Cowboys-Ravens Prediction, 12/20

Tonight the Cowboys host the Ravens in the final game of Texas Stadium.

The Ravens and Cowboys are both 9-5 and in the playoffs as wildcard teams if the season were to end today.

Here are the keys to the game for the Cowboys according to the Sporting News:

1. Fluster Flacco. The Cowboys have flustered some of the league's top quarterbacks -- Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning -- the past two games. The Cowboys sacked Roethlisberger five times and Manning eight. The key, though, is taking away the running game and making teams one dimensional. Flacco passed for just 115 yards against Pittsburgh. In fact, he has passed for more than 200 yards just once in the last six games, with eight touchdowns and five interceptions. He's only been sacked 25 times this season.

2. Feed of emotion.This is likely the last game at Texas Stadium. Combine that with the emotion and intensity fans usually bring to a night game, and the Cowboys should have every emotional advantage. Baltimore is not equipped to play from behind with its conservative offense and rookie quarterback. If the Cowboys can score early and make the Ravens abandon their running game, they'll have a significantly easier time with this team.

3. Use Tashard Choice early and often. It's hard to believe, but Tashard Choice has been the Cowboys' best offensive player each of the last two weeks. He had 166 yards in total offense against Pittsburgh and 143 yards against the Giants. He's equally effective in the running and passing game, and he's provided the offense with yet another player with big-play capability.

Game Prediction: Cowboys 17, Ravens 9

Cowboys-Giants Prediction, 12/14

The Cowboys have dealt with a huge distraction this week caused by Terrell Owens. How's the saying go - those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it or something like that? We've seen this all before and we saw last week how difficult it can be to win with distractions like the Giants experienced.

Tonight, the Cowboys will look to disregard those distractions and focus on the Giants, who have looked like the best team in the NFL. They are without Brandon Jacobs, but it will be interesting to see how the pass distribution of the Cowboys affects T.O.

Here are the keys to the game for the Cowboys according to the Sporting News:

1. Make the Giants one-dimensional. Dallas can't allow the Giants to be balanced on offense, because coordinator Kevin Gilbride too many options. The Giants have rushed for more than 2,000 yards and Eli Manning has passed for more than 2,700 yards. The best thing for the Cowboys to do is take away the running game, even if they consistently put eight men in the box. If the Giants can run the ball effectively, they can control the clock, wear down the defense and set up play-action passes that can lead to big plays. The Cowboys' run defense has allowed more than 100 yards just once in the past five games.

2. Get Romo to protect the ball. Tony Romo will continue to have trouble in big games if he keeps turning the ball over. Romo accounted for four of Dallas' five giveaways last week with three interceptions and a fumble. He is careless with the ball and reckless in his never-ending quest to make a big play. That recklessness is also the reason he's one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Still, he can't have more than one turnover against the low-risk Giants and expect to win.

3. Avoid a Pittsburgh hangover. The Cowboys were outscored 17-0 in the final seven minutes last week as the Steelers overcame a 13-3 deficit. The loss was devastating for a team fighting to make the playoffs. Dallas probably needs to win at least two of their final three games to make the postseason. They can't afford to come out sluggish or spend the week having a pity party over the loss to Pittsburgh.

Prediction: Giants 21, Cowboys 13 (Hate to admit it, but think the distractions will really hurt.)

Cowboys-Steelers Prediction, 12/7

Today, the Cowboys face the Steelers. The Cowboys are currently in 2nd-place in the NFC East. The Cowboys will be without Marion Barber today and possibly DeMarcus Ware.

Here are the keys to the game for the Cowboys according to the Sporting News.

1. Win first down: Let's be clear, the Cowboys have no chance to beat Pittsburgh unless they win first down, otherwise the Steelers -- ranked No.1 in run, pass and total defense -- and defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau will be able to dictate the game's tempo. The Steelers lead the NFL in first-down defense, allowing just 3.97 yards. That means their opponents are usually facing second-and-long, which allows the LeBeau to weave his blitz magic. James Harrison (14) and LaMarr Woodley (12) have combined for 26 sacks, in part, because Pittsburgh's defense consistently gets teams in long yardage situations on second and third down because they dominate first down.

