The Dallas Cowboys take on the New York Giants night in a key divisional matchup, with Dallas trying to improve their playoff chances and New York trying to salvage a season that seems to be rapidly slipping away.
Can Tony Romo take his team one stop closer to the playoffs? Can Eli Manning rally his team for the upset? Let's take a look at who has the edge:
Offense
The Dallas defense has been the biggest surprise of the season, but the Cowboys' success on offense has been nearly as remarkable. DeMarco Murray has 282 more rushing yards than the next-most prolific running back, the offensive line has been stellar, and Tony Romo is quietly putting together one of his best NFL seasons to date. While the Cowboys could use another receiving threat to divert some attention from Dez Bryant, fans really can't complain about the offensive production so far.
New York, meanwhile, is struggling to get their offense in gear. Eli Manning looked like he'd moved past last season's struggles, but his five interceptions last week sent up plenty of red flags. The running game has been profoundly average, with Rashad Jennings and Andre Williams both failing to impress, and the Giants have averaged just 17 points per game since coming out of their bye.
Edge: Dallas
Defense
The Cowboys were going to have to outscore every opponent 60-50...or at least that's what everyone thought before the season. With surprisingly solid contributions from guys like Raiders castaway Rolando McClain and reclamation project George Selvie, the Cowboys have a shockingly decent defense - they might not be among the league's best, but considering what these guys were expected to do, being right in the middle is a pretty big win for this unit.
The Giants were expected to have a solid defensive unit this year, but they've turned out to be a major weakness for this team. The run defense has been absolutely abysmal, with the team giving up 145 yards per game on the ground (32nd out of 32 NFL teams), and the pass defense hasn't been that much better.
Edge: Dallas
Special Teams/Coaching
Neither team has really excelled on special teams, and the matchup between Jason Garrett and Tom Coughlin is too close to call.
Edge: Even
Predictions:
- DeMarco Murray has another big day on the ground, racking up over 125 yards
- Eli Manning throws at least two touchdowns...with at least two interceptions as well
- Tony Romo gets sacked at least twice
- The Cowboys get the win, 27-17
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