Make me an offer!!!

You get the Main Website located at www.thedallascowboys.com
you get this forum and the domain name and you can keep the hosting where it is or move it.

You can send offers to - pagekre8or@aol.com

Thanks,

John

One more game to go and we can be in the playoffs. I do not see another team that can beat us in the NFC but there are two teams in the AFC that can beat us and they already have. I am not sure if we can beat them in the super bowl but we played both teams with what we had.

I am sure in the super bowl we will give them a little more though. Any Thoughts?

John

GAME SET
WHAT: Baltimore Ravens (9-5) vs. Dallas Cowboys (9-5)
WHEN: Saturday, 7:15 p.m. (CST)
WHERE: Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
TELEVISION: NFL Network (Bob Papa, Deion Sanders and Marshall Faulk)

BIG ISSUE: The Cowboys can clinch a playoff spot this week, as much of a long shot as that is, but they can't do it all by themselves. First, though, they need to beat the Ravens, who have never played at Texas Stadium. Then, they need one of the following scenarios to occur - a Philadelphia loss or tie against Washington, a Chicago loss or tie against Green Bay and an Atlanta loss at Minnesota; a Philadelphia loss or tie and a Chicago loss or tie and a Tampa Bay loss against San Diego; a Chicago loss or tie and a Tampa Bay loss and an Atlanta loss; or a Philadelphia loss or tie and an Atlanta loss and if Dallas clinches strength of victory tiebreaker over Chicago. If none of that happens, the Cowboys will still hold firmly onto a wild-card spot with a win, but will need a victory in Week 17 to clinch. Lose, and it's anybody's game, so this is a must-win for Dallas - again. Add in the extra motivation that comes along with playing the final game at Texas Stadium, and the Cowboys should be revved up for this one.

The Ravens are also fighting for a wild-card spot. Right now, Baltimore owns the sixth and final playoff spot in the AFC, holding tiebreakers over two other 9-5 teams - the Patriots and the Dolphins. The Jets, also at 9-5, may factor into the wild-card race if they lose the division lead. If the Ravens lose Saturday and those three teams win, it will be nigh impossible to gain a playoff spot with a week left in the season. If all those teams win, Baltimore would still have the head-to-head tiebreaker over Miami (which plays Kansans City), the strength of victory tiebreaker over the Jets (who play Seattle) and the conference record tiebreaker over the Patriots (who play the Cardinals).

NUMBERS, PLEASE: Cowboys sack master DeMarcus Ware, who leads the league with 19 sacks, records just fewer than 1.5 sacks a game. To beat Michael Strahan's single-season record of 22.5, 1.5 sacks in each of the final two games would still leave Ware half a sack short. But the Ravens give up close to two sacks a game (25 in total), so Ware may just be able to inch closer to the record.

The Cowboys cannot afford to get behind early to the Ravens. The combination of Baltimore's strong defense and powerful running game has the Ravens leading the league in time of possession at 33 minutes, 32 seconds a game. The Cowboys, by comparison, sit at 18th in terms of time of possession, with their offense on the field an average of three minutes less than the Ravens.

ONE-ON-ONE: No matter what the Baltimore injury report says, you can bet Ravens Pro Bowl safety Ed Reedwill be on the field Saturday night. Reed is a ball hawk who has five interceptions, two of which he's returned for touchdowns. It will be up to the one Cowboys player who doesn't have a one-on-one match-up, quarterback Tony Romo, to render Reed ineffective. The Cowboys know they can't simply throw away from Reed completely since he's all over the field, but don't expect them to throw to his side very often. Romo will have to do a good job recognizing coverage and moving his eyes, making Reed commit to a route so he can throw elsewhere.

While Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has looked dangerous during his rookie season, the Ravens offense lives and dies by the run. That means that Cowboys Pro Bowl nose tackle Jay Ratliff, who caught a 50-pound catfish earlier in the week, will now have to reel in all 260 pounds of Ravens Pro Bowl fullback (used as a running back) Le'Ron McClain, who leads the team in rushing yards and touchdowns. McClain started the season hot, then fell victim to the merry-go-round of Baltimore running backs, but has since come back into favor, receiving 18 or more carries in the past four games. McClain doesn't have the quickness to break off a lot of long runs or bounce outside, so Ratliff will need to be his normal disruptive self at the line of scrimmage to close running lanes.