2. Generate big plays: The Cowboys have one of the league's best big-play offenses, and it has returned now that Romo is back in the lineup and the broken pinkie that forced him to miss three games is feeling better. The Cowboys had nine plays of more than 10 yards in the first quarter last week against Seattle and 13, not including a 21-yard pass interference penalty, in the first half. Romo had completions of more than 30 yards to Owens, Jason Witten and Roy Williams that set up points. Pittsburgh has yielded only 15 pass plays of more than 20 yards this season, which ranks first in the league. Something has to give.

3. Sack Roethlisberger: For a big, mobile quarterback, Roethlisberger has been sacked 33 times this season, which seems like a lot for a guy who should be able to elude pressure. You can blame some of that on an injured offensive line that can't protect him the way it has in the past. The Steelers' defense isn't going to give up too many points, which means it's up to the Cowboys' defense to keep the score close. Dallas has 18 sacks in the past four games, including seven last week against Seattle. Keeping Roethlisberger hemmed up is the best way for Dallas to win the game.

Game Prediction: Cowboys 21, Steelers 20

Cowboys-Seahawks Prediction, 11/27

The Cowboys have a chance to improve to 8-4 (3-0 since Romo has come back) against the woeful Seattle Seahawks.

Here are the keys to the game for the Cowboys according to the Sporting News:

1. Avoid letdown. The Cowboys lost to the Rams, one of the league's worst teams. They did it by 20 points. There's no possible way they could take another team for granted this season. Besides, the game is on Thanksgiving Day before a national TV audience and guys will be trying to make their last Pro Bowl impression of the season. Still, players are human. The Cowboys blew out San Francisco last week and after two straight wins could have an emotional letdown. Then again, their playoff hopes will take a serious hit if they lose to a bad team like Seattle.

2. Contain Jones. Jones was miserable during his last season in Dallas. He felt disrespected by the coaching staff and its love for Marion Barber. He believed nothing he ever did was good enough and that the coaching staff never really gave him an opportunity to take the job and make it his. The result: He quit taking the three- and four-yard runs and started looking for the big play. He's a lot more comfortable this year and has 637 yards and a 4.5 average, though he has scored just two touchdowns because T.J. Duckett does the heavy lifting inside the 20. Jones has always been explosive, and has two of the four biggest games in franchise history.

3. Play well in the first quarter. Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett must do a better job because the Cowboys have scored just one first-quarter touchdown in their last six games. In that span, the Cowboys have been outscored 61-7. They have allowed their opponent to score on the game's first drive in five of the past six games. The one thing no good team wants to do is give an inferior team the belief that it can win. That's why the Cowboys must win the first quarter and dictate the game's tempo to Seattle. It's up to Garrett to do a better job in the week preparing and being creative so the Cowboys can play from ahead. As they face better teams in December, Dallas isn't going to be able to rally like they have much of November.

Prediction: Cowboys 21, Seahawks 13

Cowboys - 49ers Prediction, 11/23

The Dallas Cowboys look to improve to 7-4 after their big win in Washington last week.

Here are the keys to the game for the Cowboys according to the Sporting News:

1. Play with emotion. The Cowboys have sleepwalked through much of this season in anticipation of a long playoff run. That's one reason they find themselves 6-4 and fighting just to make the playoffs. For one of the few times this season, the Cowboys played at full throttle against Washington. They were desperate because they knew a loss to the Redskins would severely damage their playoff hopes. This is no time to relax. They must play the same way or the big win over the Redskins won't mean much.

2. Generate big plays. The Cowboys are at their best when Tony Romo is slinging the ball all over the field to a talented group of receivers. When they're in sync, the Cowboys have the league's best quick-strike offense because they're so versatile. Tight end Jason Witten and wideouts Terrell Owens, Miles Austin and Roy Williams all can make big plays downfield. The more big plays, the better for this offense.

3. Don't become enamored with the pass. Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett is a former quarterback, which means he loves to throw the ball. But he needs to make Marion Barber an active part of the offense. He's a physical, slashing runner who can ignite the crowd and the team. Garrett too often loses sight of that and doesn't get Barber involved enough. Barber needs 20 carries a game because he's the kind of back who wears down a defense with his physical style. He carried the ball 10 times in the fourth quarter against Washington.

Prediction: Cowboys 28, 49ers 14

Cowboys - Redskins Prediction, 11/16

Without Tony Romo, the Cowboys were a disappointing 1-2. Even their 1 win set a team record for futility in a win.

