FRISCO, Texas – The Dallas Cowboys hit the road to face the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round of the playoffs on Saturday. The two teams have met 33 times, with Dallas leading the series winning 17 and L.A. 16.
The key for the Cowboys’ defense will be containing the Rams’ offensive trio: quarterback Jared Goff, running back Todd Gurley, and wide out receiver Brandin Cooks. The defense will have to shutdown running lanes at the line of scrimmage like they did against the Seahawks last week and control the pocket, forcing Goff to make contested throws. The Rams offense leads the league in first downs per game with a total of 401. The defense has to disrupt their rhythm, which will be a difficult task with young offensive whiz Sean McVay and his diverse coaching style.
I spoke with Jason Garrett on McVay’s impact on the Rams’ offense since his hiring in 2017, “He has done a fantastic job there. We competed when he was the coordinator at Washington and he did a really good job there as well. They have a lot of weapons there and he knows how to us them well. They are balanced and continue to attack…He has done a great job creating an environment for players to succeed. They play well week in and week out. They have not won 13 games by accident. “
The keys for the Cowboys’ offense will be starting fast and getting the ground game rolling against two of the NFL’s elite pash rushers: Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh. Donald, the five-time pro bowler, currently leads the league in sacks with 20.5. Suh, the other five-time pro bowler, has been one of the best nose tackles in the league throughout his career with his ability to clog up the middle of the offensive line, making it difficult for offenses to establish the run. He also uses his size and strength to bypass the center to get to QB’s.
Garrett remarked to me on the threat Donald and Suh poses to the Cowboys’ offense “ They have really good players all across their defensive front. Wade (Philips) does such a good job providing opportunities for those guys to come get the quarterback and that is what they do. Every game you put on Donald is showing up. He is in the backfield; he is around the ball. He is disrupting what the offense is trying to do. Suh has been one of the best players at his position throughout his career and they have other guys up front. Brockers is a hell of a player. They have a lot of guys up front that challenge you every time the ball is snapped. “
Dallas’ o-line will be a crucial role in the outcome of Saturday’s game. The offense has to control the clock and they have to put themselves in favorable down and distance situations. The game changer for this Dallas Cowboys team- eliminating penalties and winning the turnover battle in L.A. Saturday will be a battle as two of the NFC’s best running offenses will compete against one another. It will come down to which team can execute the best in running the football, and which run defense outsmarts the other.
