The Cowboys travel to Carolina for the third straight year, but after a pair of lopsided wins over the Panthers, this could be a much tougher game this Sunday.
Carolina is 2-3 after a comeback win over the Dolphins, led by former Cowboys RB Rico Dowdle, who had 206 rushing yards in the win.
The Cowboys are 2-2-1 after a dominant win over the Jets, who previously lost to the Dolphins before the matchup with Dallas.
So what will happen Sunday in Carolina? The staff writers offer up their weekly picks:
Patrik: For a third consecutive season, the Cowboys will not only take on the Panthers, but they'll again do it in Charlotte which, to me, makes this the definition, now, of a familiar opponent. Bryce Young is struggling in the face of pressure and his offensive line allows plenty of it, and those two factors have led to struggles in the passing game and, Rico Dowdle's career outing last week notwithstanding, struggles on the ground in the absence of Chuba Hubbard. Dowdle told the Cowboys to "buckle up" this week, but his pre-Week 5 numbers don't support such a bold demand, and there's little the Panthers' defense presents, save for players like Jaycee Horn and Derrick Brown, that give much pause in comparing their matchups to Dak Prescott and the Cowboys' offensive weapons — in the air and on the ground. I don't expect this to be a cakewalk (blame my Chicago trauma here), but I do expect Dallas to build on what they did against the Jets when they head to Charlotte a third time in as many years. 38-24, Cowboys
Nick: Right now, it's hard to bet against Dak Prescott. That's really what it all boils down to, as far as I'm concerned. The Cowboys' defense is still one of the worst in the NFL, statistically, but it's being offset by the No. 1 offense in the league. Have you realized this team has scored exactly 37 points in regulation three times? Only once has that been enough to win in regulation, but it's a well-oiled machine even if it's missing some key parts.
I think the offense will get a few more pieces back this week on the O-line and it does feel like the defense is starting to make a turn for the better. If anything else, there is more pressure on the quarterback, which is always a good thing. And against Bryce Young, whose stats suggest he's one of the worst starting QBs in the league, I think we'll continue to see more progress with the defense. Give me Ezeiruaku with his first two sacks of the season, an interception by Shemar James and Trevon Diggs with a pick as well. I expect Javonte Williams to out-rush Rico Dowdle and I think we see a touchdown by Flournoy. The Panthers make it interesting but in the end, I'll take the Cowboys 35-22.
Tommy: Coming off their best performances in the pass rush department last week against the Jets, the Cowboys have an opportunity to get after the quarterback again with a struggling Panthers offensive line this week. The last two years, Dallas has brought down Bryce Young a combined 13 times. I think they'll be able to keep up that success again this week to an extent, but consistency has been difficult to find across the board defensively for the Cowboys up to this point. Offensively, they've had a lot more things be consistent, but could be shorthanded again on the offensive line. It worked out well last week, but is it sustainable? Probably not. Still, I think the Cowboys are the better team and will come away with their second straight win and third straight in as many years against Carolina. Cowboys 31, Panthers 20
Mickey Spagnola: This Cowboys defense will take the next step after giving up a season low 22 to the Jets. The defense will improve stopping the run after allowing the Jets to gash them for 144 yards on the ground, and that after the Packers ran on the Cowboys for 164 yards. Like the changes on defense, Kenneth Murray moving to middle linebacker in place on the injured Jack Sanborn (concussion) and leaning on rookie Shemar James as a starter on the outside after his 17-tackle game against the Jets. And it's time for the Cowboys to strike big on a big play, either a takeaway or a kick return or a 50-plus yard pass play for a touchdown. Cowboys 33, Panthers 23.
Kyle Youmans: Dallas showed an ability to win despite some notable injuries last week against New York, especially against a less talented roster. This is the second week in a row Dallas will face a roster that doesn't stack up on paper, but the Panthers are a better team at this point than the Cowboys saw last week. The Dallas defense will need to stop the run at a higher rate than they have been, and limit Rico Dowdle to his normal production levels to win the game. It should be a closer game to start than last week, but give me the Cowboys, 34-17.
