Cowboys vs. Broncos: Preview, score prediction for Week 2

Dallas Cowboys vs. Denver Broncos

The Dallas Cowboys (1-0) travel to Colorado to face the Denver Broncos (1-0) in NFL Week 2 action. In the 2016 NFL Draft it was reported that these were the two teams vying for draft position in the first round to secure Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch. Oddly enough, both teams have fared just fine without him as the Cowboys are now 14-3 with fourth-round pick Dak Prescott under center and the Broncos are now 9-6 with Trevor Siemian starting over Lynch.

Although they both apparently had similar scouting methods when it comes to signal-caller, their teams are built as opposites of one another. Denver is all about their defense. They’re led by Pro Bowlers like defensive end Von Miller and cornerback Chris Harris, Jr. On offense they have stars in Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas at wide receiver, but they still aren’t an explosive unit and they struggle at times in the run game.

Dallas meanwhile is built around a powerful offense which starts with their run game. Running back Ezekiel Elliott led the league in rushing last year and the attention he gets opens things up for Prescott and company. Defensively, they played well last Sunday in holding the New York Giants to just three points, but that’s not always the norm with them.

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Dallas Keys To Victory

Keep feeding Zeke: Last week Ezekiel Elliott had 104 yards on 24 carries as the Cowboys beat New York on Sunday Night Football. His longest rush of the night was just ten yards during that game, which indicates he had to grind for every yard against a tough defense. Wisely they stuck with it despite minimal returns early, and that approach needs to be the same in Week 2. Even if the talented Denver D slows Zeke down, they need his physicality to win this one.

Get Dez rolling: One guy who didn’t affect the game as much as he could have was receiver Dez Bryant. He was open a few times, but he and Prescott couldn’t connect. He finished with just two receptions — and he drew one huge pass interference — but he could have done more. Dallas needs Prescott and Bryant to find a way to get rolling early and keep him involved. That’s when they become impossible to defend.

Continue to get pressure: The biggest surprise from Week 1 for Dallas was the pressure delivered by the defensive ends. Demarcus Lawrence had two sacks, Charles Tapper had one — while just missing a second and Benson Mayowa should have had one if the refs saw quarterback Eli Manning’s knee was down as he threw a pass.

Denver Keys to Victory

Make Dak uncomfortable: There are times behind the massive Cowboys offensive line where Prescott can sit back and relax while he just patiently waits for a receiver to come open. They’re incredible at providing him time, but the Broncos have players capable of pushing them. In this game they need those guys — especially Von Miller — to step up and make life hard on Prescott. He’s really good, but he isn’t perfect. Get him rattled and he will make mistakes.

No turnovers: Trevor Siemian had an interception last week and running back Jamaal Charles lost a fumble. They can’t have those kinds of mistakes in Week 2 because the Dallas offense will take advantage. Siemian will never be Tom Brady, but he is good enough to get through big games without turning it over. They will need that on Sunday.

Stuff the run: The biggest key to victory will be the toughest. The Broncos surrendered just 64 yards on 22 carries last week, which is an impressive feat. This will be much harder to do to Dallas with Zeke running behind one of the best lines in the game. It still needs to be a priority. Stopping the run is the best way to ensure Dallas’ entire offense struggles

Odds

Point Spread: Dallas – 2.5
Moneyline: Dallas -120, Denver + 140
Over/Under: 42

Next: 2017 NFL Power Rankings: Patriots loss leads to a race for No. 1

Prediction

There were fireworks the last time these two teams met as Peyton Manning and Tony Romo went off. Romo ended up throwing it away in the end, but these teams look much different now. This time there should be no shoot out, but instead a hard fought game that comes down to the end. Dallas has the edge on offense and gets a hard fought road win in a close battle.

Final Score: Dallas Cowboys: 27, Denver Broncos: 24