SUPPORTING ROLE: He's baaaaaaaack - again. Cowboys cornerback Adam Jones will likely make his second return to the field this season after missing the last game with a herniated disk in his neck (he missed four games during an NFL suspension earlier in the season). Jones will resume his duties in the Cowboys sub-packages as the right corner while Anthony Henry continues to move to safety in the nickel packages. Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips also said Jones will resume his punt and kick return duties, either lining up with Miles Austin on kickoffs or back there by himself.

With starting Ravens wide receiver Derrick Mason no better than questionable to play Saturday, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco will likely target fourth-year receiver Mark Clayton more often. Clayton, who has underachieved thus far during his career, has proven to be a viable deep threat in the past few weeks, catching long touchdown passes against Philadelphia and Cincinnati in Weeks 12 and 13. Flacco has favored the veteran hands of Mason during his rookie season, but if Mason can't go, Flacco have to trust Clayton more by default.

HEADSET GAMES: The Cowboys know that to stop Baltimore on offense, they have to stop the run. If they can force Flacco to pass, both the Cowboys pass-rushers and defensive backs will be licking their chops at the potential for grabbing sacks and picks. Few teams have run on the Cowboys successfully since they surrendered over 200 yards against the Giants more than a month ago, but if the Ravens employ a three-back approach - using McClain, rookie Ray Rice, and oft-injured veteran Willis McGahee - they might be able to throw Cowboys defenders off rhythm.

The Ravens probably aren't as concerned with stopping the run, seeing as how Cowboys starter Marion Barber is again questionable with a dislocated toe and the only other backs on the roster are rookie Tashard Choice and first-year veteran Alonzo Coleman, signed from the practice squad two weeks ago. But the Cowboys want to make Baltimore concerned with stopping the run, or stopping Choice at least. Choice has proven to be very effective the past two games, especially on screen passes and draw plays. The Cowboys will use Choice in that role to stymie the Ravens pass rush. Once the Ravens start defending the screen and draw, Romo will have more time in the pocket to find open receivers.

HEALTH WATCH:

Cowboys
Most important to the Cowboys is that Romo is being listed as probable, and appears capable of playing through however painful his back still is. But distressing them some is Barber (toe) being listed as questionable once again and he figures to be a game-day decision since he has not practiced all week. Already listed as out are starting left guard Montrae Holland (ankle) and linebacker Bobby Carpenter (knee/calf). Good thing Jones is returning since backup corner Alan Ball (ankle) is doubtful, and unlikely to play. Besides Romo, the Cowboys have eight other players listed as probable, and that includes both starting safeties, Ken Hamlin (foot) and Keith Davis (knee, neck). Only Davis practiced once this week, but both figure to start. Also listed as probable are WR Miles Austin (knee), S Tra Battle (hamstring), CB Adam Jones (neck), WR Isaiah Stanback (shoulder), WR Roy Williams (foot) and TE Jason Witten (ankle). All are expected to be capable of playing.

Ravens
The Ravens, with 18 players already on injured reserve, aren't in much better shape this week, listing 12 players on their official injury report. Out is backup WR Marcus Maxwell (hip). There are four players listed as questionable, and three of those are secondary starters, including safety Ed Reed (thigh) and both starting corners, Samari Rolle (ankle) and Fabian Washington (thigh). While Reed failed to participate in either of this week's full practices, that's the same routine he followed last week yet he still played this past Sunday. The other questionable player is RB Ray Rice (calf). The Ravens have seven players listed probable, most notably LB Terrell Suggs (thigh), K Matt Stover (thigh), OT Willie Anderson (ankle), WR Derrick Mason (shoulder) and OT Jared Gaither (illness).

Go to: aol://2719:10-4-Dallas%20Cowboy%20Football/


I think you have to be inside AOL or Using Internet Explorer for this to work.

IRVING, Texas - While the Cowboys finally have come to grips with Felix Jones' status for Sunday night's game in Washington, officially listing him as out, the Redskins still are holding out hope injured running back Clinton Portis will be able to play.

