Dallas Cowboys' chances of beating the Bengals in Week 14 are looking even better after latest injury news
When the NFL designed the schedule in the offseason, this week's Monday Night Football was originally supposed to be a banger between two playoff-bound teams as the Dak Prescott-led Dallas Cowboys hosted the Joe Burrow-led Cincinnati Bengals.Instead, it's a matchup between two squads with a combined 9-15 record that will feature two of the worst […]
When the NFL designed the schedule in the offseason, this week's Monday Night Football was originally supposed to be a banger between two playoff-bound teams as the Dak Prescott-led Dallas Cowboys hosted the Joe Burrow-led Cincinnati Bengals.
Instead, it's a matchup between two squads with a combined 9-15 record that will feature two of the worst defenses in the league this season. And one of them, the Cowboys, will be fielding a backup quarterback in Cooper Rush.
In other words, this matchup was saved from being flexed out of its primetime slot because of the production that had already been done behind a The Simpsons-themed simulcast.
To the surprise of Cowboys fans, there's a legitimate chance they pull of a third consecutive win and the reason is quite obvious: The Bengals defense is seriously bad. In the words of A to Z Sports' Bengals expert John Sheeran, "I’d bet most powerhouse college programs are more athletic in comparison on all three levels."
Now, the Bengals are losing one of their best players on the unit as linebacker Logan Wilson had knee surgery that's expected to be season-ending, which makes a third consecutive win even likelier despite being six-point underdogs next Monday.
Wilson is graded as the second-best defender on the Bengals by Pro Football Focus. He's particularly excelled as a run defender, with a missed tackle percentage so low that it that ranks 83rd among 88 qualifying linebackers. His absence will certainly matter as the Cowboys have recently leaned on running back Rico Dowdle more and more.
The Bengals still have some standout players to worry about, like defensive end Trey Hendrickson. But their biggest problem right now is that that's about it. The Cowboys have a shot at scoring plenty of points against Cincy.
The problem? They'll have to find ways to keep up with Burrow and company, who have been nearly unstoppable despite a losing record. They average 28 points per game and have scored 33 on average in their last three games. Both rank Top 5 for the season.
