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Dallas Cowboys vs. Los Angeles Rams: 5 X-factors for Divisional Round

By Stephen Forsha

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 09: The Dallas Cowboys celebrate the 62-yard field goal by Brett Maher #2 of the Dallas Cowboys at the end of the second quarter at AT&T Stadium on December 09, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 09: The Dallas Cowboys celebrate the 62-yard field goal by Brett Maher #2 of the Dallas Cowboys at the end of the second quarter at AT&T Stadium on December 09, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) /
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The Los Angles Rams are hosting the Dallas Cowboys in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, and there are more than a few factors that will determine which team will advance to the NFC Championship game.

Both the Dallas Cowboys and the Los Angeles Rams have a lot of pressure on them this Saturday night, as both franchises are working to advance to the NFC Championship with high expectations on their side.

Though the Los Angeles Rams are the No. 2 seed in the NFC, the game against the Cowboys isn’t a cake walk. The Cowboys are the No. 3 seed and even more so have the momentum on their side as they are coming off a playoff win last Saturday against the Seattle Seahawks where the defense had to step up and make plays, plus the play of Dak Prescott in the fourth quarter will live on in Cowboys lore.

But that was last week, and today is the day the Rams and Cowboys do battle for a spot in the NFC Championship game next Sunday. Getting to that game will be tough, as both teams bring a lot of factors into the Divisional Round contest.

We all know about the great running back play of Todd Gurley of the Rams and Ezekiel Elliott of the Cowboys, but there are others — some players who might not be household names and others who are known by many — which will make a difference in the upcoming game.

The are the fact that both kickers with Greg Zuerlein of the Rams and Brett Maher of the Cowboys have a combined 11 missed field goals in the regular season, so the kicking game of both teams should be watched closely.

Don’t forget about the two defensive coordinators in Rod Marinelli of the Cowboys and Wade Phillips of the Rams. These two coaches bring decades of defensive coaching experience, and both are also former head coaches. If we don’t believe they will have their respective units ready to go, then why are we even watching the game?

There are many factors involved as to how this Divisional Round game will play out, and here are 5 X-Factors for the Rams at Cowboys on Saturday night.

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