Even though Portis has not practiced since suffering a second-degree sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his left knee Nov. 3 against Pittsburgh, the Redskins are listing him as questionable for the 7:15 p.m. (CST) game to be played at FedExField. Washington head coach Jim Zorn has maintained all week Portis was "50-50" for the Cowboys game, and that's exactly where he has left his status, suggesting the NFL's second-leading rusher will be a game-time decision.

Jones has not practiced with the Cowboys since suffering the strained hamstring in the Oct. 12 Arizona game, and while there was some thought he might return to practice this week, he was listed as having not practiced the past four days as the rookie continues to rehab the hamstring with trainers. Earlier in the day Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips seemed to hold out some slim hope Jones might return.

"If he's not able to go today, chances are he wouldn't play," Phillips said before the late morning practice.

Jones didn't practice, meaning he will now miss his fourth consecutive game, continuing to place a heavier burden on Marion Barber to handle the majority of the running duties.

The Cowboys also will be without backup linebacker/special teams player Bobby Carpenter and backup wide receiver Isaiah Stanback, both listed as "out" for the game. Carpenter suffered a strained groin on Monday, and has not practiced the past two days. His absence will cut into the team's special teams' depth.

Stanback, who has been practicing and playing with a shoulder harness to prohibit his problematic shoulder from suffering another dislocation, had the shoulder sublux again this week and did not practice the past two days. Stanback is facing surgery at the end of the season for sure, but that surgery might be moved up if the shoulder does not stabilize.

Of the 11 players listed on the Redskins' injury report, only backup defensive tackle Anthony Montgomery is listed as out. Questionable along with Portis is cornerback Shawn Springs (calf), who jumped back into practice on Friday after missing workouts on Wednesday and Thursday. The other eight players are listed as probable, including backup running back Ladell Betts (sprained knee), who has not played in a month and only practiced fully once this week; linebacker Marcus Washington (shoulder), out the past two games with a knee sprain and only able to practice once this week; and defensive end Jason Taylor, who has played only three times in the past six games with calf problems.

Another Safety

Not since the Cowboys first played Washington this season has Pat Watkins played any safety, having to sit out the next three games with a bulging disk in his neck and then returning only to play special teams.

Well, Phillips says he anticipates Watkins playing "more on defense" for this game, and that is a good thing since Washington tight end Chris Cooley, the team's leading receiver with 48 catches, has been a problem for the Cowboys in recent years. Watkins likely will be used on the team's change-up defenses, and could possibly draw some man coverage on Cooley.

Watkins is anxious to get back on the field playing defense, too. The third-year player, despite missing three games, is tied for fourth on the team with eight special teams tackles. Keith Davis still is expected to start at strong safety.

Let's Clarify

All these national reports claiming Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is guaranteeing the Cowboys will qualify for the playoffs have stretched the truth a tad, making him sound quite arrogant knowing his team is only 5-4 and no better than tied for the seventh-best record in the NFC.

That's what happens when Jones' entire quote is not reported accurately, and when the actual question is not included before his response.

During his 20-minute meeting with the local meeting here during Thursday's practice, the last question Jones was asked was this:

Obviously you see the positives of everyone coming back, can you see the Cowboys in the playoffs?

Please note: Jones was not asked "will" the Cowboys make the playoffs, as has been presented nationally by just using in some cases the first two words of his response, which were , "Yes, absolutely."

Jones was asked if he could "see the Cowboys in the playoffs."

His answer, verbatim was this:

"Yes, absolutely. That's not optimism. I just see that we were going to have to be a team that is playing well and won a lot of ballgames at the end of the year to be what we want to be anyway and this is as good a time to start as next week. I certainly do feel we're going to be a team that plays well enough to be thinking about the playoffs."

Huge difference.

Short Shots

Looks as if the Cowboys will only keep two quarterbacks active for Sunday night's game, with Tony Romo starting and Brad Johnson the second guy so he can continue holding on placekicks for Nick Folk. Brooks Bollinger will be the third QB, even though Phillips has said he's the backup quarterback. Should Romo get injured and the Cowboys go with Bollinger before the start of the fourth quarter, that would mean Johnson automatically becomes inactive and then punter Sam Paulescu would assume the holding duties . . . Recently-acquired Roy Williams will start against the Redskins at wide receiver, having just three catches for 38 yards and one touchdown in his three games with the Cowboys. As Jerry Jones said, "I thought it would come quicker," meaning Williams making an impact on the team's offense, but understands Johnson starting all three of those games in place of the injured Romo compromised the situation . . . The Redskins have won the previous three games over the Cowboys at FedExField, last losing 21-18 the first time around in 2004.

