Unbeaten Teams To Clash Sunday At Texas Stadium
Zach Buchanan - Email
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
October 12, 2007 7:15 PM
GAME SET
WHAT: Dallas Cowboys (5-0) vs. New England Patriots (5-0)
WHEN: Sunday, 3:15 p.m. (CDT)
WHERE: Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
TELEVISION: CBS (Jim Nantz and Phil Simms)
BIG ISSUE: Maybe the tight game against the Bills Monday night woke the Cowboys out of cruise control, because they will need to be on their A-game this Sunday when Tom Brady and the New England Patriots visit Texas Stadium. The bad news is the Patriots are at the top of pretty much everyone's NFL power rankings and lead the league in scoring. The good news is the Cowboys can again play off of the underdog mentality that led them to the impressive win over Chicago. The fact they aren't expected to win will only make the Cowboys more hungry, which will probably be the determining factor if the team wants to improve to their first 6-0 start since 1983.
Unlike the Cowboys, who laid it all on the line to eek out a win in Week 5, the Patriots have yet to really be tested in a close game this season, winning each match-up by at least 17 points. The Cowboys are much stouter on both sides of the ball than the previous five New England opponents, and should present a greater challenge than the Pats have faced so far. The Cowboys should come out firing on all cylinders in an effort to put the Patriots where no Patriot has gone this season: In a close game.
NUMBERS, PLEASE: Any true Cowboys fan over the past 10 years knows Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss is a Cowboys-killer, torching Dallas for 675 yards and 10 touchdowns over six games, an average of 112.5 yards and 1.67 touchdowns per game. Against a Wade Phillips-directed defense, however, Moss only averages 78.6 yards and .5 touchdowns over the same amount of games.
Everyone has been so quick to point out the Cowboys' weak schedule over the first five games, but the combined record of the Patriots' opponents is a measly 7-17, a .291 winning percentage. The Cowboys' opponents are only slightly worse, with a combined record of 6-19, with a .240 winning percentage.
ONE-ON-ONE: You could point out any Cowboys offensive lineman and make a key match-up out of whatever Patriot he'll face, but the most intriguing should be Cowboys Pro Bowl center Andre Gurode against Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork, who was seventh in tackles last year for New England. The Patriots will be the first 3-4 team the Cowboys have faced this season, so Gurode will be going head-to-head with a defensive lineman for the first time. It shouldn't be a tough transition though, since Gurode faced a 3-4 defense every day in training camp.
No player in the league has more touchdown catches than the Patriots Randy Moss (seven), and Cowboys cornerbacks Jacques Reeves, starting in the place of the injured Anthony Henry, and Terence Newman will do their best to prevent Moss from padding his stats. Even against Newman, who is the best corner on the team, the 6-foot-5 Moss presents a matchup problem, as both starting corners and nickel corner Nate Jones are sub 6-footers. While he wouldn't be averse to it, Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips said he probably won't have Newman shadow Moss, keeping Newman on the right side. The Cowboys will most likely double Moss wherever he lines up instead, following the strategy used by the Cleveland Browns in Week 5, who held the receiver to three catches for 46 yards. The rest of the secondary better be on its toes as well, however, as the Browns just ended up getting ripped apart by Patriots second receiver Donte' Stallworth and tight end Ben Watson.
SUPPORTING ROLE: It's been a long time since anyone's seen Cowboys linebacker Greg Ellis happy since tearing his Achilles last season, but now the 10th-year veteran says he's feeling as close to normal as he's felt in the last year. Ellis, who's likely to remain in his current role as a nickel pass-rusher, where he's contributed over the past two games, said earlier in the week he feels good enough to play a full load if needed to. The Cowboys would certainly like to utilize his expertise when putting pressure on Brady, and Ellis' role could increase substantially if the Patriots continue to use a lot of three-receiver sets.
With Patriots starting running back Laurence Maroney out for the past two games, backup Sammy Morris has filled in more than capably, rushing for more than 100 yards in both games. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said Maroney will be a game-time decision Monday, but even if Maroney plays, Morris' role would hardly be diminished since he has scored two of his three touchdowns this season coming off the bench and established himself as the goal-line back of the tandem. Few people think as highly of Morris as Phillips, who selected him in the fifth round of the 2000 draft with the Buffalo Bills.
