but is a run-of-the-mill cover CB. He's a strong tackler, however. Anthony Brown and Jourdan Lewis will rotate and man the slot - Lewis has received exceptional PFF grades, while Brown is below average in coverage. Woods and Heath are a safety duo you've probably never heard of. Woods is on the rise with 5 interceptions in 3 years after being a 6th round pick. PFF has him as a top 20 safety. Heath, meanwhile, is on the other end of the scale. PFF has him as a bottom-tier run stopper and cover safety.
Prediction: Cowboys 27, Vikings 13
Everything has aligned for a Cowboys victory - they're getting healthier as the Vikings are starting to get banged up, it's a road game for the Vikings in primetime, and Cousins is facing a good defense. The Vikings defense can't cover the pass and already lost 2 games to backup QBs, while the Cowboys have prevented everyone except Green Bay to below 25 points. While the Cowboys may be perenially overrated because they're "Amercia's team", their roster is sound from top to bottom. It's been a while since the Vikings' last 10+ point loss, and I think now is the time it's going to happen.
Any thoughts?
... and neither is this Chris guy.