Cowboys’ improving run D gets another test in Colts’ Taylor

ARLINGTON, Texas — Jonathan Taylor is the third consecutive elite back the Cowboys are facing in a stretch that started with Dallas’ defense struggling against the run.

The Cowboys won while keeping Minnesota’s Dalvin Cook and Saquon Barkley under control. They’ll try to make it 3 for 3 against Taylor and the Indianapolis Colts (47-1) at 7:20 tonight.

Dallas coach Mike Mccarthy thinks he has attended two college games in three decades on NFL coaching staffs. One was watching Taylor and Wisconsin against Iowa.

“Just his ability to run inside with the discipline and toughness,” Mccarthy said. “I think he’s definitely a featured back, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he carries it north of 20 against us.”

There’s a peek at one of the keys for the Cowboys (83) against Cook and Barkley. They had limited opportunities.

Dallas had the biggest road blowout in franchise history in a 40-3 rout of the Minnesota Vikings, thus Cook had just 11 carries for the trailing team.

The Giants ran just 59 plays on Thanksgiving, and 35 were passes. So Barkley had just 11 attempts for 39 yards.

“We knew how important it was going to be to be able to set the edge,” Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn said. “So (we) worked that as much as we could during a short week.”

The Colts are facing the short week after a 24-17 loss to Pittsburgh on Monday night, while the Cowboys are on extended break coming off the 28-20 Thanksgiving victory over New York.

Dallas leads the NFL in sacks and will face the offensive line that has allowed the most.

On offense, the Cowboys are among the league’s best in the six weeks since quarterback Dak Prescott returned from a broken thumb on his throwing hand.

It’s the fourth game for veteran quarterback Matt Ryan since interim coach Jeff Saturday reinserted him as the starter for the Colts. The 37-year-old is facing the NFL’S top passing defense.

“The one thing I’ve learned is you never know how games are going to shake out,” Ryan said. “It doesn’t matter which two teams show up and what you’ve done up until this point. We have a really good defense, too, that they have to go against.”

That’s one of Prescott’s points about the Colts, who are 10 1/2-point underdogs, according to Fanduel Sportsbook.

“Very fundamentally sound defense,” Prescott said. “As I tell you all the time, we’re not going to get caught up in records or think that we can just walk out there and beat these guys.”

LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Saturday acknowledged he made a mistake by not calling a timeout late in the loss to Pittsburgh.

But it’s not the only learning experience for the Colts this week. Saturday said he learned a lot about himself when he was playing center for Indy’s team in 2011, which went 2-14. Ryan had a couple of 4-12 seasons in Atlanta.

“You obviously want to be driving the ship,” Ryan said. “But I told the guys, in these kinds of situations I’ve learned more about players that I’ve played with than in really any other situation. I’ve gained respect and lost respect for certain guys as you’re going through these things.”

I KNOW THAT GUY

Quinn and Ryan spent five-plus seasons together as coach and quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons. They’ll always be linked by the 34-28 overtime loss to New England in Super Bowl 51 loss, when Atlanta led 28-3 in the third quarter.

“He is a rare and relentless competitor,” Quinn said. “I describe like he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He comes across real clean cut and nice, but he is a tough (expletive) competitor.”

HOLDING THE LINE

Indy’s offensive line has improved marginally in the three games since Saturday replaced the fired coach Frank Reich. But this may be the toughest matchup left on the schedule.

The Colts still rank among the league leaders in fewest sacks allowed since 2018, but they’ve given up a leaguehigh 43 this season. Cowboy linebacker Micah Parsons is second in the NFL with 12 sacks, and Dallas has 45.

The test will be significant for rookie left tackle Bernhard Raimann and new right guard Will Fries.

“These guys are getting sacks at an alarming rate,” said Saturday, a two-time Allpro center. “They get ahead and it’s a track meet. You’re in trouble. I don’t care who you are, how good you are offensive line-wise. This is a very good group.”

LEADING MAN

Dallas receiver Ceedee Lamb is growing into the lead role after the offseason trade of Amari Cooper. And he already embraced the idea of adding free agent Odell Beckham Jr., who is expected to visit the Cowboys on Monday and could be close to a decision on his next team.

Lamb has two 100-yard efforts in the past three games after going 17 games without one dating to last season.

“Most definitely getting comfortable in this position,” said Lamb, who is second in the NFC with 857 yards receiving. “Honestly, at the beginning, it wasn’t the start I wanted or looking forward to, but I understand that it’s a long season.”

