Cowboys Expected to Wrangle Rams in ‘Sunday Night Football’

The Dallas Cowboys will help the Los Angeles Rams open up the season with the first game ever played in the brand-new SoFi Stadium.

For the Cowboys, this is a chance to prove the hiring of Mike McCarthy to replace coach Jason Garrett was one that will define the future of the team. For the Rams, it is an opportunity to not only christen their home field with a victory, but to recover from a disappointing 2019 campaign and get back to the exciting football that defined the team in 2017 and 2018.

Location: SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles

Date: Sunday, Sept. 13 at 8:20 p.m. ET

Odds: Cowboys (-2.5, -162); Rams (+2.5, +133); Total: 51.5

Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys will be looking to establish the ground game early and often as they try to exploit several weaknesses in the Rams’ defense. The key to that aspect of the game will be getting running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard past the defensive front and into the second level where they will have success against Los Angeles.

That’s going to be easier said than done, however. The Cowboys’ offensive line isn’t nearly as sturdy as it was last season, especially with right tackle La’el Collins on injured reserve. While Dallas still has All-Pro linemen in tackle Tyron Smith and guard Zack Martin, they are going to have their hands full with Rams’ defensive line standouts Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers.

Defensively, the Cowboys actually found ways to improve that should be beneficial in this matchup especially. A lackluster backfield for the Rams will help keep the run game from being too efficient, which will allow Dallas to keep their sights on quarterback Jared Goff and his receivers.

Rams

If the Rams have one thing really going for them on offense in this game, it’s the potential mismatches of their wide receivers against a Dallas secondary that could be shaky

With receivers like Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, tight end Tyler Higbee and rookie Van Jefferson for Goff to target, it could be a difficult time for a Cowboys defense that doesn’t have a shutdown corner to depend on. Instead, rookie Trevon Diggs is expected to be the best defensive back for Dallas, and you can bet Goff and offensive-minded coach Sean McVay will be testing him throughout the night.

For the Rams, the key to exploiting those weaknesses will be a multi-level attack through the air, using not only the threat of wide receivers, but also Higbee — who had his best game of 2019 against Dallas in Week 15 last season — out of the tight end position and routes out of the backfield.

Outlook

The salary cap proved to be a major issue for the Rams in the offseason, and it cost them several high-profile players. In order for Los Angeles to start off on the right foot, they are going to need more than a new stadium, new uniforms and a new team logo. Instead, they’ll have to take advantage of every mismatch they can find on the field.

The Cowboys likely won’t let them take too long to find those weak points and could put up points on the board rather quickly if the running game gets traction right out of the gate. But even if they have to rely more on their passing game than expected, Dallas will likely still find plenty of success with quarterback Dak Prescott having options like Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and first-round draft pick CeeDee Lamb to target, as well as solid receiving ability out of the backfield.

Pick: Cowboys by 10

This Dallas team just has too many offensive weapons for the Rams to handle defensively. There’s no doubt McVay will find a way to put points on the board with this team, but it looks like McCarty’s first regular-season game at the helm for Dallas is going to end with a victory, 24-14.