Why the Cowboys defense could take over the struggling Rams offense

The Rams have struggled to move the ball on the ground, averaging below 70 yards per game in rushing.

When the Dallas Cowboys play the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, the Dallas defense has a chance to be the star of the show. The Cowboys pass rush is among the top in most rankings. as the Cowboys are currently ranked second by Pro Football Focus, and are ranked first by ESPN in pass rush with a win rate of 56%,

Micah Parsons leads the Cowboys with seven QB hurries, two QB hits, and four sacks on the season. Parsons has been disruptive across the defensive line and in coverage, ranking second with a success rate of 33% in pass rushing, placing only behind Von Miller of the Buffalo Bills.

We are also seeing Dorance Armstrong and Demarcus Lawrence making offenses take more notice of the pass rush, as both are adding more to their tackle and sack count.

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Ahead of the game against the Los Angeles Rams, the main threat will come from QB Matt Stafford and WR Cooper Kupp, as Stafford has a total of 1,105 passing yards with four touchdowns, but also has six interceptions which are the most in the NFL.

Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will want the defensive line to keep the same intensity against the Rams offensive line as they are tied for second in giving up the most sacks with a total of 16. Quinn will also look to his secondary to lock down Kupp, as he is ranked fourth in the NFL with 402 total receiving yards.

For the Cowboys’ run defense, that is a different story. The Cowboys are ranked 26th by ESPN in run stop win percentage sitting at 28% and are also ranked 26th by Pro Football Focus.

The Cowboys defensive front has given up a total of 550 rushing yards so far this season, averaging 137.5 yards per game. However, the Cowboys run defense has only allowed one rushing touchdown which was against the New York Giants in Week 3.

Looking at the reigning Super Bowl champions, they are struggling in the run game with a total of 274 rushing yards, averaging 68.5 yards per game and 3.3 yards per carry. The Rams are also ranked 30th in the NFL in total rushing.

Running backs Darrell Henderson Jr. and Cam Akers have had trouble getting into second gear as neither running back have yet managed to rush over 50 yards in a single game.

This could be the game where the Cowboys dominate the trenches in both run defense and pass rush, as the Rams offensive line has allowed 22 tackles for loss, averaging 5.5 per game.

In total, the Rams have 70 points so far in the season, averaging 17.5 points per game making them ranked 28th in the NFL. For the first time since 1973, the Cowboys have held four straight opponents to 19 points or less at the start of the season. And for the first time since 1972, they have allowed just four touchdowns through four games.