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“Do you guys want to play a game on the court?” was the question the Spurs Employee asked my friend Aaron and I.
It was May 10th, 2016 and the two of us were at Game 5 of the Spurs/Thunder Series in the NBA Playoffs. San Antonio, my place of residence, was tied with Oklahoma City through four games. Tonight was pivotal.
As Aaron and I made way to our seats, an employee asked if we wanted to be on the court at the end of the first quarter for a mini game of sorts. Immediately after being asked, I turned to Aaron. It had been his idea to come to the game, this was his call. I told him I was with him 100% whatever he wanted to do.
“Uh… sure.” Aaron said, “What all do we have to do?”.
The employee explained the rules of the mini game and when we would have to make our way down to the tunnel (you know, the one the Spurs enter/exit from). After literally five seconds of digesting the idea, Aaron changed his mind. He told the employee we were good, and he walked away.
After I chased Aaron down I asked, “What?! We were going to go on the court! What happened?”
Aaron said that he changed his mind and “didn’t want to miss any of the game.” While that’s a stance I can get behind, it’s worth noting that the Spurs would go on to lose this game and that it would ultimately be Tim Duncan’s last one in San Antonio. We could have been on the court for this, Aaron!
What’s the lesson here? Never take any situation for granted. Always go for it. Always be bold. The Dallas Cowboys have what seems like a non-important game ahead of them (the Steelers play in the AFC so it really does mean less). It cannot be taken for granted.
America’s Team has, stop me if you’ve heard this before, a chance to make a statement with this game in Pittsburgh. Go destroy one of the NFL’s best. Put the league on notice. Take what’s yours. Welcome to my 5 Bold Predictions. Let’s roll.
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4-11 Plays A Big Part In The Cowboys Offense
Dak Prescott to Cole Beasley… lather, rinse, repeat.
4 to 11 is quite the combination these days in the NFL. The rookie quarterback has developed some great – this word has become exhausting lately – chemistry with the Saucemaster and it’s showing all over the field.
Cole Beasley is the only pass-catcher that Dak Prescott has a completion percentage above 80% when targeting. This connection is a big reason why the Dallas Cowboys Offense is averaging a poetic 411.5 yards per game.
#DakAndCole are going to hook up a lot in this game. The 4-11 connection is going to be big as the Cowboys continue their offensive yardage average by the same number.
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Maurkice Pouncey Has A Bad Snap That Results In A Fumble Recovered By The Cowboys
It’s really weird to hear that NFL teams have problems at the center position, because the Cowboys have Travis Frederick and never have to worry about such things.
Maurkice Pouncey, the ball-snapper for the Steelers, is currently dealing with a right thumb injury. If this were any other player, save a wide receiver, it really wouldn’t be a big deal. Just slap a cast on it and do your thing; however, this is quite a troubling issue for someone who touches the football on literally every play.
Maurkice’s right thumb – his snapping hand – is not going to be 100%. At some point in this game it’s going to ail him just a bit too much, and he’s going to have a bad snap that the Cowboys fall on top of. Close your eyes and you can see it, too.
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Ezekiel Elliott Is Going To Rush For More Yards Than Any Running Back Has This Season Against The Steelers
When the Miami Dolphins hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers a few weeks ago, Jay Ajayi carried the ball 25 times for 204 yards. That’s pretty impressive.
The last time the Dallas Cowboys visited Pittsburgh was December 7th, 2008. At the time the largest performance the Steelers had surrendered on the ground was a 73-yard day by New England’s Kevin Faulk. All of that changed when Cowboys rookie running back Tashard Choice dropped 88 on Pittsburgh.
Just like Tashard rushed for more yards against the Steelers than anyone had that season, Zeke is going to do the same… it’s just going to be a wee bit more impressive.
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Super Bowls X, XIII, & XXX Will Be Referenced
When the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers meet up it’s arguably a clashing of the NFL’s greatest two franchises. In 50 total, three Super Bowls have featured a matchup between the two clubs, that’s incredible.
