2023 NFL picks, score predictions for Week 16

Dallas Cowboys (10-4) @ Miami Dolphins (10-4)

Sunday, December 24, 4:25 PM ET

As I was getting ready to type in my preview for this game, I initially made an error and marked the Miami Dolphins down as being 11-4 already this season. Is that a sign of what’s to come in this game?

I don’t know about all of that…

The Dallas Cowboys just got absolutely wrecked on Sunday by the Buffalo Bills, a game in which I didn’t feel overly confident in picking the Cowboys thanks to how much the Bills had their backs up against the walls. Buffalo was the much more focused team on Sunday, even after the Cowboys dominated the Eagles the week prior.

When you look at this matchup between Dallas and Miami, I think it’s easy to see another slip-up coming for the Cowboys. Especially after what we saw against Miami, we know Vic Fangio is going to watch that tape and do a lot of the same things we saw Sean McDermott and that Bills defense do against Dallas.

Can the Cowboys rebound? Can they go on the road for a second consecutive week against a really quality AFC opponent and come away with a win? The oddsmakers like the Dolphins by 1.5 points in this one, and I don’t disagree with them on that. 

On the one hand, it’s hard to pick against Dallas with the way they’ve played the majority of the season. On the other hand, the quick-strike Dolphins offense doesn’t really play into Dallas’s strengths.

Prediction: Dolphins win 34-31