HEADSET GAMES: The Patriots' offense starts and ends with Brady, so the Cowboys want to make Brady's job as hard as possible. That means getting a lot of pressure on Brady to force him into quick decisions and errant throws, and especially to prevent Moss from having enough time to get deep downfield. The Patriots' offensive line is one of the best in the business and they probably won't need to max protect much. Phillips said he'd like to get pressure on Brady without have to blitz a lot, wanting to avoid leaving open gaps for Brady to find a receiver. So the Cowboys' defensive linemen and pass-rushers will be expected to win their one-on-one matchups with the Pats' offensive linemen to generate the needed pressure.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has been heralded as a defensive mastermind, especially for his ability to get into quarterbacks' heads. Belichick saw how the Bills confused Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo into throwing five picks this past Monday by disguising coverages and blitzes, and there's no doubt the Patriots will try the same method. Safeties and linebackers may be asked to show blitz and then drop way back into coverage and vice-versa throughout the game, and Belichick is willing to take the risk of leaving a spot of field open for a few seconds for the reward of forcing bad plays.
HEALTH WATCH:
Cowboys
Although he left the game with a thigh contusion, nickel linebacker Kevin Burnett, who only missed a day of practice, is expected to play and is listed as probable. While backup safety and special teams captain Keith Davis (shoulder) stated early in the week he would play this week after missing the last two games, he's questionable for the game and should be a game-time decision despite fully practicing on Friday. Rookie Deon Anderson likely will be the lone fullback dressed for the game since starter Oliver Hoyte (neck), who only had limited participation in practice, is listed as doubtful. Starting wide receiver Terry Glenn (knee), starting cornerback Anthony Henry (ankle) and third-team safety Courtney Brown (biceps) are all listed as out.
Patriots
No one knows how to manipulate an injury report like the New England Patriots, who have 12 players listed as either questionable or probable. Here's the breakdown. Questionable: starting cornerback Asante Samuel (foot), backup corner Randall Gay (thigh), starting running back Laurence Maroney (groin), starting linebacker Adalius Thomas (ankle), starting wide receiver Donte' Stallworth (knee), backup wide receiver Kelley Washington (hamstring), starting center Dan Koppen (ankle), starting left tackle Matt Light (flu), starting right guard Stephen Neal (shoulder) and fourth-team strong safety Mel Mitchell (groin). Backup left tackle Wesley Britt didn't practice due to a team decision. Starting quarterback Tom Brady has been listed as probable for every game this season with a right shoulder injury that doesn't seem to affect him one bit.
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
October 12, 2007 7:15 PM
GAME SET
WHAT: Dallas Cowboys (5-0) vs. New England Patriots (5-0)
WHEN: Sunday, 3:15 p.m. (CDT)
WHERE: Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
TELEVISION: CBS (Jim Nantz and Phil Simms)
BIG ISSUE: Maybe the tight game against the Bills Monday night woke the Cowboys out of cruise control, because they will need to be on their A-game this Sunday when Tom Brady and the New England Patriots visit Texas Stadium. The bad news is the Patriots are at the top of pretty much everyone's NFL power rankings and lead the league in scoring. The good news is the Cowboys can again play off of the underdog mentality that led them to the impressive win over Chicago. The fact they aren't expected to win will only make the Cowboys more hungry, which will probably be the determining factor if the team wants to improve to their first 6-0 start since 1983.
Unlike the Cowboys, who laid it all on the line to eek out a win in Week 5, the Patriots have yet to really be tested in a close game this season, winning each match-up by at least 17 points. The Cowboys are much stouter on both sides of the ball than the previous five New England opponents, and should present a greater challenge than the Pats have faced so far. The Cowboys should come out firing on all cylinders in an effort to put the Patriots where no Patriot has gone this season: In a close game.
NUMBERS, PLEASE: Any true Cowboys fan over the past 10 years knows Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss is a Cowboys-killer, torching Dallas for 675 yards and 10 touchdowns over six games, an average of 112.5 yards and 1.67 touchdowns per game. Against a Wade Phillips-directed defense, however, Moss only averages 78.6 yards and .5 touchdowns over the same amount of games.
Everyone has been so quick to point out the Cowboys' weak schedule over the first five games, but the combined record of the Patriots' opponents is a measly 7-17, a .291 winning percentage. The Cowboys' opponents are only slightly worse, with a combined record of 6-19, with a .240 winning percentage.
ONE-ON-ONE: You could point out any Cowboys offensive lineman and make a key match-up out of whatever Patriot he'll face, but the most intriguing should be Cowboys Pro Bowl center Andre Gurode against Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork, who was seventh in tackles last year for New England. The Patriots will be the first 3-4 team the Cowboys have faced this season, so Gurode will be going head-to-head with a defensive lineman for the first time. It shouldn't be a tough transition though, since Gurode faced a 3-4 defense every day in training camp.
