Dallas offense vs. New England defense

	COWBOYS OFFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	Run	2
	Pass	23
	Tot. Yds.	17
	Scoring	8
	Int's allowed	9
	Sacks allowed	18
	PATRIOTS DEFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	vs. Run	22
	vs. Pass	11
	Total yds. allowed	11
	# of Ints.	12
	# of Sacks	29
	Turnover differential	-1

This is going to be a classic case of a team stacking up against the run, leaving itself exposed to a passing attack that is badly injured and completely out of sync. The Patriots have been struggling lately on defense, but most of the problems stem from little depth at defensive line and linebacker, and an offense that allows the unit little rest and commits too many turnovers, forcing the defense to defend a short field.

The return of Ted Johnson gives the Patriots some depth at the linebacker position and should be a big boost on run defense. Johnson is not completely healthy, but he has shown good strength and speed when practicing over the course of the past two weeks.

The Patriots are going to live and die on run defense. With CB's Steve Israel and Ty Law locked into single-man coverage on WR's Raghib Ismail and Ernie Mills, head coach Pete Carroll is confident that the team will be able to play more eight-man fronts to stop Emmit Smith and the Cowboy running attack. SS Lawyer Milloy will be relieved of most coverage responsibilities on first and second down. The "plug" linebacker will play five-to-seven yards off the ball on the weakside, allowing Ted Bruschi to shift inside, giving rookie LB Andy Katzenmoyer more help between the tackles. The Patriots will be well-equipped to stop the run, which means Dallas is going to have to find a way to throw the ball if they are to match points with New England.

Eight-man fronts generally equate to a lot of pressure on the quarterback. The Patriots have struggled to generate a consistent rush this season and it has resulted in the team working desperately to move DE Willie McGinnest around in formation to give him a clear shot at the quarterback. QB Troy Aikman, in his second start coming off a concussion, is going to have to be sharp and will have to do so with a receiving corps that has very little to offer. Ismail and Mills have been doing just enough to win, but against New England's corners, they are going to have a difficult time shaking free.

Dallas is going to have to get production in the passing game from other areas than the wide out position, and it will start with TE David LaFleur. LaFleur is a presence in the middle of the field and will force the Patriots to use Carter in coverage in order to create better matchup in the middle of the field. LaFluer has the ability to stretch the defense, giving the Cowboy's great production in the middle of the field. Carter is going to be responsible for keying on the tight end and picking him up off the line of scrimmage. If Carter gets caught up in the traffic, the Patriots will be forced to use more zone coverage underneath, taking away from their blitz package to create a pass rush. Dallas is going to have to rely on a short, emergency passing game to neutralize the blitz and catch the Patriots out of position.

The problem for New England is that they have built this offense around Drew Bledsoe's arm, seemingly forgetting that they play in the northeast where a running game is critical late in the season when making a run at the playoffs. Defenses have figured out pressure schemes that have thrown the deep timing routes of New England completely out of sync, and the Cowboys plan on taking a page out of the books of the Dolphins', Jets' and Bills' blitz package in their wins over New England.

The one thing the Patriots are capable of doing is spreading the field with three-and-four receiver sets that will neutralize the Cowboy's blitz significantly. With CB's Kevin Smith and Devin Mathis injured, Dallas has turned to rookie Duane Hawthorne and Charlie Smith in the nickel package to cover teams No. 2 and No. 3 receivers.

Obviously, the Deion Sanders/Terry Glenn matchup is the spotlight, but the difference makers in the contest will be WR's Shawn Jefferson and Troy Brown. Jefferson and Brown are outstanding complimentary receivers that should be able to put a lot of pressure on the Cowboy's secondary down the field. If they create a vertical presence in the passing game, it will force the Cowboys into nickel personnel, keeping SS Darren Woodson in coverage and not up close to the line of scrimmage where he can be a factor in the blitz package.

Another significant aspect of this matchup is the depletion to the Cowboy's secondary. Defensive coordinator Dave Campo is being forced to back SS Darren Woodson off into deep coverage instead of playing him close to the line of scrimmage in run support. Now, instead of going to their "42" defense, which features just four defensive backs and Woodson in the slot against three-receiver sets, the Cowboys are being forced to bring in nickel corner Charlie Williams to cover the slot receiver. The strategic aspect of this personnel change comes when the Patriots decide to spread it out with 3-and-4 receiver sets and run the ball strongside. When Williams comes in nickel situations, the Cowboys are forced to take SLB Darren Hambrick out, which means that the Patriots should be able to run strongside with more consistency than they are used to. The key to this set is the play of Woodson, who is being called upon to play a dynamic roll, not only in coverage but also in run support.

Lee Johnson's punt average continues to plummet with the climate. Johnson is now averaging just 41.6-yards per punt, and 24.0% of his punts have been returnable. Kevin Faulk is now a legitimate threat as a kickoff return specialist. Faulk is averaging 24.1-yards per return and is maturing each week at the position.