Bengals Keys: RUN THE BALL
Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
The Cincinnati Bengals have found themselves in a position where nobody expected them to be in around the home stretch of the season — on the outside looking in come time for the playoffs. They will face a Dallas Cowboys team that has won two straight, including an upset over the Commanders in Washington. In addition, Monday night’s game will feature a special theme.
The Simpsons Funday Football is coming to Monday Night Football on December 9. It’ll be Bart and the Bengals vs Homer and the Cowboys.@espnplus and @disneyplus pic.twitter.com/N4A98O6n14
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 29, 2024
It makes sense, given that the Bengals’ defense has been cartoonishly bad, and the Cowboys’ owner is a real life Mr. Burns.
How can the Bengals end the Cowboys’ winning streak, in addition to their own losing streak?
Run. That’s It. Just Run.
Chase Brown has averaged an extremely respectable 4.5 yards per carry this season. This weekend, he has the opportunity to maintain or even elevate that pace against the Cowboys, who have been one of the worst teams in the league against the run.
Cowboys defense might be bad. pic.twitter.com/dAlJ9M38eZ
— Mike Muad'Dib (@Zepp1978) November 19, 2024
It has been a season to forget for the Cowboys’ defensive front. Even with the return of Parsons, Dallas has allowed 4.9 yards per rush, fourth-worst in the NFL, in addition to a league-worst 21 rushing touchdowns against. They’ve also allowed the highest percentage of rushes for first down (28.8%) and have only forced two rushing fumbles, the lowest number in the NFL.
Brown has been a very serviceable player in a pass-first offense, and Bengals can use him to control the tempo of the game against a weak Cowboys’ defensive front. The Cowboys’ current starting quarterback, Cooper Rush, has had meager production this season, and he will likely struggle to keep up with a Bengals’ offense that’s playing to its full potential, even with the Bengals’ awful defense.
Force the Cowboys’ Defense To Show Their True Colors
It’s not just the run defense thats been bad in Dallas. The Cowboys’ entire defense has struggled mightily this season, despite what last week’s performance against the almighty Drew Lock will tell you.
Even with their regressing defense, we would like to remind you that Micah Parsons still exists. Parsons, the unquestioned leader of the Cowboys’ defense, has seven sacks in the last four weeks since returning from a high ankle sprain, including three against the New York Giants on Thanksgiving.
This week, on the other hand, Parsons will be facing a quarterback who he, himself, has said deserves to be mentioned in the MVP conversation. The Cowboys’ defense has struggled against elite offenses, giving up 26 or more points against all of their opponents except for four: the Cleveland Browns, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Giants, and the Giants again.
Burrow has played behind a much-improved, but still struggling, offensive line. He hasn’t been sacked nearly as much as he has been in years past, but last week still revealed that pass protection is still an issue. Flashy plays from the opposing defense were exactly what did the Bengals in last Sunday, as Burrow coughed up three turnovers, one of which was taken to the house, and the team lost as a result.
Assuming Burrow can be protected (fingers crossed), he will be going up against a defense that hasn’t dominated the turnover battle like they have in the past. Trevon Diggs is the only player on the Cowboys who has multiple interceptions this season, and he has just one interception since Week 2. Eric Kendricks is their only player who has multiple forced fumbles. Turnovers shouldn’t be a problem, and Burrow should be able to make Dallas’ defense look like… well, Dallas’ defense.
Send the Rush After Rush
The Bengals have been extremely subpar in terms of rushing the passer in 2024, but that doesn’t mean Trey Hendrickson hasn’t been Him this season. He maintains the NFL’s lead in sacks, and he will be going up against a Cowboys’ offensive line that has been a bottom-ten unit in the NFL in terms of pass protection (59.5 PFF grade).
The Bengals’ pass rush has “improved” over the last couple weeks, as they’ve totaled two sacks in each of their last two games. They’ve been rotating in younger defensive linemen like Joseph Ossai and Myles Murphy of late. While Sam Hubbard has been a capable run defender, the Bengals will be facing a Cowboys’ offense that has not only totaled the second-fewest rushing yards in the NFL, but will likely need to pass to keep up with the Bengals’ offense.
The Bengals’ pass rush will have a chance to get back on track against the weak Cowboys’ passing attack, especially since their best receiver, CeeDee Lamb, might not be 100% healthy on Monday. If Lamb wants to play in the upcoming matchup, he needs the doctors at Springfield General Hospital to give him the go-ahead. And if not, that should make for a very long night for Rush.
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