Getting Defensive: 2024 Week 13

Last year, the Dallas Cowboys were the highest-scoring defense in the NFC. But as has been the case with so many things in Dallas this season, things haven’t been the same in 2024. In large part due to injuries, the Cowboys have disappointed defensively this season – especially against the run. That disappointment has spread to fantasy – the Cowboys ranked 29th among fantasy defenses entering Week 12.

They rank significantly higher now.

The Cowboys gave up 26 points and 412 yards of offense. But they also sacked Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels four times, logged three takeaways and returned not one but two kickoffs for touchdowns on the way to one of the biggest point totals from a fantasy defense this season.

Now, normally this would just be chalked up as a fantasy aberration – two kick returns for a score in a game isn’t exactly common. But there’s reason to believe that the Cowboys can be a viable fantasy defense in Week 13.

That reason? Tommy Cutlets and the New York Giants, who come to AT&T Stadium on Thanksgiving Day. Last week in first start for the G-Men, Tommy Devito threw for just 189 yards, was sacked four times and the Giants scored seven points in a blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Giants have surrendered the fourth-most fantasy points per game to defenses this season, making the Dallas defense, flawed though it may be, a viable matchup play this week.

Besides – it gives you something to root for why you wonder why in God’s name you had that fourth slice of pie.

THE NO-DOUBTERS

Denver Broncos (vs. Cleveland Browns)

The Broncos are in the thick of the Wild Card hunt in the AFC, in no small part due to a defense that ranks third in the NFL in both total defense and scoring defense and first in the NFL with 44 sacks. As it happens, the Browns lead the NFL in sacks allowed with 47 and have surrendered the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing defenses. This is something of a “perfect storm” fantasy matchup – the…


Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/getting-defensive-2024-week-13-075033205.html

Author : NBC Sports

Publish date : 2024-11-26 07:50:00

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