Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys will beat the Pittsburgh Steelers if...

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 1:51 a.m. ET

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Facing possibly their stiffest challenge yet, the Dallas Cowboys need to accomplish this one thing in order to win their eighth straight game.

Sep 18, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Dallas Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr (39) celebrates after the Cowboys

You’ve heard it all year.  After each win, critics, fans and the media can’t wait to make the next opponent for the Dallas Cowboys the toughest.

Cincinnati was supposed to be the first “tough” team that would stop the Cowboys.  Dallas shut down that idea jumping out to a 28-0 lead before winning 28-14.

Then it was the road test in Green Bay.  Certainly this would be the game Dallas would drop.  That didn’t go as planned either as the Cowboys never trailed and won 30-16.

Surely the Eagles would upset the apple cart and bring Dallas back to Earth, right?  Wrong.  Even with the Dallas Cowboys playing one of their worst games of the year, they still won.

Last week, Cleveland was supposed to be the “trap game,” as a young Cowboys team would look past the winless Browns.  Another wrong prediction.  Another blowout as Dallas won 35-10 to improve to 7-1.

Now it’s Pittsburgh’s turn to deal Dallas Cowboys their overdue loss.

With eight games left on the schedule, today’s matchup is the first five in a row against teams with a .500 or better win percentage.  Could this be the week that Dallas comes back to the NFC pack?

Nov 6, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) congratulates guard Ronald Leary (65) and wide receiver Cole Beasley (11) on a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns during the second quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

ESPN’s matchup predictor thinks so, giving the Steelers a 62.4% chance of winning.  Las Vegas seems to think so as well as Pittsburgh is anywhere between a 2.5 to three point favorite, depending on which sports book you choose.

So, how do the Dallas Cowboys shock the world for another week?

If the Cowboys are to improve to 8-1 and stay undefeated on the road, they will need to focus on one key thing.

For Dallas to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, they will need to force the Steelers offense to be one dimensional.

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In the Steelers four wins, they have averaged a whopping 34 points per game.  In their four losses, they have averaged just twelve.  None of those four losses saw the Steelers crack 17 points.

That anemic output is shocking in its on right, but how they lost each game may actually shock you more.

When you think of the recent Steelers teams, you undoubtedly think about quarterback Ben Roethlisberger throwing the ball all around the field.  With explosive weapons at receiver like Antonio Brown, Sammie Coates and Markus Wheaton, their passing game is scary.

Brown has led the league the last two years in receptions.  He’s also eclipsed 5,000 yards in the last three seasons, while averaging double-digit touchdowns over that timeframe.

The Steelers have finished third and second, respectively, over the last two years in passing offense.  Ironically, though, teams this year are begging Pittsburgh to be pass happy.

In their Week 3 loss at Philadelphia, Roethlisberger threw the ball 44 times while they only ran ten times total.  That resulted in their biggest blowout loss of the year.

Against Miami, the Steelers had 35 pass attempts to just 16 rushes, leaving the Sunshine State in embarrassment over a 30-15 loss.  The Patriots made them throw 47 times to just 22 runs in another double-digit loss.

Nov 6, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) throws a pass while being pursued by Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Brandon Williams (98) in the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Even last week, Roethlisberger chucked it around the field 45 times against the Ravens in a loss while their run game never got going.  It’s hard to get a flow going when you only run on 18 of 63 plays.

So, how do the Cowboys make the Steelers ditch the run?  The answer comes in doing exactly what they have done all year.

Dallas has made a habit of jumping on teams early.  This will be paramount today if they want to leave Heinz Field victorious.  In their first games, the Cowboys have only been behind once after the first quarter.  They are outscoring opponents 51-16 in the opening fifteen minutes.

They have increased that difference, outscoring teams 129-69 heading into halftime.  That includes four games in which Dallas was up by 11, 11, 21 and 21.

Forcing the Steelers to be dependent on the pass not only is a recipe for black and gold disaster, it also limits their best multi-threat option.  Running back Le’Veon Bell is without question one of the best all-around rushers in the league.

Even though he is proficient as a receiver out of the backfield, you have to think the Dallas defense would prefer him focused on just one task instead of both running and catching balls.

If the Cowboys are able to force Pittsburgh in passing twice as much or more, they have a great chance to win.  If the Steelers run game gets going, however, it could be a long day in the Steel City.

The Prediction:

Dallas Cowboys 31, Pittsburgh Steelers 17

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