IRVING, Texas - Let me take you to a different day and time, back when the Dallas Cowboys were in a similar situation, having to go on the road in the NFC East to face a ferocious defense in a game packed with far-reaching playoff implications and having to rely on nothing more than their backup quarterback.

Sunday, it's the Cowboys-Giants at Giants Stadium, the 5-3 Cowboys trying to claw their way back in the NFC East Division race against the 6-1 Giants, the defending Super Bowl champs in the division lead thanks mostly to their smack-down defense. And now they're all revved up knowing not only are the despised Cowboys coming to town, but that they will be doing so on the arm of backup quarterback Brad Johnson.

Giants do salivate, don't they?

But, 17 years worth of Sundays ago, back on Dec. 15, 1991, the upstart Dallas Cowboys, after five consecutive losing seasons, arrived at The Vet in bullish Philadelphia having to face one of the NFL's all-time best defenses - think Reggie White, Clyde Simmons, Jerome Brown, Mike Golic - with playoff hopes on the line, and having to depend not on future Hall of Famer Troy Aikman at quarterback, but backup Steve Beuerlein.

Can Eagles smack their beaks?

So let this be somewhat of a cautionary tale for those who already have thrown in the towel this week, figuring there is no way the Cowboys can win their fourth consecutive regular-season game over the Giants just because the 40-year-old Johnson will start in place of the injured Tony Romo.

Because I'm guessing then offensive coordinator Norv Turner has taught now offensive coordinator Jason Garrett somewhere along the line what he would always preach in those days - that there are ways to win these games.

Let's go back.

Both teams were 9-5, but with one striking difference. The Eagles had defeated the Cowboys the previous nine consecutive non-strike games, including a 24-0 whitewashing of them at Texas Stadium earlier in the year when Aikman absorbed a franchise-tying high 11 sacks that dreadful afternoon. And this came on the heals of a 17-3 whipping in December of 1990 when Simmons pile-drove Aikman's shoulder out of its socket, leaving the game to backup Babe Laufenberg in the second quarter.

No wonder Philly linebacker Seth Joyner was saying before the game, "We haven't just beaten them, we've dominated them."

Why, Cowboys starting right tackle Nate Newton, knowing he once again would have to line up directly across from White, "The Minister of Defense," even knew the score. He called the Eagles defense "a killing machine," and related this tale: "Our last game against them, Reggie told me he wanted to introduce me to God. I sure hope he wasn't talking about Sunday."

That bad.

Much like the Giants will come into Sunday's game leading the NFL with 26 sacks thanks to the likes of Jason Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka, and New York having recorded at least five sacks in four of its seven games, the Eagles entered Game 15 of that 1991 season ranked first in run defense, pass defense and total defense, giving up just 218 yards a game. They already had 51 sacks, and get this, 47 takeaways - 25 of those interceptions.

And the Cowboys were going to have to deal with this starting their backup quarterback?

And the inherent animosity that goes along with playing at The Vet?

Prior to the game, this headline showed up in the Philadelphia Daily News: "Out to Stick it in Dallas' Ear." Man.

Or how about this 20-10 prediction of an Eagles victory in The News from beat writer Kevin Mulligan: "I think Steve Beuerlein would trade places with Palm Beach, Fla., prosecutor Moria Lasch if he could. On second thought, she's taking more of a beating than Beuerlein might face on Sunday." Wow, a reference to the William Kennedy Smith rape trial going on at that time.

That there, my friends, is the hornet's nest the Cowboys were walking into, and the Cowboys realized what they tried to do the first time against the Eagles that season, use a wide-open offense, "played right into their hands," Cowboys offensive line coach Tony Wise said. "What we can't have is second and 12."

So all week long leading up to the game, Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson preached ball control; he preached defense; he preached special teams. But most of all, he preached to Beuerlein, who had replaced the injured Aikman (sprained knee ligament) for the past 2½ games, and basically told him this:

I don't care if you throw 20 straight incompletions, I don't care if you don't ever complete a pass, but don't you dare take a sack so their defense and crowd can get all revved up. We'll figure out a way to win this, but don't you lose it by taking sacks or throwing interceptions.

