Why Cowboys' Micah Parsons, Jake Ferguson, Rico Dowdle should have field days vs Bengals

Injuries and poor defense are shared character traits between the two teams meeting for Monday Night Football in Week 14. Not only do the Cincinnati Bengals have the 30th-ranked defense in the NFL but, just this week alone they’ve lost left tackle Orlando Brown, linebacker Logan Wilson and kicker Evan McPherson to injury.

Not to be outdone, the Dallas Cowboys boast a cellar-dwelling defense themselves, ranking 28th in EPA per play in 2024. Injures continue to be an issue on both sides of the ball with left tackle Tyler Guyton, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, and IR-bound Zack Martin all expected to miss action in Week 14.

The shared dysfunction between the two teams promises for an entertaining evening as the offenses roll in what could become a comedic shootout. The Bengals remain one of the top offenses in the NFL this season. Led by Joe Burrow, the Cincinnati passing attack is of elite variety and the Dallas secondary will have their work cut out for them limiting the damage. Pressure on the passer will be paramount to the secondary’s success.