Andrew Buller-Russ
The NFL season is flying by. Believe it or not, Week 16 is up next, and Sunday’s Dallas Cowboys at Miami Dolphins game is one of the best potential Super Bowl matchups the NFL has to offer.
Both teams are vying to prove they’re still the best in their respective conferences, even though neither enters the week with the top seed in the NFC or AFC. Yet, settling for second place isn’t bad for this pair of 10-4 teams. However, with three games left on their schedules, clinching home-field advantage throughout the playoffs remains in sight.
A matchup expected to feature plenty of points from the NFL’s top two scoring offenses, here are our four bold predictions for Sunday’s Cowboys vs. Dolphins game.
Related: Week 16 NFL schedule
Dak Prescott brushes off Week 15 dud with 5 TD day
After finishing with just 134 yards and an interception in last week’s 31-10 loss to Buffalo, it’s safe to say Dak Prescott is coming off his worst game of the season. Like last week, Prescott will be playing an away game, where he hasn’t been nearly as good this season.
| Dak Prescott stats (2023) | Comp. % | Yards | TD | INT |
| Home (7 starts) | 74% | 2,125 | 20 | 2 |
| Away (7 starts) | 63.2% | 1,514 | 8 | 5 |
Taking on the Dolphins won’t be easy, as this is also a top-ten passing defense heading into Week 16. Yet, not only will Prescott be looking to erase the bad taste of an ugly loss last week, he’s looking to reclaim his lead in the MVP conversation. Right now, Prescott’s well behind Brock Purdy, but a big day, something like scoring a total of five touchdowns while avoiding turnovers, should get him right back in the race.
Related: NFL QB rankings: Who’s the worst starting quarterback today?
Tyreek Hill goes off for 200 yards
There’s no guarantee Hill even plays on Sunday. He was inactive last week against the Jets after suffering an ankle injury, and he’s yet to return to practice. However, if Hill does go, he could be looking to make up for lost time.
Prior to his Week 15 absence, Hill was on pace to set a new NFL record as the first receiver to top 2,000 receiving yards in a single season. As expected, Hill is no longer on track to break Calvin Johnson’s single-season yardage record of 1,964 yards.
Hill is still on pace for 1,897 yards, which is obviously an incredible season, but we know he wants the record. A 200-yard game puts him back on track to break Megatron’s record, but he’d still fall ten yards shy of 2,000.
Yet, accomplishing this feat against a Cowboys defense that ranks fifth-best in scoring, with a passing defense that has allowed the sixth-fewest passing yards in the NFL, will not be easy. However, ‘bold predictions’ aren’t supposed to be locks, right?
We know Hill has the speed, and we know the Cowboys like to gamble. Whether Hill has his wheels or not, could be another story.
Brandon Aubrey makes 61-yard kick or longer
He has no chance to win, but right now, Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey probably deserves to have his name mentioned in the NFL Rookie of the Year race. He’s been perfect on field goal attempts, connecting on all 31 attempts this season. While he has missed three extra points, Aubrey has made up for it in other ways, by having longer range than some of his peers.
Aubrey has already made NFL history by becoming the first kicker to make two kicks from 59 or more yards in the same game. But the first-year NFL kicker also says he can shatter Justin Tucker’s NFL record, of 66 yards. We won’t make that bold claim here, but we will take Aubrey’s side a bit, and predict he sets a new career high, with a field goal from 61 or more yards.
Related: Super Bowl odds: Every team’s championship futures for 2023 NFL season
Tua Tagovailoa gets back in MVP conversation with 400-yard, 4-TD win
A season ago, Tua Tagovailoa was a legitimate MVP candidate after Week 16, but another head injury ruled him out of action for the final two games of the regular season. He hasn’t missed a game this year, but Tagovailoa isn’t currently the MVP frontrunner either.
Still, Tagovailoa’s numbers, along with Miami’s success are enough to keep him in the conversation. If Tagovailoa can not only take down the Cowboys but also put on an absolute show, with 400 yards and four touchdowns, he’d suddenly be back among the MVP finalists heading into Week 17.
Related: NFL MVP odds 2023-24: Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey steal MVP spotlight in Week 15