Then starting guard Alan Veingrad provided proof of Jimmy's spiel, saying, "They said to Beuerlein, if the play was not there, throw the ball away. They didn't want him to get hurt and didn't want him to get sacked."

So Beuerlein followed orders to a T that December afternoon when the wind chill dropped to 12 degrees at The Vet thanks to bone-chilling 23 mph winds. He just didn't mess around in the pocket, and might have taken Johnson's orders to an extreme, opening the game with 10 straight incompletions. He did not complete a pass until there was 2:28 left in the first half.

But I'll be darned, there the Cowboys were, jumping out to of all things, a 5-0 lead thanks to a safety and Ken Willis' 50-yard field goal, and found themselves trailing only 10-5 at halftime.

Beuerlein finished the first half completing just two of 17 passes for all of 17 yards, and none to his wide receivers, not even Michael Irvin. But the Cowboys had no turnovers and no sacks.

They were able to narrow the Eagles lead to 10-8 in the third quarter, before lightning struck on the second play of the fourth, the Eagles forced to punt on fourth and 14 at their own 41 after Jeff Kemp, subbing for the injured Jim McMahon, took a sack.

Cowboys wide receiver Kevlin Martin, standing at his own 15-yard line, grabbed the punt and sped up the middle of the field, and it was as if the sea had parted, Martin picking up a crushing block from Ike Holt that allowed him to complete the 85-yard punt return for a touchdown.

The Cowboys led 15-10, and while the Eagles closed to 15-13 on the next possession, Beuerlein finally hit a pass down field to Jay Novacek, setting up a four-yard touchdown pass to Irvin for the knockout blow.

Unbelievable, the Cowboys won, 25-13, and were going to the playoffs.

"The whole key was not to have bad plays offensively," Johnson would say, and if you noticed, said nothing about having big plays on offense. Good thing.

Beuerlein finished the game completing just nine of 31 passes for 145 yards, and only five of those were to a wide receiver (Irvin). But most importantly, he had no interceptions and was sacked but one time - 10 less than Aikman the first time around. And get this: The Cowboys gained only 210 yards, had just 11 first downs, only 72 yards rushing - with Emmitt Smith - converted just four of 17 third downs and averaged a woeful 3.4 yards per play . . . per play!

Get this, too: Not counting the final kneel-down possession, the Cowboys went eight possessions without a first down, gaining just 13 yards, and had three more notching just one first down.

"Against those guys," Beuerlein would say later, "you got to throw the ball away and don't give them a sack."

And maybe more importantly than qualifying for the playoffs and going on to win their first playoff game (at Chicago) in nine seasons, the Cowboys had turned the tide against those big, bad Eagles, going on to spank them in 10 of 12 meetings - a streak that began without their Pro Bowl quarterback, having to rely on a backup who really hit only two big passes in the entire game and had completed passes to just three guys - Irvin, Novacek and Daryl Johnston.

So no matter what you think of Brad Johnson or what you think of just who the Cowboys have or don't have, indeed there are ways to win these games, and none has to be traditional. The bottom line, though, just as it was this past Sunday against Tampa Bay: no offensive giveaways, field position, defense and, heaven forbid, maybe a big special teams play. Just look, in this particular Eagles game in '91, the Cowboys special teams accounted for 19 of the 25 points.

"Throughout the history, as long as you're not turning the ball over you have a chance," Brad Johnson said this week. "But we're going to take our shots and make those plays when they come up and then score on short fields and however it comes up. They're a tremendous team. They've exposed a lot of different teams that they've played this year.

"Obviously, last week we only had two penalties and stayed away from turnovers and it was a recipe for winning. However it comes, you don't make any apologies for that."

No you don't, so the poor, injured Cowboys should take notice, and so should those of you who already have thrown in the towel, bracing for the worst. Hey, I know the odds certainly aren't with the Cowboys on Sunday at Giants Stadium, but in the NFL, nothing is ever out of the question.

History does tell us so.

From Romo getting hurt, Adam Jones getting suspended and McBrair out for the season the cowboys are not looking so good right now. Would like to know everyone's thoughts on where the team may be heading. Would be great if Tony can make it for the Deadskins game Nov 16th.

