Cowboys Country

Cowboys vs. Steelers: 3 keys to victory for Week 5

How the Dallas Cowboys can improve to 3-0 on the road when they vist the Steel City on Sunday Night.

Ali Jawad

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One of the NFL's great rivalries is set to be renewed during Week 5 on Sunday Night Football when the Dallas Cowboys (2-2) visit the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1).

Dallas last visited the Steel City during the rookie seasons of Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott. Prescott led Dallas to a thrilling 35-30 victory, going 22-of-32 for 319 yards and two touchdowns.

Trailing 30-29 on the final possession, Elliott, who led the league in rushing as a rookie, scored the game-winning 32-yard touchdown with less than 30 seconds remaining.

MORE: Cowboys vs. Steelers, NFL Week 5: betting odds & preview

While Dallas leads the all-time series, 17-16, the iconic franchises have also met in three Super Bowls (1975, 1978, 1995). The Steelers hold a 2-1 advantage, but the Cowboys won the most recent matchup in Super Bowl XXX.

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Enough reminiscing the Cowboys are hoping to make it back-to-back wins after beating the New York Giants 20-15 last Thursday. However, the victory in Week 4 came with a cost as both star defenders Micah Parsons and Demarcus Lawrence suffered injuries that will keep them sidelined for the near future.

Meanwhile, Pittsburgh recently suffered their first loss of the season to the Indianapolis Colts, with a score of 27-24. They are now in a must-win situation as they aim to stay at the top of the AFC North, especially with the surging Baltimore Ravens close behind.

As Dallas aims to maintain their perfect road record, here are three keys to victory for the Cowboys' Week 5 matchup.

MORE: 3 things to know about the Steelers ahead of matchup with Cowboys

Protect the Prescott

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Protecting the quarterback is the top priority when your matchup is T. J. Watt. The player Dallas passed over in the 2017 NFL Draft has since been arguably the best defensive player in football.

Ever since entering the Steel City, Watt has been named an All-Pro five times and has made six consecutive Pro Bowl appearances (2018-2023).

In 2021, he was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year after tying hall of famer Michael Strahan's 22.5 single-season sack record.

MORE: Cowboys OL ranks as one of NFL's best in key area, per Next Gen stats

With these accolades, the former Wisconsin Badger is on track for a gold jacket. As he enters Sunday Night with 99.5 career sacks, Watt has the opportunity to become the 43rd defensive player in NFL history to join the 100-sack club.

Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboy
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) calls out the defense before the snap of the ball at MetLife Stadium. / Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While tackles Tylrer Guyton and Terence Steele will try and prevent Watt from making history for at least one more week, the Steelers' defense extends far beyond No. 90.

Veteran defensive tackle and four-time All-Pro Cameron Heyward has 81.5 career sacks and has two sacks and seven quarterback pressures and hits through four games this season. Meanwhile, 5th-year linebacker Alex Highsmith has recorded 21.5 sacks over the past two seasons.

Overall, the Cowboys' offensive line will need to perform at their best as Dallas will heavily rely on their passing game during Sunday Night's primetime matchup.

Avoid the Penalty Pitfall

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After four weeks of play, Dallas is currently the seventh most penalized team in the league having committed 32 infractions resulting in 244 yards, including 11 flags for 89 yards during last Thursday night's game against the Giants.

This marks the second time the Cowboys have had 10 or more penalties in a game this season.

Head Coach Mike McCarthy and his team understand that to maintain drive momentum, penalties can significantly disrupt offensive drives.

"We've way too many third-down penalties, way too many red zone penalties and a couple of two-minute penalties," McCarthy told reporters earlier this week. "That affects scoring, it affects the opportunity for the offense to have the ball more and it affects the defense being on the field longer."

In a matchup against a tougher opponent, Dallas needs to be more disciplined and avoid penalties that erase any momentum and point-scoring opportunities for a team that has scored more than 30 points just once this season.

Stop the Run

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They accomplished it in Week One, struggled in Weeks Two and Three, and then delivered their best performance in Week Four.

Overall, in September, the Cowboys' run defense had a mixed performance. They held the Cleveland Browns to less than 100 yards but then allowed a total of 464 yards and seven touchdowns in the next two games. However, they finished the month strong by only allowing 26 rushing yards against the Giants.

A big reason the Cowboys' run defense was effective in their recent matchup was second year DT Mazi Smith.

MORE: Cowboys coaches share why Mazi Smith is finally coming into his own

Smith only recorded three tackles, but his presence in the middle of the defensive line was crucial. He consistently clogged up running lanes, which helped the Cowboys limit the Giants to just 1.1 yards per carry on 24 rushing attempts. The Giants' longest run of the game was only five yards.

“I think Mazi has a lot more confidence right now,” defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer said, per DallasCowboys.com. “When we got to training camp, I’m not sure he had that kind of confidence, but I think it’s continued to grow."

Pittsburgh's offense averages 128.5 rushing yards per game, ranking 10th in the league. Leading the way on the ground is running back Najee Harris, who has recorded 228 yards rushing. Justin Fields has rushed for 145 yards and three touchdowns on 38 carries through the season's first month.

Fields has been well-known for his running abilities throughout his career. The fifth-year veteran has rushed for 2,365 yards and 17 touchdowns, ranking second behind Ravens' quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Stopping the run will be crucial for Dallas' chances of winning. However, the Cowboys will have to achieve this without Micah Parsons and Demarcus Lawrence, as noted earlier.

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Ali Jawad
ALI JAWAD

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