The pages of Pro Football History are filled to the brim with legendary Cowboys/Steelers tales, but obviously the Super Bowl memories carry the most pomp and circumstance. Dallas and Pittsburgh have indeed squared off three times with football’s biggest prize on the line. The Cowboys lost Super Bowls X and XIII (I believe Super Bowl XIII to be the greatest game ever played) to the Steelers, but they secured victory in Super Bowl XXX.
Considering this is America’s Game of the Week on FOX and that the color analyst on call, Troy Aikman, was the winning quarterback of Super Bowl XXX… you can bet your bottom dollar these iconic games will be mentioned.
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Sean Lee Will Have The Game-Defining Play On Defense
Many people believe that linebackers are forged in the steel mills of Pittsburgh, PA. A lot of those people believe that they play for the Steelers, or Penn State. Either way… Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania in general knows how to breed a good linebacker.
Sean Lee was in fact forged in Pittsburgh… literally. “The General” was born in Pittsburgh and attended Penn State – he’s a linebacker down to the bone.
It really is amazing how unnoticed Lee’s 2016 campaign is going. The best defensive player on the Cowboys is putting together quite the season, but part of the reason people haven’t totally caught on is because he hasn’t made his trademark big plays… that changes on Sunday.
This is the first time in his NFL career that Sean Lee will play the Steelers in Pittsburgh. He’s going to make it a memorable event.
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Bonus Bold Prediction #1
Remember, if you want YOUR Bold Prediction featured here, tweet it at me! It’s that simple! Here are this week’s contributions, thanks to all those who shared!
https://twitter.com/donnykf5stk/status/796446036474601473
Monsieur Cook always strings together quite the nice set of bold predictions, and this one is no different. If you buy my Zeke bold prediction then Donny hit the nail right on the head here, plus it looks like we’re going to have a party on defense.
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Bonus Bold Prediction #2
Hey @rjochoa here's a fun Bold Prediction. Anthony Brown picks a pass intended for Antonio Brown… Somehow…
— Mauricio Rodríguez (@MauNFL) November 10, 2016
Mauricio is getting creative! I dig it!
Anthony Brown has played lights out as a rookie in the Dallas secondary. Considering that they’re still adjusting to life without Morris Claiborne and Barry Church, Anthony will need to have a big day with the NFL’s best receiver on the other side of things. Get that pick, Anthony! Huzzah!
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Bonus Bold Prediction #3
BOLD PREDICTION:
Dez Bryant will out score Bell and Brown in yards, catches and TDs @rjochoa— Tony (@TonyHl) November 10, 2016
This is a big plate for Dez Bryant to step up to.
Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown are far and away the Steelers most potent weapons. It would take a pretty huge effort from Dez Bryant to have to top both of them in these three statistical categories, and the Cowboys gameplan doesn’t really lend itself to that.
The only way I see this unfolding is if the game turns into a shootout of sorts, in which case the Cowboys are likely in trouble. Yikes!
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Bonus Bold Prediction #4
@rjochoa bold prediction: cowboys hold AB under 100 yards AND Leveon bell as well. And dak throws a long TD at some point
— Chase Aguiar (@chaseaguiar) November 10, 2016
It seems like Chase and Zeke-and-Deztroy are hanging out, doesn’t it?!
Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell are going to have to show up if the Steelers have any chance. The Cowboys still have yet to allow a 100-yard rusher on the season, but this is arguably the best one that they’ve faced. I do believe Dez gets a big play at some point, so maybe that optimism will spill over!
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Bonus Bold Prediction #5
A cowboy will score his first TD of the season (Swain, Lucky, Smith or Defense) @rjochoa
— Tony Hanna (@THL1998) November 11, 2016
I really, really, really like this Bold Prediction from Tony.
Here’s the thing… if Gavin Escobar can score a touchdown then anyone can. This really does feel like Jeff Swaim’s week. Book it for the Swaim Train!
[signoff author=”rjochoa” source=”rjoshow”]
What are YOUR Bold Predictions for this week’s Cowboys/Steelers game? Let us know! Comment below, Email me at RJ.Ochoa@SlantSports.com, or Tweet to me at @RJOchoa!
