Steelers vs Cowboys preview: TV, betting odds, injuries, key matchups and more
Dallas (2-2) at Pittsburgh (3-1)
Sunday, 8:15 p.m. EDT, NBC
BetMGM NFL Odds: Steelers by 2
Series record: Cowboys lead 17-16
Against the spread: Cowboys 2-2; Steelers 3-1
Last meeting: Steelers beat Cowboys 24-19 on Nov. 8, 2020.
Last week: Cowboys beat the New York Giants 20-15 in New Jersey. Steelers lost to the Colts 27-24 in Indianapolis.
QB Dak Prescott is coming off his sixth career game with a completion rate of at least 80% and a passer rating of at least 120. His next one will pass Tony Romo for the most in franchise history. Prescott is fourth in the NFL in yards passing per game at 268 and is getting no help from the NFL's worst rushing offense. His only other meeting with the Steelers, also on the road, was the eighth of 11 consecutive Dallas victories in 2016, a franchise-record streak for a single season. Prescott was on his way to winning AP Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
WR George Pickens. The third-year pro is flourishing into one of the NFL's top targets even without much help from the players behind him on the depth chart. Pickens is ranked in the top 20 in the league in targets (29) and receptions (20) despite drawing heavy interest from opposing defenses each week. It's a testament to Pickens' talent, his chemistry with QB Justin Fields and first-year offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's play design that Pickens is finding favorable matchups and open space to work on a weekly basis. With Dallas' pass rush likely compromised, Pickens may have plenty of chances to create the kind of “splash” plays that have become his specialty.
Pittsburgh's offensive line vs. Dallas' defensive front. The Steelers have one of the league's youngest lines, even with veteran left guard Isaac Seumalo expected to return after missing a month with a pectoral injury. The right side of the line features rookie center Zach Frazier, rookie guard Mason McCormick and second-year tackle Broderick Jones, who has endured a roller coaster opening month. They will face a Dallas front missing injured end DeMarcus Lawrence and a linebacker group that will almost certainly be without All-Pro Micah Parsons.
The Cowboys figure to be without three starters. WR Brandin Cooks is out with a knee injury, and Lawrence was placed on injured reserve after injuring a foot against the Giants. Parsons hasn't been ruled out after sustaining a high ankle sprain against the Giants. But he is expected to miss a game because of injury for the first time in his four seasons with the Cowboys and has conceded he could miss another game (home against Detroit) before the club's open week. ... CB DaRon Bland is eligible to return after having surgery for a stress fracture in his foot late in the preseason. ... Steelers LB Alex Highsmith will miss his second straight game with a groin injury. ... Right guard James Daniels became the third lineman to go on injured reserve when he tore his Achilles tendon last week against Indianapolis. ... QB Russell Wilson (calf) is improving but expected to miss a fifth consecutive game. ... RBs Cordarrelle Patterson (ankle) and Jaylen Warren (knee) are also likely out, leaving not much behind starter Najee Harris.
Series notes
The rivalry was built in the 1970s when the Steelers swept a pair of Super Bowl showdowns with the Cowboys in games featuring plenty of Hall of Famers on both sides. Dallas returned the favor by beating Pittsburgh in Super Bowl after the 1995 season. ... This is the seventh regular-season meeting since 1997. The teams have split the previous six games.
Either tight end might be a decent option. Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth's targets have gone up each of the past two weeks and he caught his first touchdown pass of the season last Sunday against Indianapolis. Dallas TE Jake Ferguson was held in check against New York last week but presents a matchup problem for pretty much any defender.
