Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys Face Biggest Test Yet Versus Bengals

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Dallas Cowboys will face their biggest challenge of the regular season in Week Four against the Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday.

The Dallas Cowboys are feeling good about themselves after beating the San Francisco 49ers on the road to get to 3-1 on the year. For those of you keeping score at home, that’s also three straight wins for the Cowboys, just one shy of the total they had for the entire 2015 season.

Not many people expected the Cowboys to be 3-1 when starting quarterback Tony Romo went down, heck, even owner Jerry Jones is surprised and it takes a lot to shock Mr. Optimism. Right now, life is good for the Cowboys.

However, reality could be right around the corner. The Cowboys now face two playoff teams from last year before their bye week, the Cincinnati Bengals at home and then on the road against the Green Bay Packers.

If you wanted to know just how good these Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott are, you’re about to find out.

The Bengals are coming in after a Thursday night win and will have 10 days off to prepare for the Cowboys. The defending AFC North champs bring a physical presence on defense, including a stout front seven that will pose the toughest challenge Dallas’ rushing attack has seen this year.

Rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott has thrived in the past few weeks. But this will be his first look at a top-10 defense. The same can be said for Prescott.

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Despite their 2-2 record, Cincinnati has also played a much more difficult schedule than Dallas, so they’ve been tested. Their two losses on the season were to the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers, top notch competition.

Meanwhile, naysayers like to mention the soft schedule Dallas has played to this point in the season. You can’t blame the Cowboys for how the schedule was set up, but the point is valid, the Cowboys have beaten some of the weaker teams in the league.

But also consider that Dallas is playing without their top quarterback, their game breaking wide receiver, their All-Pro left tackle, their best pass rusher, their best cornerback, and you realize they don’t have to apologize for winning games.

Either way, the next two weeks will test the Cowboys. One way to shut people up is to beat good opponents, and the first chance to do that is this Sunday against the Bengals. Beat Cincinnati and it will be hard for people to knock what the Cowboys have done.

This game is reminiscent of 2014, when the Cowboys were trying to prove their worth against the Seattle Seahawks. Dallas went up to the Pacific Northwest and made a statement; they have a chance to do the same this week at home versus the Bengals.

The goal is to win games in the NFL; they don’t ask how, they just count how many. The Dallas Cowboys are stacking up wins, but not everyone believes just yet. Sunday is the first chance to change those beliefs.

A big test awaits.

You can chat with or follow Ben on twitter @BenGrimaldi