Things are going from bad to worse for America’s favorite team as the Dallas Cowboys stumbled to their seventh consecutive loss with a gut-wrenching 10-6 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Cowboys will look for a change in fortunes this coming Sunday when they travel to Sun Life Stadium to face the Miami Dolphins.
Who will grab the edge in this critical Week 11 clash? Read on below for a preview of this much-anticipated NFL showdown and while you’re at it, you can check out our previews of Chicago vs. Denver and San Francisco vs. Seattle.
[sc:Football ]
Dallas Cowboys vs. Miami Dolphins Preview
Where: Sun Life Stadium, Miami
When: Sunday, November 22, 1:00 PM ET
Line: Dallas Cowboys (pk) at Miami Dolphins (pk); total: 47.5 – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: FOX
Betting on the Dallas Cowboys (2-7)
Dallas’ losing woes show no sign of abating, as the Cowboys crashed to their seventh-straight defeat with a humbling 10-6 loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday. Jameis Winston scored on a one-yard quarterback keeper with 54 seconds left to send the Cowboys tumbling to their longest skid in 26 years. With the loss, the Cowboys are now 2.5 games behind the division-leading Giants in the NFC East standings.
[sc:NFL240banner ]The Cowboys will look to get their season back on track when they face the Miami Dolphins this coming Sunday. For the Cowboys to end their losing rut, they will need to vastly improve their play down the stretch. The Cowboys had been tied or in the lead in the fourth quarter in six of their seven losses this season, only to drop each and every single one of those games.
Receiving the brunt of criticism for Dallas’ latest loss was quarterback Matt Cassel. He completed just 19 of 29 passes for 186 yards with no touchdowns and one interception in the game against Tampa Bay. That’s the third time this season that the Cowboys’ offense failed to score a single touchdown. The last time Dallas had three games without an offensive touchdown in the same season was way back in the year 2001.
The good news for the Cowboys heading into their showdown with the Dolphins is that star quarterback Tony Romo is set to make his long awaited return from a collarbone injury. The Cowboys have struggled mightily in Romo’s absence, going 0-4 in Cassel’s starts and 0-3 in games that Brandon Weeden started. Romo will provide stability to a Dallas team that is ranked 25th in the NFL in total offense, averaging a measly 338.8 yards per game this season.
The Cowboys will be hoping that Romo’s return will help turn things around for the struggling Dez Bryant. The wide receiver only had five catches for 45 yards against Tampa Bay on Sunday. If Dallas’ passing game starts to take flight, that will help open things up for the Cowboys’ struggling ground game. They only had 42 yards rushing on 21 attempts in the game against the Bucs.
The Cowboys are 1-3 SU and ATS on the road this season.
The Miami Dolphins finally snapped their two-game losing streak with a heart-stopping 20-19 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. The Dolphins battled back from an early 13-point deficit to grab the all-important win and in the process keep their hopes of grabbing their first playoff berth since 2008 alive.
Starring for Miami in this critical road win was Ndamukong Suh. The Pro Bowl Defensive Tackle had one of his best games since joining the Dolphins, recording eight tackles and a sack against the Eagles. Suh has been one of Miami’s few consistent defenders this season, nabbing at least one sack in three of his last four games. He will be licking his chops at the prospect of facing a Dallas side that has been struggling mightily on the offensive end this year. The Cowboys are second-worst in the NFL in scoring, averaging a measly 18.4 points per game this season.
Another guy who needs to step up for Miami this coming Sunday is Lamar Miller. He has scored a touchdown in the Dolphins’ last five games, the longest streak in Miami since Ricky Williams pulled off the feat back in 2003. He’s continuing to show improvement as a pass-catcher, grabbing six passes for 50 yards and a touchdown in the game against Philadelphia. That added versatility will be a major weapon for the Dolphins as they look to unlock a Dallas defense that’s surrendering 349.8 total yards per game this season, 16th in the NFL.
The Dolphins are 1-2 SU and ATS at home this season.
