Statistically speaking, Cowboys-Steelers a marquee matchup
By TED MADDEN / WFAA-TV
The Dallas Cowboys have spent the last two games showing that their offense is back and one of the best in the league. They scored a combined 69 points against San Francisco and Seattle, but it gets a lot harder this week.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have the league's top ranked defense.
"The thing that makes them so good is they have good personnel, but their scheme is different. You don't see it every week, you don't see it very often," quarterback Tony Romo said. "They're just different from any team we play and you have to watch a lot of film to prepare for a team like this."
The Steelers rank first in several defensive categories, including sacks and points allowed.
"They're number one against the pass because of that front seven. They're number one against the run because of that front seven," said wide receiver Roy Williams. "So what I'm saying is, we have to eliminate that front seven, which is going to be hard to do, but we got five guys who can do it and I believe that with all my heart."
Statistics never tell the whole story.
Now that's not to say Pittsburgh doesn't have a great defense - they do. But they've also benefitted from two games against division foe Cincinnati, the worst offense in the NFL.
When Pittsburgh faces the Cowboys Sunday, they'll be seeing one of the best.
Dallas' offensive rankings are pretty solid across the board. They average 356 yards per game, good for eighth in the league.
The Cowboys rank sixth in passing and they're the eighth best scoring team in the NFL.
But take out those three games that Romo missed and the Cowboys shoot up the rankings significantly -- second in total yards, fourth in passing and second in scoring.
"We can't go in there and underestimate 'em or overestimate 'em," said wide receiver Terrell Owens. "I think we know what we can do when we play how were capable of playing."
"If your team's doing any good at all, you're going to play in games like these," Romo said. "I think this is an exciting time for us to see what we can do in a big game, in a tough environment against a great football team. It's going to be fun."
The Dallas Cowboys have spent the last two games showing that their offense is back and one of the best in the league. They scored a combined 69 points against San Francisco and Seattle, but it gets a lot harder this week.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have the league's top ranked defense.
"The thing that makes them so good is they have good personnel, but their scheme is different. You don't see it every week, you don't see it very often," quarterback Tony Romo said. "They're just different from any team we play and you have to watch a lot of film to prepare for a team like this."
The Steelers rank first in several defensive categories, including sacks and points allowed.
"They're number one against the pass because of that front seven. They're number one against the run because of that front seven," said wide receiver Roy Williams. "So what I'm saying is, we have to eliminate that front seven, which is going to be hard to do, but we got five guys who can do it and I believe that with all my heart."
Statistics never tell the whole story.
Now that's not to say Pittsburgh doesn't have a great defense - they do. But they've also benefitted from two games against division foe Cincinnati, the worst offense in the NFL.
When Pittsburgh faces the Cowboys Sunday, they'll be seeing one of the best.
Dallas' offensive rankings are pretty solid across the board. They average 356 yards per game, good for eighth in the league.
The Cowboys rank sixth in passing and they're the eighth best scoring team in the NFL.
But take out those three games that Romo missed and the Cowboys shoot up the rankings significantly -- second in total yards, fourth in passing and second in scoring.
"We can't go in there and underestimate 'em or overestimate 'em," said wide receiver Terrell Owens. "I think we know what we can do when we play how were capable of playing."
"If your team's doing any good at all, you're going to play in games like these," Romo said. "I think this is an exciting time for us to see what we can do in a big game, in a tough environment against a great football team. It's going to be fun."
posted by The Gryphon at 8:46 PM
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