The showdown between two of the best-recognized franchises in football is expected to be a shootout, as it matches up two potent offenses.
When game-planning for the Cowboys, you have to pay a lot of attention to an offense that has plenty of options, particularly in the passing game. That’s an even bigger area of focus for the Patriots, a team that has struggled against the pass this season to say the least.
Quarterback Tony Romo, despite his way too frequent late-game struggles, is still one of the better passers in the game if he’s making good decisions. That’s obviously a huge “if,” but if the Patriots can’t generate pressure on the Dallas quarterback and he gets to stand in the pocket all day, it could be another long game for the Pats.
Much of Romo’s success stem from a pretty strong supporting cast. When Romo throws the ball, he’s got a pretty impressive corps of receivers ready to haul it in. If you work from the outside in, the Cowboys feature a pair of pretty impressive wide receivers.
Miles Austin is slated to return on Sunday, and he’ll be a welcomed addition. He’s a strong guy who can also stretch a defense and before his injury, he had 14 catches for 233 yards and four touchdowns in just two games. Dez Bryant should also provide some difficult matchups for the New England, as the second-year pro has shown flashes of brilliance this season when not battling injury issues of his own.
Then there’s also tight end Jason Witten who is one of the best in the game at that position. Expect him to be one of Romo’s favorite targets.
And on the defensive side of the ball, the ‘Boys have one of the most disruptive forces in the NFL with outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware. The seven-year pro uses a relentless motor to get after the quarterback, evidenced by his presence at the top of the list every year in sacks. He’s got five already this season, and if he can get loose on Sunday, it will go a long way in disrupting a dynamic Patriots’ passing attack.
Which Cowboy presents the biggest challenge to the Patriots?
