Clarence Hill: Why do the Dallas Cowboys have all the edges vs. the Tennessee Titans
The Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans are heading into Thursday’s game with different agendas.
The Cowboys (11-4) have already made the playoffs but they need to beat the Titans to keep their hopes of taking the NFC East division title away from the Philadelphia Eagles (13-2).
The Cowboys must win their final two games and hope Eagles lose their final two.
The Titans (7-8) are in full free fall, riding a five-game losing streak. Yet, they are still firmly in the playoff hunt.
Their hopes of reaching the playoffs comes with winning the AFC South crown and that will be decided when they battle the Jacksonville Jaguars (7-8) in their Week 18.
Nothing they do against the Cowboys matters.
So there is a chance the Titans could rest some of their starters, including star running back Derrick Henry, against the Cowboys so they will ready and fresh for the Jaguars.
“We’ve got some guys who have played a lot of football for us that are far less than 100 percent,” Titans Mike Vrabel said. “It’s those guys that I appreciate that, no matter what, find a way to be here for this team. So we’ll try to figure out who we have and who’s available and then make some decisions.”
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said the Titans approach won’t impact how his team plays on Thursday.
“We’re preparing to play to our standard to our productivity,” McCarthy said. “We have to each week. We have the opportunity to go to the playoffs and we want be playing our best football going in.”
Who has the edge between the Cowboys and the Titans:
Cowboys offense vs. Titans defense
The Titans have one of the worst passing defenses in the league, giving up 279.6 yards per game to rank 31st in the league. That is a bad omen going into a game facing hot Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who is coming off his best game of the season with 347 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Eagles. Prescott has completed 50 of 65 passes the past two games combined. He is tied for the league lead with five games with a completion percentage of 75.0%-or-better in 2022.
Edge: Cowboys
Cowboys defense vs. Titans offense
The Cowboys should be wary of the Titans run game if running back Derrick Henry plays. He is the league’s second-leading rusher and a true game changer at the position who could make it tough for a Cowboys defense that is susceptible to the run. But the Titans offense is putrid with rookie Malik Willis at the helm in place of the injured Ryan Tannehill. The Titans pass for just 168 yards per game. And that has gone done with Willis at quarterback. His 14 completions for 99 yards in a loss against the Texans last week was a season high. He also had two interceptions in the game. Dallas forced four turnovers last week against the Eagles and leads the league with 30 takeaways in 2022.
Edge: Cowboys
Special Teams
Titans kicker Randy Bullock has battled injuries this season, causing him to miss two games. He has made 12 of 15 field goals but only one in the last three games. Contrast that Brett Maher of the Cowboys. He has simply been one of the league’s busiest and most reliable kickers, making 27 of 30 kicks, including nine of 50 yards or more.
Edge: Cowboys
Coaching
Mike McCarthy has pushed all the right buttons for the Cowboys this season, navigating injuries to quarterback Dak Prescott and four other starters, to have his team on the brink of back-to-back 12-win seasons since 1994-1995. Mike Vrabel has watched his team drop five straight games for the first time since 2015.
Edge: Cowboys
Intangibles
The Titans may rest some starters for the winner-take-all season final against the Jaguars for the AFC South title and trip to playoffs. The Cowboys need the win for a chance at the NFC East title.
Edge: Cowboys
Prediction: Cowboys 30, Titans 17