We will see if Brad Johnson can step up and pull our boys out of this mess. I know we need help at pass defense, I just hope we can find it....

J

The no calls were blatant and many. I did see us get away with a few but not many. I know this is the refs getting back at owner Jerry Jones - What do you think?

IRVING, Texas - With any loss, especially at home, the Cowboys will go back and kick themselves for several big plays that didn't go their way.

But lost in the shuffle are always a few plays that might have turned the tide another direction.

Let's don't forget about the importance of these five plays that helped shape the course of this game.

1. Incomplete Fade Pass
On the stat sheet, it was just a simple fade pattern to the back of the end zone that fell incomplete. But for the Cowboys, it stopped the bleeding. The Redskins had started picking apart the Cowboys' secondary in the second quarter and already led by seven and were knocking on the door for more points before halftime. But on third-and-goal from the Cowboys' Two, Campbell lobbed a pass to Santana Moss, who couldn't come up with the catch, forcing Washington to settle for a field goal. After surviving that scare and keeping the deficit to only 10, the Cowboys marched down the field and managed a field goal before halftime.

2. Breaks Both Ways
Midway through the third quarter, after the Cowboys had just tied the game, the Redskins were driving deep into Cowboys' territory for the lead. Washington had two touchdowns called back because of penalties, including one quick pass to Antwaan Randle El for a score that was nullified because of a lineman illegally down the field. The Redskins settled for a field goal, but were even lucky to get that, considering Jason Campbell flubbed a handoff to Ladell Betts and the ball bounced back to the quarterback, who took off for six yards. A fumble there would've negated a field goal in what turned out to be a two-point game.

3. Sideline Pick
Trailing by a field goal, but with decent field position late in the third quarter, the Cowboys were in good shape at their own 37. However, Tony Romo apparently never saw Redskins safety Chris Horton, who stepped right in front of Miles Austin to record the pick at the Cowboys' 44. Washington used the gift, and the great field position, to tack on another Shaun Suisham field goal, extending the Redskins' lead to six early in the fourth.

4. One Too Many
The Cowboys had just held the Redskins on third down and seemed to force Washington into a 48-yard field goal attempt with about six minutes to play. But the Cowboys were flagged for 12 men on the field. Apparently, Pat Watkins was in the game and shouldn't have been. The sad part for the Cowboys was that play came after a timeout by the Redskins. So Washington gets a new set of downs and runs six more plays, chewing up more than three more minutes off the clock. The Cowboys were forced to use their last two timeouts on that series.

5. Dropped Onside Kick
Call it rust or just a tough play. But wide receiver Sam Hurd had his hands on the ball on the Cowboys' onside kick attempt at the end of the game and he couldn't hold on. Hurd has missed the first three games of the season with a high-ankle sprain. He played sparingly Sunday on offense, but had the chance to make a huge play after the Cowboys' third touchdown. Trialing by two, with no timeouts, the Cowboys had to get the onside kick and Nick Folk bounced it up just right for Hurd, who went as high as he could to grab it, but couldn't corral the ball, which bounced out of bounds. With the momentum, and the crowd, the Cowboys easily had enough time to get into Folk's range for a potential game-winning kick.

They may not be the most memorable five plays. But without them, things could've been a bit different here Sunday at Texas Stadium.

[IRVING, Texas]

IRVING, Texas - It was a 27-6 loss in the final game last season that seemingly launched 1,000 questions. Will another late-season nosedive affect a Cowboys playoff push? Will wide receiver Terrell Owens return from an ankle injury to help an offense which only put up six points against a 9-7 Redskins team? Or perhaps the most asked question, how willing are the Cowboys to face the Redskins for the third time in the 2008 playoffs? While the answers to the first two questions were revealed just two weeks later, the Cowboys and Redskins will finally get their much anticipated rematch this Sunday at 3:15 p.m. (CDT) at Texas Stadium.

What's Up?
Both teams come into Sunday's matchup riding impressive win streaks. The Redskins have picked up victories in their last two games, beating the Arizona Cardinals and New Orleans Saints by a slim combined margin of 53-41. In their two-game winning span, the Redskins have compiled 778 yards of total offense, with running back Clinton Portis leading the way with 186 all-purpose yards.

