With five TD catches, Raghib Ismail has helped compensate for the loss of Michael Irvin.

It looked like the Patriots had found themselves. They were scoring points, and the running game looked like it would start coming along.

Now, as we enter December, the Patriots are fighting to stay alive in the AFC. And the Cowboys and the St. Louis Rams look like the two best teams in the NFC. I don't include the Minnesota Vikings in that category because their defense can't stop anybody.

Looking at possible MVP candidates, Raghib Ismail has meant more to the Cowboys than anybody could have dreamed. He has given them a reliable receiver. Imagine how much better the Cowboys would be if Irvin were healthy.

The Cowboys offense is starting to click. You have to admire Emmitt Smith. He breaks his hand on a Monday night after rushing for 140 yards in the first half, comes back and plays the next week, and then plays the following Thursday on Thanksgiving. Everybody spoke glowingly about Walter Payton, and rightfully so, and the admiration they had for Payton as a football player. But I have that same admiration toward Smith that I did toward Payton. Smith is one of the league's tough guys who doesn't get credit for the perseverance and the toughness he has shown.

The Cowboys have managed to stay in contention with Deion Sanders hurt and Leon Lett out with an eight-game suspension. Now All-Pro guard Larry Allen is sidelined with a sprained right knee and will miss his third straight game Sunday. But now Sanders is coming off 10 days rest and Lett is back in the fold, helping the defense. Allen should be back in the next two weeks for the stretch run.

The Cowboys have to keep pace with the Redskins in the NFC East, but this game is even more critical for coach Pete Carroll and the Patriots. After losing three straight divisional games, there's a good chance the Patriots could quickly fall under .500. They are desperately trying to remain in the thick of the AFC playoff race. Every game takes on greater importance because their hopes of winning the AFC East are gone. They can only hope for a wild-card berth now.

Here are the keys to Sunday night's game for both teams:

Dallas Cowboys
1. Stick with Smith: You won't see anything diffferent from the Cowboys, who run Smith to set up the rest of their offense. The Cowboys may have to play without both Allen and center Mark Stepnoski, who is questionable with a a strained left calf. Still, the Cowboys, with the NFL's second-rated rushing attack, will pound the ball against a New England defense that has been susceptible to the run, giving up more than 111 yards a game.

2. Shots downfield: Look for Troy Aikman to throw deep to his main receiver, Rocket Ismail, at least three or four times in the game. He will be lined up much of the game against All-Pro cornerback Ty Law in one of the game's best matchups. But Smith's running should set up some good play-action opportunities for Aikman to go to the Rocket.

3. Pressure Bledsoe: The Cowboys will come after Bledsoe with their front four, trying to get people in his face. Drew Bledsoe has struggled. Defensively, the front four will bring as much pressure as they can on Bledsoe, who has been sacked 14 times in the last three weeks, disrupting the Patriots' passing game. Teams have taken away the New England running game, making Bledsoe put the ball in the air with little success.

New England Patriots
1. Keep it close It will be important for the Patriots to establish some kind of running game. In their three straight losses, the Patriots have averaged 88 rushing yards. From the outset, they must control the clock better with Terry Allen and Kevin Faulk and make it a 60-minute game. The running game will set up the play-action pass. The Patriots can't go into the third quarter having to throw the football on every down.

2. Play smart: Bledsoe has to take sacks as opposed to throwing interceptions. The onus falls on his shoulders. He has thrown nine interceptions in three weeks. If he doesn't make the big mistakes, the Patriots will have a chance to win. Everybody saw what New England was doing and took it away from them. Bledsoe has begun to look like Brett Favre, trying to throw the ball to make a play and take all the responsibility for the Patriots' fortunes. It's a Catch-22 situation. You want the quarterback to be a standup guy, but you don't want your quarterback to try and do too much. Bledsoe, unfortunately, has tried to force the issue. He must avoid that against the Cowboys.

3. Better tackling: The defense has been the team's most sound unit, but lately the tackling has been pathetic. The good news is that linebacker Ted Johnson is back after missing the first 11 games with a torn biceps muscle. The Patriots will need a quick lift from Johnson to help prevent the Cowboys from making big plays and to help tackle Smith.