Cowboys expert spells out how Steelers WR George Pickens can expose Dallas' defense on Sunday
It's been four years since the Pittsburgh Steelers last played the Dallas Cowboys. While it's early into the 2024 season, both of these teams have had their moments and both approach Sunday with a must-win mindset. A 2-2 Cowboys team looks to avoid slipping under .500, while the Steelers are looking to get the bad […]
It's been four years since the Pittsburgh Steelers last played the Dallas Cowboys.
While it's early into the 2024 season, both of these teams have had their moments and both approach Sunday with a must-win mindset.
A 2-2 Cowboys team looks to avoid slipping under .500, while the Steelers are looking to get the bad taste of last week's botched comeback out of their mouth.
So to get a beat on what to expect in the monumental matchup, A to Z Sports Dallas' writer Mauricio Rodriguez was kind enough to answer some questions surrounding the matchup and potential exploits for the Steelers.
Q. We know every team comes in with an emphasis of stopping T.J. Watt. With Terence Steele at RT, do you think he tries to manage Watt 1 on 1, or will we see Zeke Elliott’s pass-pro skills on full display?
A. They'll definitely want to help Steele because he's probably bound to consistently lose against T.J. Watt on one-on-one looks. The challenge for the Cowboys has been that first-round rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton also needs consistent help. Alex Highsmith's injury makes it easier to bet on Guyton handling business but Dallas will have to find a balance helping the two. I'd expect Zeke to be involved in the plan for obvious passing downs but his role on offense is diminishing, expect FB Hunter Luepke to be in the backfield alongside Dak Prescott in obvious passing downs.
-Rodriguez
Q. There were always going to be some growing pains when the [Cowboys] defense transitioned from Dan Quinn to Mike Zimmer at coordinator. In Dallas’ two wins, they held their opponents to an average of 16 PPG. In their two losses, 36 PPG. What has been the biggest learning curve for a star-studded defense?
A. You absolutely have to start with the run defense. The Cowboys defensive tackles have mostly struggled, complicating the assignments of the linebackers, but Mazi Smith did have a strong performance in Week 4 so hopefully he'll build on that. The Giants averaged 1.1 yard per carry as the Cowboys defended zone reads much better, too. Tackling has also been an issue, as that's gotten worse compared to last year's defense under Quinn.
-Rodriguez
Q. Steelers fans have started to see the true potential of George Pickens this season, as despite being the team’s only threat on the perimeter, he was targeted 11 times against the Colts, catching 7 passes for over 100 yards. Do you expect Trevon Diggs to travel with him on Sunday?
A. Pickens is certainly scary in this matchup but I'd be surprised if he gets shadowed by Diggs, as Zimmer hasn't done that against Amari Cooper nor Malik Nabers, for better or worse. Additionally, unless DaRon Bland comes back for this game, it's tough to ask this team's cornerbacks to play man coverage because they lack the dudes at this moment. Fifth-round rookie Caelen Carson has been inconsistent and is now banged up and Dallas started Andrew Booth Jr. last week before benching him at halftime for practice squad player Amani Oruwariye.
– Rodriguez
Q. The Cowboys are perhaps the most polarizing team in all of professional sports. If the team starts 2-3, the sky will be falling and questions about Mike McCarthy, Dak Prescott and others will only continue. How does Dallas avoid that on Sunday night?
A. It's gotta be the Dak Prescott show. The Cowboys running game is broken and is hard to trust this defense without Micah Parsons or DeMarcus Lawrence. McCarthy has to come out willing to ask Prescott to sling the football around all game long and attack the Steelers secondary. It won't be easy with Watt on the other side, and Prescott will have to be willing to use his legs, but it's their best shot at winning this tough road trip.
– Rodriguez
