The Miami Dolphins will face the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 22 in Week 3 of the 2019 NFL season. Here is a preview of what to expect on Sunday.
The Miami Dolphins will travel to the AT&T Stadium in Arlington to face the undefeated Dallas Cowboys. Miami is coming into this game 0-2 after being shut out by the New England Patriots last week and losing to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1 of the NFL’s 100th anniversary season. Dallas handed the Redskins a ten-point loss in Week 2 and beat the New York Giants 35-17 in their home opener. The Dolphins lead the Cowboys in the all-time series, 7-6, however the Cowboys have won the last three matchups between the two teams. The last time the Cowboys and the Dolphins played was in 2015; the Cowboys haven’t played at home in this series since 2011. If the Cowboys, who are favored to win, are successful in staying undefeated, they will tie the series, 7-7.
Miami was shut out by the New England Patriots in Week 2, 43-0, and they will be looking to make a big comeback, but will they have the defense to stop Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott? Also, can the offense protect quarterback Josh Rosen and convert downs into points? In last week’s game against the Patriots, running back Kenyan Drake rushed 10 times for 31 rushing yards and rookie wide receiver Preston Williams caught seven receptions for 87 yards. Williams leads the team in receiving yards.
While those two players were the leaders from the last game, there are several other players who have made contributions to this Miami team and hope to break records in the coming games. Linebacker Jerome Baker leads the team with 21 tackles. Defensive tackle Davon Godchaux recorded five tackles last week and is aiming to make it five weeks in a row with five or more tackles. Safety Bobby McCain recorded seven tackles last week and is going for his fourth game in a row of five-plus tackles. Cornerback Xavien Howard has recorded eleven interceptions since 2017, which is the third-most in the NFL. Another Miami notable is wide receiver Allen Hurns, who spent the 2018 season with Dallas and recorded 20 catches for 295 yards and two touchdowns.
The Dallas Cowboys come into Week 3 undefeated and with a lot of talk about quarterback Dak Prescott. Prescott passed for 269 yards and three touchdowns Sunday in addition to recording 69 rushing yards. Since 2018, Prescott has recorded 18 touchdowns in nine home starts and is aiming for his fourth game in a row with three or more touchdown passes and a rating of 120 or more. Prescott received a perfect rating in Week 1 with a 158.3 and an impressive 142.9 last week. Ezekiel Elliot has also proven to be a huge asset to the Cowboys. The running back rushed for 111 yards and a touchdown last week and has had 100-plus scrimmage yards in 17 out his 22 career home games. Wide receiver Amari Cooper also recorded a receiving touchdown last week, and in his six career home games with Dallas, he has recorded 31 receptions and seven touchdowns.
Tight end Jason Witten also was credited with a touchdown catch against the Redskins and became the fifth tight end in NFL history to record 70 receiving touchdowns, becoming the third in franchise history to do so. Witten returned to action this year after taking a year off as a sportscaster. Demarcus Lawrence recorded 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles last week while Jaylon Smith led the team with 11 tackles in the Week 2 game. Leighton Vander Esch recorded 25 tackles the first two games and is going for his third game in a row with at least 10 tackles. He is one of five linebackers with 150 or more tackles.
The outcome of this game will depend a lot on the strength of the Miami defense to slow Prescott, Elliott, and Cooper down, and they will have to show they have an offense that is capable of putting points on the board.
Time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Station: FOX
LIVE: Head coach Jason Garrett’s press conference from @thestarinfrisco as #MIAvsDAL prep continues. https://t.co/784ZGcofVD
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) September 19, 2019
Slowing down Dallas' offense, field position and establishing offense early.
3️⃣ Keys to the Game x @UltimateHCMhttps://t.co/e5ZKXqzfvt
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) September 19, 2019
