AT&T Stadium – Arlington, TX
Kickoff: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
Line: Cincinnati -1.0, Total: 45.0

The Bengals will be looking to improve to 3-2 with a win over the Cowboys in Dallas on Sunday.

Cincinnati is not off to the start it imagined, but the team still has a chance to get over .500 on Sunday. The Bengals will be confident coming into this one as well, as they are coming off of a 22-7 victory over the Dolphins as 7.5-point favorites last Thursday. Cincinnati held Miami to just 62 yards rushing in that one, and will need to find a way to stop Dallas’ running game as well. The extra couple of days of preparation could be a huge factor in helping them do that. The Cowboys, meanwhile, have now won-and-covered in three straight games. Dallas has been running the ball down the throats of its opponents, as the team has now rushed for 393 yards over the past two contests. The Bengals and Cowboys have not met often over the years, but Dallas is 2-0 SU (1-1 ATS) when hosting Cincinnati since 1992. The Bengals won’t be daunted by that, though, as they are 10-2 ATS against NFC East division opponents under head coach Marvin Lewis. TE Tyler Eifert (Back) was expected to return from an ankle injury in this game, but he suffered a separate injury during practice and is now doubtful for this game. For Dallas, CB Orlando Scandrick (Hamstring) is questionable and star WR Dez Bryant (Knee) is listed as questionable but likely won’t play.

The Bengals are coming off of a solid performance against the Dolphins, but there is still some room for improvement. QB Andy Dalton (1,234 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT) was 22-for-31 with 296 yards and a touchdown in the win over Miami, but the team did not capitalize on its scoring chances. The Bengals were moving the ball at will, but they’ll need to find a way to punch it in when in the red zone. Tyler Eifert’s absence has certainly hurt in that department, as Eifert is a big target and was responsible for 13 touchdowns a year ago. Dalton will need to find somebody else that can produce when in enemy territory. Perhaps throwing more fades to WR A.J. Green (32 rec, 468 yards, 2 TD) is the answer. Otherwise, RB Jeremy Hill (221 yards, 3 TD) will need to be a bit better in that area. Defensively, the Bengals need to find a way to stop the run. That’ll mean that guys like LB Vontaze Burfict and DT Geno Atkins (11 tackles, 2.5 sacks) will need to step it up. Burfict looked solid in his first game back from a suspension last week and should continue to improve as he plays more.

The Cowboys have surprised a lot of people with their 3-1 start, but they’ll continue to win games as long as they are running the ball well and playing good defense. Dallas still has the league’s best offensive line and RB Ezekiel Elliott (412 yards, 3 TD) is already one of the better backs in football. Over the past two weeks, Elliott has rushed for 278 yards and a touchdown. He should be able to find some success on Sunday and that would really make things easier on QB Dak Prescott (1,012 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT). Prescott does not make many mistakes, and that is something that has truly made Dallas a good team this season. He does, however, need the running game to be working in order for him to find success throwing the ball. He doesn’t take many shots down the field, so the threat of the running game is the only thing that really opens up Dallas’ passing game. Defensively, the Cowboys need to find a way to shut down A.J. Green. If Scandrick plays then that’ll certainly help them do that, but it’ll be a team effort if he doesn’t.