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...