press sets up Dallas game

LOL poor Cowboys LOL

Rams vs. Cowboys: Which team has the edge at each position? https://t.co/7khGFx55Ax via @theramswire

— RamsNewsNow (@RamsNewsNow) December 12, 2019

Expect Todd Gurley and the #LARams to go off on the #DallasCowboys, says @willcain & @damienwoody on @WillCainShow.

Listen to Rams pregame Sunday at 10:30 AM on ESPNLA 710 https://t.co/Wda75J3NBi pic.twitter.com/0fogGaFSl8

— ESPN Los Angeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) December 13, 2019

https://theathletic.com/1457074/2019/12/14/four-intriguing-games-of-nfl-week-15/?source=twittered

Los Angeles Rams (8-5) at Dallas (6-7)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

From the Rams’ side (by Rich Hammond)
What I’m watching: How the Rams attempt to attack the Cowboys defense. In these teams’ past two meetings — 2017 regular season and 2018 divisional round — the Rams lined up in their usual 11 personnel look and ran the ball with great success. Todd Gurley was huge in both games (with 236 total rushing yards). Of late, though, the Rams have mixed things up with more 12 personnel, more throws to tight ends and more jet-sweep runs from their receivers. Are the Rams confident enough to go back to what previously worked against the Cowboys, or will their offensive evolution continue for another week?

The Rams win if: They lead after the first quarter. This has been huge for them of late. Too many times this season, the Rams offense has slumbered in the first quarter, which has led to an early deficit and a loss of control of the pace of the game. The Rams beat the Seahawks last week because they scored on each of their first two possessions. The Rams defense fed off the early confidence, and coach Sean McVay was able to stay with balanced play calling. The Cowboys are reeling. If the Rams can go into their stadium and build, say, an early 10-point lead, they will be in great shape.

Game prediction: Rams 28, Cowboys 24

I don’t feel great about this. The only outcome that would surprise me in this game would be a Cowboys blowout win. Beyond that, I easily could see either team winning a close game or the Rams blowing out the Cowboys. The Rams defense has been playing so well of late that it’s tough for me to see the Cowboys getting to the end zone four times. Can the Rams? That’s been the issue all season, but they seem to be
figuring out things at the best possible time.

Super Bowl meter: Unless this meter is stuck in September, it’s basically sitting on “empty” right now for both teams. The Cowboys have beaten exactly one team this season that has more than three wins. The Rams, despite having eight wins, are the Great Underachievers of 2019, but should they sneak into the playoffs, they probably would be a scary opponent, given their talent. Odds are decent that the winner of this game will be propelled to the playoffs, but probably for a one-and-done trip.

From the Cowboys’ side (by Jon Machota)
What I’m watching: Can the Cowboys tackle? This Dallas defense was supposed to be the best of the Jason Garrett era. Instead, it’s been a huge disappointment. The linebackers were thought to be one of the team’s biggest strengths, and they’ve become one of the biggest weaknesses. There haven’t been enough takeaways, but that’s nothing new. That’s been a problem for years. The most surprising aspect is that they’ve been sloppy at tackling, particularly the last two games. If that continues Sunday against the Rams, Dallas will get blown out at home.

The Cowboys win if: They play their best game of the season. And that has to be on offense, defense and special teams. As cliche as that sounds, this team just hasn’t played well in all three areas at all this season. When the defense has been at its best, the offense has been at its worst. The special-teams unit has been the worst it’s been since Garrett became the full-time head coach in 2011. Add all that up and you have a team still looking for its first win against a team with a winning record. The Cowboys are fortunate to be in such a bad division that they won’t need to beat a team with a winning record to make the playoffs.

Game prediction: Rams 31, Cowboys 21.

I don’t think it will be that close, but the Cowboys have generally found a way to make the final score look a little more respectable than it probably should have been. Both teams started 3-0 only to lose their next three. The difference here is that the Rams have rebounded in time to get the ship headed in the right direction. The Cowboys’ ship is sinking.

Super Bowl meter: It’s at its lowest point of the season. The Cowboys are coming off two of their worst performances of the year in losses to Buffalo and Chicago. They still have a great opportunity to win a very bad NFC East and host a playoff game. But no one outside the organization believes this team is about to turn it around and make a deep playoff run.