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Dallas Cowboys vs Indianapolis Colts prediction and preview: team news, form and key matchups (2026 Week 9)

NFL Audit · 2026 Week 9 · Game preview

Every season has a game where one team's problems meet the other team's strength, and this Sunday, Nov 8, looks like one. The Dallas Cowboys have an offense that scores in bunches and a defense that can't quite close the door. The Indianapolis Colts have lost four in a row and just got run out of the building in Jacksonville. Dallas is the team with more ways to hurt you. The question is whether the Cowboys can stop handing games back.

How they come in

Start with Indianapolis, because the slide is hard to ignore. The Colts last played in Week 8 and lost 7–42 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. That is the kind of result that makes a team question everything. They score 20.1 points per game and allow 27.8, a combination that rarely wins in this league. Their scoring sits below the league average, and there's no obvious sign yet that the offense is about to turn.

Dallas is coming off a loss too, but it was a different kind. The Cowboys lost 30–33 against the Arizona Cardinals, a game that went down to the wire. It's their only loss in their last game, and it came while the offense was doing its job. Dallas scores 27.4 points per game, comfortably above the league average, and allows 26.6. That defensive number isn't pretty, but it is better than what Indianapolis is giving up.

Team news

The injury report is the busiest part of this preview, and the Colts have more to sort through. Anthony Gould (concussion) and Justin Walley (knee) were out in Week 8 at Jacksonville, with an expected return in Week 9. Bryce Boettcher was questionable with a groin issue after not practicing on Friday. Cam Taylor-Britt, Micheal Clemons and Alec Pierce are all on injured reserve. Pierce's absence stands out for an offense that is already short on juice.

Dallas has its own list. Dee Winters (calf) and KaVontae Turpin (ribs) were out against Arizona with an expected return in Week 9. P.J. Locke (foot), Kenny Clark (back) and Luke Schoonmaker (groin) were all questionable for that game. Devin Moore is on injured reserve with a hip injury. Those statuses come from the Week 8 reports, so watch who is actually available. If Winters and Turpin are back, Dallas gets a lift on both sides of the ball.

The matchup that decides it

This game comes down to whether Indianapolis can score at all. The Colts put up 20.1 points per game, and now they face a Dallas defense that allows 26.6. That's not a lockdown unit, but Indianapolis hasn't shown it can take advantage, especially after the Jacksonville game. When your offense is already this quiet, even a leaky defense can look sturdy.

The other side matters just as much. Dallas scores 27.4 points per game against an Indianapolis defense that allows 27.8. That's a test the Colts have been failing. The scoring edge goes to Dallas, and it isn't close. If the Cowboys score on their first few drives, Indianapolis will have to chase, and chasing is hard when your passing game is as thin as theirs.

Players to watch

Dak Prescott is the engine for Dallas, at 203.5 passing yards per game through Week 8. Javonte Williams is just as important at 105.5 rushing yards per game. That balance gives the Cowboys a way to control the game if the Colts' defense is struggling. CeeDee Lamb is at 66 receiving yards per game, and Ryan Flournoy is at 54. Between them, Prescott has options in the passing game.

For Indianapolis, Daniel Jones is at 144 passing yards per game, a number that explains a lot about the offense's struggles. Keenan Allen is the top receiving option at 67 yards per game, and DJ Giddens leads the ground game at 43 rushing yards per game. If Indianapolis is going to hang around, Allen has to be a factor early and Giddens has to get enough touches to keep the offense out of obvious passing situations. That's a tall order, but it's the clearest path.

Our pick

Our pick: Dallas Cowboys. The Colts have lost four in a row, allow 27.8 points per game, and just took a 7–42 loss in Jacksonville. Dallas has the better offense, a more balanced attack with Prescott, Williams and Lamb, and a defense that, while imperfect, isn't facing a scary opponent. The Cowboys' last game was a three-point loss, and that doesn't tell us the team is broken.

The risk for Dallas is its own defense. If the Cowboys let a struggling Indianapolis offense hang around, this could get uncomfortable. But Indianapolis has shown very little that suggests it can take advantage. Dallas has more weapons, more scoring punch and a clearer way to win. We'll take the Cowboys.

Key numbers

Injury report

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