With Tony Romo coming back this week, the Cowboys head to DC to take on the Redskins in a huge matchup. The Cowboys are currently 5-4 and tied for last in the NFC East with the Eagles.

Here are the keys to the game for the Cowboys according to the Sportings News:

1. Contain Santana Moss. No receiver has dominated the Cowboys like Moss in recent memory. He had eight catches for 145 yards in the Redskins' 26-24 win in Week 4, and he has a string of three-straight 100-yard games against Dallas. Equally impressive, he has caught 25 of 36 passes directed his way in those games, and has not caught fewer than eight passes. He's also had a 159-yard game against the Cowboys. Moss has outstanding speed, which means he's a tough matchup for Anthony Henry. And when Terence Newman covers him, he's so good at finding soft spots in zone that he's difficult to contain. Dallas has allowed four 100-yard receivers this year. If Moss becomes No.5, it will be difficult for Dallas to win.

2. Get Marion Barber going. The Redskins own Barber. He hasn't scored a touchdown in four games against Washington, and has not gained more than 45 yards in five games against them since the start of the 2006 season. He's averaging 29.0 yards per game and 3.2 yards per carry against Washington. That's not nearly good enough to get it done. Barber is a runner who punishes defensive players for tackling him, which means the more carries he gets, the more effective he becomes. Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett has to make sure he gets him the ball and doesn't get frustrated and go away from him, even if the yards don't come easy in the first 10 carries.

3. Don't give up points on the first drive. The Cowboys have allowed points on their opponents' first drive in four consecutive games, a trend that needs to stop if the Cowboys are going to get on a roll and get into the playoffs. The trend is an indication that the defensive coaching staff is not doing enough during the week because teams are doing a better job of game-planning. The Cowboys' staff is making adjustments, but the early struggles on defense are forcing them to play from behind. The Cowboys can be tackling better. To that end, Wade Phillips has had his team tackle on Wednesdays and Thursdays, instead of just one day a week.

Game Prediction: Cowboys 28, Redskins 27

Cowboys - Giants Prediction, 11/2

The Cowboys won last week 13-9 in an ugly game versus the Bucs. However, wouldn't you prefer to win ugly than to lose pretty? Plus, a win is not differentiated in the standings, i.e., a "win is a win."

Today, the Cowboys head to the Big Apple to take on the New York Giants. Current NFC East standings are: Giants 6-1, Redskins 6-2, Cowboys 5-3 and Eagles 4-3. Although the 'Boys are 9-point favorites, the Cowboys will be 1/2 game behind the Giants with a win today.

According to the Sporting News, here are the keys to the game for the Cowboys:

1. Stretch the field: With Tony Romo at the helm, the Cowboys had the NFL's most explosive offense. They led the league in plays of 10 yards or more and 20 yards or more. Since he's been out, the Cowboys have just three plays of 20 yards or more -- none against Tampa Bay. No way the Cowboys beat the Giants without stretching the field and at least throwing a couple of deep balls to force New York's safeties away from the line of scrimmage. Otherwise, the Giants will constrict the field and take away the short routes that Johnson prefers to throw.

2. Commit fewer than six penalties: The Cowboys are one of the NFL's most penalized teams, but without Romo at quarterback they have no margin for error. They have to eliminate the penalties -- especially the pre-snap miscues -- that have plagued them much of the season because they're not good enough offensively to overcome them. DeMarcus Ware was offsides twice against Tampa Bay and another was declined. Again, with their offense struggling, they can't afford to give extra downs to the opposing offense.

3. Keep the ball for 28 minutes: Each yard gained is a victory while Romo is out. No one expects the Cowboys to put up prolific offensive numbers with Brad Johnson at quarterback, but he has to be able to sustain some drives or the Cowboys' defense will simply wear down chasing 6-4, 265-pound Brandon Jacobs all over the field. They gained 19 yards on their first nine plays and went three-and-out three straight times. They can't afford to do that against the Giants. They need some offensive continuity and first downs to control the ball and keep their defense fresh.

Prediction: Cowboys 21, Giants 20 - Maybe wishful thinking, but I have faith...

