Our NFL Sunday Night Football preview series carries on into Week 5, where the Dallas Cowboys will travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers. The Steelers go into Sunday as 2.5-point favorites—can they cover the spread?
Who's adding another W to the books on Sunday night? pic.twitter.com/BzDdJttvWh
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) October 5, 2024
The Cowboys come into this one at 2-2, fresh off a win over the New York Giants. After Week 4, the Cowboys boast a top-five passing offense but rank dead last in rushing, resulting in a 12th-ranked scoring offense. It’s clear they rely on the Dak Prescott/CeeDee Lamb connection. Their defense has been a bit of a concern, coming in ranked 25th in overall defense, with both run and pass defense in the bottom half of the league. With WR Brandin Cooks on IR for at least four weeks, Lamb will have to carry the team even more, and their defense needs to improve.
The Dallas Cowboys put on a show their last trip to Steel City. 👀
(🎥 NFL, FOX) pic.twitter.com/CbW2faNb3F
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) October 4, 2024
The Steelers enter Sunday 3-1, coming off their first loss of the season against the Colts. The Steelers are very reliant on their defense, and when it looked vulnerable in the first half of the game against the Colts, it showed in the result. After Week 4, the Steelers had the 4th overall-ranked defense, coming in 3rd for rushing and 8th for passing. For their offense, they come in with the 18th overall rank, with a heavy emphasis on the run game (10th overall rushing offense, 22nd overall passing offense).
T. J. Watt has always been an X factor for the Steelers. 😤#HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/zc3aD5ET92
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) October 5, 2024
So, what does this all mean? The Cowboys’ run game will be in trouble, so look for Dak and Lamb to attack the eighth-ranked pass defense. The Steelers will be looking to shut them down with the likes of T.J. Watt while utilizing safe play-calling and ball control. This is a contest of a top-heavy offense taking on an elite defense. Whoever shows up this night should be the winner; it really can go either way.
The Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers keep the rivalry close. 👀 pic.twitter.com/b3j6z57Jyu
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) October 4, 2024
Stay tuned each week for our “NFL Sunday Night Football” preview series.
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