INDIANAPOLIS (4-7-1) at DALLAS (8-3)

Sunday, 7:20 p.m. CST, NBC FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NFL LINE: Cowboys by 10 1/2

AGAINST THE SPREAD: Colts 5-7; Cowboys 7-4

SERIES RECORD: Cowboys lead 10-7

LAST MEETING: Colts won 23-0, Dec. 16, 2018, at Indianapolis

LAST WEEK: Colts lost to Steelers 24-17; Cowboys beat Giants 28-20

COLTS OFFENSE: OVERALL (26), RUSH (25), PASS (18), SCORING (30)

COLTS DEFENSE: OVERALL (6), RUSH (17), PASS (5), SCORING (11)

COWBOYS OFFENSE: OVERALL (13), RUSH (7), PASS (21), SCORING (7)

COWBOYS DEFENSE: OVERALL (7), RUSH (24), PASS (1), SCORING (2)

TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Colts minus10; Cowboys plus-5

COLTS PLAYER TO WATCH: RB Jonathan Taylor. Interim coach Jeff Saturday has continued to feed the reigning NFL rushing champ since replacing Frank Reich, and Taylor’s numbers have shown it. Over the past three weeks, Taylor has run for 317 yards and scored a TD in all three games. Don’t expect that to change — and Taylor could actually have a heavier workload — against a run defense ranked in the bottom third of the league.

COWBOYS PLAYER TO WATCH: WR Ceedee Lamb. With the Cowboys in the mix to sign free agent Odell Beckham Jr., Lamb is looking more and more like a No. 1 receiver. He has two of the three 100yard receiving games for the Cowboys this season, both in the past three games. He’s up to second in the NFC behind Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson with 857 yards receiving. Lamb and Jefferson have five TDS apiece.

KEY MATCHUP: Indianapolis OL vs. Micah Parsons and Cowboys DL. The Colts have been marginally better up front under Saturday, who was a two-time All-pro center in 13 seasons with them. But Indy still leads the NFL in sacks allowed with 43, while Dallas is the league leader in sacks with 45. Parsons is second in the NFL with 12 sacks. He has six two-sack games. Matt Ryan has been dropped eight times in three games since Saturday restored him as the starter when he took over. Seven of those eight were in the past two weeks.

KEY INJURIES: Pro Bowl cornerback Kenny Moore II of the Colts left the Monday night loss to Pittsburgh with an ankle injury and did not return. A short week won’t help with the recovery time, though no decision will be announced until later in the week. The availability of DE Kwity Paye (ankle) also is in jeopardy after he was inactive against Pittsburgh. … Dallas LB Anthony Barr (hamstring) was a limited practice participant at the start of the week. He has missed three games since getting injured chasing speedy Chicago QB Justin Fields. … S Jayron Kearse is dealing with a shoulder issue.

SERIES NOTES: Indy has lost three of the past four in this series and two straight in Dallas. … The Colts lost 42-7 in their only other trip to Jerry World. … The Colts became the first team to represent both conferences in the Super Bowl, winning the first of their two Lombardi Trophies on Jim O’brien’s 32-yard field goal with 5 seconds left to beat Dallas 16-13 in January 1971. Cowboys LB Chuck Howley became the first defensive player selected as the game’s MVP.

STATS AND STUFF: Indy has lost two straight since winning in Saturday’s coaching debut. They lost the last three before Saturday was hired. … Taylor needs 116 yards rushing to pass Randy Mcmillan (3,876) for No. 9 on the Colts career list. Taylor’s next 100yard game will be the 16th of his career, tying Lydell Mitchell for third in franchise history. … QB Matt Ryan has four comebacks in the fourth quarter this season and another would give him 47 and tie Dan Marino for fifth in league history. … Grover Stewart and Deforest Buckner each have 54 tackles this season and are tied with Miami’s Christian Wilkins for the most by a defensive tackle this season. … Indy’s run defense has allowed only eight 100-yard rushers since 2018, tied for second fewest during that span. … DE Yannick Ngakoue has had at least eight sacks in seven consecutive seasons. It’s the third-longest active streak in the NFL. … Dallas was 4-1 with Cooper Rush after Dak Prescott broke the thumb on his throwing hand in a season-opening loss. Prescott has now matched that 4-1 record since returning. … Before Prescott’s return, the Cowboys were 23rd or worse in per-game points, total yards, passing yards and third down percentage. In the six weeks since, they’re first in points and third down percentage, second in total yards and sixth in passing yards. … Prescott needs one TD pass to break a tie with Roger Staubach for fourth on the club’s career list (153). … While Dallas leads the league in sacks, its offensive line has allowed the fewest in the NFL (14). … Dallas coach Mike Mccarthy can tie Sean Payton in career victories at 152. Payton, who is out of football this year after resigning in New Orleans, is 22nd on the career list. … Parsons can become the first Dallas defender with seven multi-sack games in a season. His 25 sacks are already the most for a player’s first two seasons in club history.

FANTASY TIP: Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott is coming off a season-high 92 yards rushing and is looking for a fifth consecutive game with at least one TD on the ground.