No player in the league has more touchdown catches than the Patriots Randy Moss (seven), and Cowboys cornerbacks Jacques Reeves, starting in the place of the injured Anthony Henry, and Terence Newman will do their best to prevent Moss from padding his stats. Even against Newman, who is the best corner on the team, the 6-foot-5 Moss presents a matchup problem, as both starting corners and nickel corner Nate Jones are sub 6-footers. While he wouldn't be averse to it, Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips said he probably won't have Newman shadow Moss, keeping Newman on the right side. The Cowboys will most likely double Moss wherever he lines up instead, following the strategy used by the Cleveland Browns in Week 5, who held the receiver to three catches for 46 yards. The rest of the secondary better be on its toes as well, however, as the Browns just ended up getting ripped apart by Patriots second receiver Donte' Stallworth and tight end Ben Watson.
SUPPORTING ROLE: It's been a long time since anyone's seen Cowboys linebacker Greg Ellis happy since tearing his Achilles last season, but now the 10th-year veteran says he's feeling as close to normal as he's felt in the last year. Ellis, who's likely to remain in his current role as a nickel pass-rusher, where he's contributed over the past two games, said earlier in the week he feels good enough to play a full load if needed to. The Cowboys would certainly like to utilize his expertise when putting pressure on Brady, and Ellis' role could increase substantially if the Patriots continue to use a lot of three-receiver sets.
With Patriots starting running back Laurence Maroney out for the past two games, backup Sammy Morris has filled in more than capably, rushing for more than 100 yards in both games. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said Maroney will be a game-time decision Monday, but even if Maroney plays, Morris' role would hardly be diminished since he has scored two of his three touchdowns this season coming off the bench and established himself as the goal-line back of the tandem. Few people think as highly of Morris as Phillips, who selected him in the fifth round of the 2000 draft with the Buffalo Bills.
HEADSET GAMES: The Patriots' offense starts and ends with Brady, so the Cowboys want to make Brady's job as hard as possible. That means getting a lot of pressure on Brady to force him into quick decisions and errant throws, and especially to prevent Moss from having enough time to get deep downfield. The Patriots' offensive line is one of the best in the business and they probably won't need to max protect much. Phillips said he'd like to get pressure on Brady without have to blitz a lot, wanting to avoid leaving open gaps for Brady to find a receiver. So the Cowboys' defensive linemen and pass-rushers will be expected to win their one-on-one matchups with the Pats' offensive linemen to generate the needed pressure.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has been heralded as a defensive mastermind, especially for his ability to get into quarterbacks' heads. Belichick saw how the Bills confused Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo into throwing five picks this past Monday by disguising coverages and blitzes, and there's no doubt the Patriots will try the same method. Safeties and linebackers may be asked to show blitz and then drop way back into coverage and vice-versa throughout the game, and Belichick is willing to take the risk of leaving a spot of field open for a few seconds for the reward of forcing bad plays.
HEALTH WATCH:
Cowboys
Although he left the game with a thigh contusion, nickel linebacker Kevin Burnett, who only missed a day of practice, is expected to play and is listed as probable. While backup safety and special teams captain Keith Davis (shoulder) stated early in the week he would play this week after missing the last two games, he's questionable for the game and should be a game-time decision despite fully practicing on Friday. Rookie Deon Anderson likely will be the lone fullback dressed for the game since starter Oliver Hoyte (neck), who only had limited participation in practice, is listed as doubtful. Starting wide receiver Terry Glenn (knee), starting cornerback Anthony Henry (ankle) and third-team safety Courtney Brown (biceps) are all listed as out.
Patriots
No one knows how to manipulate an injury report like the New England Patriots, who have 12 players listed as either questionable or probable. Here's the breakdown. Questionable: starting cornerback Asante Samuel (foot), backup corner Randall Gay (thigh), starting running back Laurence Maroney (groin), starting linebacker Adalius Thomas (ankle), starting wide receiver Donte' Stallworth (knee), backup wide receiver Kelley Washington (hamstring), starting center Dan Koppen (ankle), starting left tackle Matt Light (flu), starting right guard Stephen Neal (shoulder) and fourth-team strong safety Mel Mitchell (groin). Backup left tackle Wesley Britt didn't practice due to a team decision. Starting quarterback Tom Brady has been listed as probable for every game this season with a right shoulder injury that doesn't seem to affect him one bit.
posted by The Gryphon at 8:34 AM
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