Dallas Cowboys at Carolina Panthers: 5 Keys to Win, Injury & Inactives

It's NFL Week 11 Dallas Cowboys at Carolina Panthers: 5 Keys to Win, Injury & Inactives

The Dallas Cowboys face the Carolina Panthers in what could be considered a "trap game" for Dallas as its away record is wobbly (5-8 in its last 13!), but against a team considered "less than," the Cowboys should be winning this Week 11 tilt.

Panthers head coach Frank  Reich stated this week that the team was practicing on a silent count to prepare for the Cowboys crowd inside their OWN stadium. Meaning? Everything is trending to another resounding Cowboys win.

But what does Mike McCarthy's team have to do to avoid slipping on this potentially embarrassing banana skin? But doing these five things.

But first, the inactives list, which looks like this: Noah Igbinoghene, Eric Scott, Duece Vaughn, Asim Richards and Trey Lance as the third quarterback. The Vaughn move makes it obvious that Rico Dowdle (ankle) is active and expected to play.

Now to the Five Keys.

1. Establish the run game as the final 'cylinder':

The only thing offensively over the last four games that has underwhelmed has been the Cowboys running game. Well, if there ever was a "get-well game," this could be it.

The Panthers allow 131.8 rushing yards per game (ranks seventh) and have given up 100+ yards in eight of nine games. Just twice have opposing teams had under 30 rushing attempts vs. Carolina, so once the weakness is seen, teams attack it.

Dowdle's got the ankle issue, but our focus is nevertheless elsewhere: If the healthy offensive line can create running lanes, then perhaps Tony Pollard's second 100-yard rushing game will come in Carolina, along with a boatload of carries.

Coach Mike McCarthy has talked about "running on all cylinders,'' and it's been close to that, but for one thing. We believe the Cowboys are planning to get "TP'' going here.

2. Keep Dak Prescott and the 'Texas Coast Offense' rolling:

This seems straightforward against a defense that ranks 30th in the NFL for points allowed per game (26.9), but the Panthers are tough to move the ball against in the air.

Out of their nine games this season, they have allowed 200+ passing yards just four times, and in their last three games, they have not allowed more than 162 passing yards. Part of that is game script; teams get ahead of the 1-8 Panthers and then don't bother to throw. But they do have some strengths there as well.

In the end, with Prescott and CeeDee Lamb in white-hot form, the Cowboys will fancy their chances to do a number on the defense - it just might not be as pretty as last week.

Dak Prescott and the Cowboys are wary of overlooking the 1-8 Carolina Panthers / © Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

3. Force Bryce Young to beat you: 

We know how poor the Panthers' offense is this season, and when there is no run game to help out Young, he is a deer in headlights at times.

The Panthers average 90.3 rushing yards a game, and coordinator Dan Quinn's defense has done a good job this season of shutting down rushing attacks and doing it against Carolina will force Young, who doesn't have a 250+ passing-yard game, to beat this opportunistic defense that loves to take the ball away.

Making Carolina one-dimensional will go a long way to winning.

4. Convert third downs in a "home road game':

Away games for the Cowboys haven't been fruitful this season, and one reason could be their ability to sustain drives in enemy territory. 

In their four games, the Cowboys have converted 24 of 55 third downs, and in their last two road games (Chargers and Eagles), just 9 of 28 have been converted.

By having long sustained drives against this Panthers defense that gives up points in bundles, there will be opportunities to be had. ... and there figures to be the advantage of crowd noise in Carolina actually favoring the Cowboys.

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But if there are constant three-and-outs, then Dallas could be in a place where it has no business being - in a dogfight against a 1-8 team with nothing to lose.

5. Stop the self-inflicted wounds:

The Cowboys, road games, and penalties don't go well together. In their five road games this season, the Cowboys have had 10+ penalties in three of them, which includes the last two games.

Coach Mike McCarthy stated earlier in the week that penalties on the road are too high, and he's right. Dallas has 45 in total and averages nine a game.

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The 6-3 Cowboys can't have drives stall or the Panthers' drives extended by having costly penalties. And if they get this, and all the Five Keys right? Our Mike Fisher has Dallas down for a 30-6 win to finish off the early-game start.