Cowboys face uphill battle to revive ground game vs. Steelers

The Dallas Cowboys' struggles in the run game could worsen against the Pittsburgh Steelers' stingy defense.

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The Dallas Cowboys have opened the season as one of the league's worst teams in both running the ball and defending the run.

Their upcoming matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers is shaping up to be the worst possible matchup for the Cowboys to regain any confidence on the ground thanks to Pittsburgh's stingy run defense.

The Steelers hold a clear advantage in the run game, both offensively and defensively, across nearly every category. Despite their own struggles on the ground, the Steelers defensively are more efficient than the Dallas Cowboys and consistently rank in the top 10—sometimes even No. 1—in defending various run schemes.

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The Steelers' defensive rushing efficiency ranks No. 1 overall, No. 2 in defending runs inside the tackles, first when stopping runs from under center, and sixth when defending runs outside the tackles.

It's clear the Cowboys need to jumpstart their run game, but it won't happen in Week 4 against one of the top rushing defenses in the league.

The Dallas Cowboys run game (and ability to stop the run on defense) is among the worst in the NFL through four weeks.

Pretty grim projections for Sunday night in Pittsburgh.

(via NFL Pro) pic.twitter.com/oi30GDIcPs

— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) October 2, 2024

It's clear the Cowboys need to jumpstart their run game, but it won't happen in Week 4 against one of the top rushing defenses in the league.

While they could contain the Steelers' weak ground attack, missing key defenders like DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons makes that an uphill battle as well.

The Cowboys will have to rely heavily on their passing game once again, which has been underwhelming so far. To make matters worse, they'll be without Brandin Cooks—who, despite a slow start this season, remains one of the most valuable weapons in their offense.

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