The Pittsburgh Steelers will be playing against one of their oldest rivals in the Dallas Cowboys this weekend. The two teams are in different conferences, but they have a storied history together. The Steelers are coming off a brutal loss to the Indianapolis Colts, while the Cowboys are hoping to carry over some momentum they created last week. Former NFL head coach Jon Gruden, who used to work with Mike Tomlin, believes the Steelers will outmuscle the Cowboys though.
“The Steelers lost last week to the Colts,” Gruden said Saturday on his YouTube channel. “I know how Tomlin is after a loss. ‘We better avenge this loss.’ It’s gonna be a tight game. It’s gonna be 20-17, and it’s gonna be that doggone Boswell from about 53 yards out. 20 Pittsburgh, 17 for the Cowboys, in a physical, physical game.”
Tomlin spent much of his young NFL career coaching under Gruden with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The two were together from 2002 to 2005, so Gruden would be very familiar with Tomlin’s reactions to wins and losses. He sounds spot on too. Wanting the Steelers to avenge their loss to the Colts almost seems like something Tomlin would say in a press conference.
Really, Tomlin is probably more focused on the Steelers not shooting themselves in the foot as much. They beat themselves just as much as the Colts beat them. The Cowboys are wounded walking into this game, and the Steelers should be able to take advantage of their weaknesses.
Physicality has been the name of the game for the Steelers this year too. In each game they’ve won, they’ve played an extremely tough brand of football. They’ve imposed their will on opposing teams. This game should be no different. The Steelers will likely want to get their ground game going early and often against the Cowboys’ poor run defense.
This game is set up for the Steelers to dominate, but Gruden wasn’t born yesterday. It’s not often the Steelers don’t play in a close game, and for all their faults, the Cowboys still have great pieces. Quarterback Dak Prescott and receiver CeeDee Lamb could be dangerous if they get hot.
Boswell kicking a field goal over 50 yards in Pittsburgh in October is not ideal, but he’s been money so far this year. Hopefully, it doesn’t have to come down to that and the Steelers can still find some redemption.