Cowboys - Bucs Prediction, 10/26

The Cowboys host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers today. The Cowboys (4-3) are currently in 3rd-place in the NFC East and have lost 2 of their past 3 games. Will the Cowboys right the ship today versus the Bucs?

Here are the keys to the game for Dallas according to the Sporting News:

1. Don't get blown out early. Brad Johnson is not the kind of quarterback who can bring the Cowboys from behind. The more he's forced to throw the ball, the more his flaws are exposed. He's at his best managing the game, making good decisions and handing the ball off. The Cowboys fell behind 21-7 in the first quarter and 31-7 in the third quarter against the Rams, forcing Johnson to throw 34 passes. If he throws more than 25 passes, Dallas will lose.

2. Run the ball against Tampa's cover 2. Tampa Bay's defense is predicated on not giving up the big play, which is why they play their safeties deep. The Cowboys, who have struggled to run the ball consistently, must get Marion Barber close to 100 yards to have any chance at beating the Bucs. Tampa Bay tries to stop the run with seven defenders, enabling their safeties to play off the line. The Cowboys, who have one of the NFL's biggest offensive lines, don't need to do anything fancy. They need to line up and blow the much smaller Bucs off the line of scrimmage since they won't be dealing with an eighth defender in the box a lot of the time.

3. Block the corner blitz. Few teams love the corner blitz from the slot more than the Bucs. It's a staple of their defense, and if the Cowboys don't block it, Ronde Barber will create havoc. It's imperative that Brad Johnson, a 17-year veteran, recognizes when it's coming and attack the area vacated by Barber. That's not as easy as it sounds because Barber times his blitzes so well.

Game Prediction: Cowboys 28, Bucs 21

Keith Davis back in Dallas (for now?)

The Dallas Cowboys have added Keith Davis after making their cuts to get down to a 53-man roster. I'm still surprised that the Cowboys have kept only 5 receivers (3 of which are hurt - Sam Hurd, Isaiah Stanback and Miles Austin), but I love the way Keith Davis plays special teams.

However, I'm not sure how long he'll stay on the roster. Yesterday, the Bucs released QB Chris Simms, who has expressed an interest in playing for the Cowboys. And, of one of the Cowboys cuts was Richard Bartel.

Here is a list of all 21 players released by the Cowboys:

WR Danny Amendola

TE Drew Atchison

NT Remi Ayodele

QB Richard Bartel

WR Mark Bradford

RB Alonzo Coleman

FB Julius Crosslin

S Dowayne Davis

DE Marcus Dixon

LB Tearrius George

T Ryan Gibbons

TE Rodney Hannah

WR Mike Jefferson

RB Keon Lattimore

T Cory Lekkerkerker (reached injury settlement)

WR Todd Lowber

LB Darrell Robertson

NT Junior Siavii

DE Marcus Smith

LB Tyson Smith

LB Erik Walden

Adam Jones to mail reinstatement letter

In late-May, Adam (don't call me "Pacman") Jones met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Goodell partially reinstated Jones on June 2nd. The "partial" reinstatement meant that Jones could practice with the Cowboys and participate in pre-season games.

Tomorrow, Adam Jones will mail his request to be fully reinstated. So far, Jones has kept his nose out of trouble.

Since being traded to the Cowboys, Jones has tried to surround himself with a better support group. He's befriended former Cowboys Michael Irvin and Deion Sanders. Jones also has become friends with several of his new teammates, including Tank Johnson, whom the Cowboys helped return from a similar suspension last season.

"The important thing is getting him here and getting him acclimated," Johnson said. "I have told him you are a good kid, we know you and we're looking forward to having you on the team and we're excited about you proving everybody wrong."

Provided that he continues to stay out of trouble, it's very likely that Jones will be reinstated. Jerry Jones is making cautious statements, however, to not ruffle Goodell's feathers.

Jerry Jones wouldn't speculate on when he expected to hear from Goodell, acknowledging that the decision "probably will be very late in the preseason." Jones did say, however, that he anticipated to at least "get a feel" of what to expect before the Cowboys have to cut their roster to 53 players on Aug. 30.

"I'm just guessing that," Jones said.

Although Adam Jones was rusty in the Cowboys first pre-season game at San Diego, I expect Jones to be fine come the start of the 2008 season. And with Jones playing at his full ability, the Cowboys arguably have the best secondary in the NFL.