The Cowboys have done a bit of streaking in their own right, though, since they are coming off victories against Cleveland, Philadelphia and Green Bay. Dallas is the NFL's No. 1 offense, currently putting up a staggering 440 yards per game while also averaging 32 points in its three contests. With the NFC East combining for a 10-2 record - the two losses suffered in division play - this Cowboys-Redskins matchup should be another heated affair between two bitter division rivals.

Statistical View

    * While Washington defensive end Jason Taylor battled through a knee sprain suffered late in the preseason and went on to play in the Redskins first three games, a severe kick to his shin which caused severe bleeding will cause him to miss Sunday's game against the Cowboys. Taylor has started 132 consecutive games, including every game in a seven-year period with the Miami Dolphins from 2000 to 2007, but he underwent surgery on Monday to drain out the blood. Starting in his place should be former Cowboys defensive lineman Demetric Evans.

    * Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens needs just two touchdowns to tie former running back Marshall Faulk for fourth place on the all-time touchdown list. In Owens' 12-year career he has faced the Redskins nine times, catching 36 balls for 479 yards and seven touchdowns.

    * If any team in the league was going to contain Marion Barber this season, it would be the Redskins. In five career games against Washington, the Cowboys running back has carried the ball 46 times for just 3.3 yards per carry.

    * Clinton Portis became the only running back to rush for more than 100 yards against the Cowboys in last season's finale. The Redskins running back tallied 104 yards and two scores in the Washington blowout, but he will likely have a tough time finding running lanes this time since the Cowboys are one of five teams to not allow 100 yards rushing in any game so far this season.

    * Going back to the 2007 season, DeMarcus Ware has recorded a sack in six straight games, putting him fourth all-time in Cowboys history for consecutive games with a sack. The Cowboys outside linebacker has had some epic battles with Redskins Pro Bowl left tackle Chris Samuels in recent years, but Ware has gotten the better of Samuels, recording four sacks and 30 tackles in six career games.

Chalk Talk
Tony Romo isn't the only starting quarterback in the league this season who replaced an aging veteran in 2006. Washington's Jason Campbell supplanted the then 36-year-old Mark Brunell in Week 11 two seasons ago. The Washington quarterback has only taken part in one Cowboys-Redskins game in his career, when the Cowboys survived, 28-23, at Texas Stadium last season. Campbell threw for a career-high 348 yards in the Week 11 matchup and will attempt to do more of the same against a Cowboys defense which has allowed 207.7 passing yards per game this season, 19th in the NFL

After reading Tony Romo's 2½-game career stat-line against the Redskins, it's hard to imagine how the Cowboys are just 1-2 in games Romo has started against Washington. The Cowboys quarterback has completed 63.1 percent of his passes for 663 yards and six touchdowns, adding up to a 101.3 quarterback rating in the three contests. In last season's thriller in Texas Stadium, Romo threw for 293 yards and four touchdowns - Terrell Owens the recipient of all four scoring passes. With Romo jumping out to a hot start already this season, don't be surprised if the Pro Bowler carves up another Redskins secondary this Sunday.

Connections
Redskins kicker Shaun Suisham has quietly become a solid kicker in the NFL after missing two of his six kicks with the Cowboys in 2005 and 2006…Washington guard Jason Fabini suited up in 15 games for the Cowboys in 2006…Cowboys quarterback Brad Johnson had arguably his best season with the Redskins in 1999 throwing for more than 4,000 yards and 24 touchdowns . . . Evans spent two seasons with the Cowboys (2001-02).

Miscellaneous
If Cowboys running back Felix Jones scores another touchdown Sunday, he would extend his distinction of being the only Cowboys rookie to score a touchdown in his first three NFL games to four . . . The Cowboys own an all-time record of 32-12-2 at home against the Redskins . . . Sunday's game will mark Tony Romo's 30th career start. His 22-7 record is third best in league history for a quarterback making his first 29 starts . . . After three games, the Redskins rank 14th on offense and 13th on defense in the NFL . . . Washington currently leads the NFL in turnover differential with a plus 5, one fumble their only give-away this season. That means quarterback Jason Campbell has not been intercepted in 93 passes.

Dallas 52 - Redskins 19