Typical Dallas Cowboys. The head coach is the subject of rumors regarding another team, and Micah Parsons blasted a division rival.
With a Dallas Cowboys Week 11 game scheduled against the Houston Texans, it’s an in-state rivalry. Ahead of the Cowboys-Texans game, we’ll be making our Cowboys Week 11 predictions for the Monday Night Football encounter.
Dallas enters with a record of 3-6, having lost four straight games. They are 0-4 at home with losses to New Orleans (44-19), Baltimore (28-25), Detroit (47-9), and Philadelphia (34-6). Unfortunately for the Cowboys, it seems, they get the Texans at home in Jerry’s World.
Meanwhile, the Texans are 6-4 but have hit the skids of late. They’ve lost three of their last four games by margins of 2, 8, and 3 points.
Cowboys QB Cooper Rush will cede snaps to Trey Lance
Just because Rush is the man behind center as a starter, it doesn’t mean he will play the entire game. If the Cowboys fall behind, Mike McCarthy might be inclined to see if Lance can provide a spark.
Regardless of who plays, star receiver CeeDee Lamd said things are going to get better on offense, according to dallascowboys.com.
“The work is going to get done,” said the All-Pro receiver. “And, with me, I take full responsibility in getting in sync with (Rush). We’re going to ride this thing out through the rest of the season, so I have the most confidence in him. I don’t care what happened last week, and last week is last week. So with that being said, we’ve got a game to win.”
Rush moved into the starting role because of Dak Prescott’s season-ending hamstring injury.
“It kind of reminds me of my rookie year,” Lamb said. “It’s kind of the same situation — a season-ending injury — which is very unfortunate. I hate that for him. He just had surgery and we pray for his speedy recovery. We’re all thinking about him. But as far as for us, we’ve got to go out there and compete for him as if he is there — as far as the competitive spirit, the leadership and everything he’s expecting. We’ve got to step up.
“Obviously, being a receiver here, it’s very tough (to lose Prescott). But going out here and knowing that I’ve still got to showcase my ability, prove myself to my guys and uplift everyone that’s in the locker room, and continue to fight within each and every individual that’s out there. (It’s about) having that effort.”
In his limited duty, Rush has thrown for 212 yards, completing only 35 of 62 passes for 57%. He has one touchdown and one interception. Lance saw mop-up duty against the Eagles, hitting 4 of 6 passes for 21 yards with an interception.
Josina Anderson said the Cowboys are considering a longer look for Lance, according to a post on X by Josina Anderson.
“A league source reacted to me with this … ‘In my opinion I understand why we are turning to Cooper Rush as the backup because he’s been here the longest,’ ” Anderson said. “I feel like we need to evaluate Trey Lance more. And we need to see if he can be one of those quarterbacks, who can thrive in a different environment. Just like Geno Smith, Baker Mayfield, and Sam Darnold.”
Lance is a former No. 3 overall pick. His last start came in November of 2022.
CeeDee Lamb will reach 80-plus yards and score
Those numbers may not seem bold for Lamb. But over his last two games, he had 14 catches for 68 yards and no scores. Lamb will have the squeaky-wheel plan going for him in this game. Look for the Cowboys to force him the ball if they have to do it that way.
It could also help Lamb that the Cowboys will try to use Rico Dowdle as a featured back, McCarthy said, according to dallascowboys.com.
“You have to get him the ball,” McCarthy said. “That’s my focus, to continue to get him opportunities. He’s the lead back.”
That will force the Texans to play a little more honest against the run, and they might not be able to blanket Lamb with coverage. Certainly Texans’ head coach DeMeco Ryans recognizes the need to pay attention to Lamb, according to Sports Illustrated.
“CeeDee, man, so explosive,” Ryans said. “Starting with just him in the slot, his ability to just run after catch. He’s an exceptional player. He can align everywhere on the field. They move him around a lot. The coaching staff does a really nice job of just putting him in a lot of different spots. (That means) you have to have great eyes for where he is at all times because he is their top playmaker. And he’s proven, even when eyes are on him, he can still make plays. So, it’s a big task for us stopping CeeDee. But it’s going to take everybody. It’s not going to be about one person stopping him. It’s going to take everybody on the defense.”
Micah Parsons will get two sacks
Dude is hungry. He’s trying to make up for lost time, and he collected two sacks against the Eagles last week. He will repeat the feat this week. Ryans said Parsons is a problem for any offense, according to kxan.com
“Going against Dallas’ defense, Micah’s an exceptional player,” Ryans said. “He plays with a relentless motor, (and) he moves all over the place. He aligns on the edge, in the A gap, he’s all over the place. And he’s all over the field. He’s an impact player for them, so we have to have high awareness for where he is at all times and try to do a great job of stopping him.”
