NFL Week 5: Dallas Cowboys vs. Cincinnati Bengals

The Cowboys look to rebound while the Bengals try to right the ship

Cowboys vs. Bengals Overview:

Two teams that could not be more different meet for what is sure to be a high-flying battle of offenses and egos. The Dallas Cowboys are 3-1 and could be the best team in the NFL, even with a hard loss to the Washington Redskins. The Cincinnati Bengals are 0-4 and are hurting in both the standings and the depth chart. With Terrell Owens on the Dallas Cowboys and Chad Ocho Cinco (Johnson) on the Cincinnati Bengals, a war of words is sure to be a great story to follow. 

Dallas Cowboys Offense:

The Dallas Cowboys received their first loss of the season because they abandoned the run game. The Dallas Cowboys will not make this mistake again and will have their running attack in full force with RBs Marion Barber and Felix Jones. The gigantic offensive line of the Dallas Cowboys is built for the run game, and the two tireless backs wear down defenses. QB Tony Romo should have plenty of time to hit his favorite targets in WR Terrell Owens and TE Jason Witten. WR Miles Austin is also becoming a great weapon for Tony Romo.

Dallas Cowboys Defense:

Outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware has had a sack in seven-straight games and is the basis for the Dallas Cowboys 3-4 defense. DeMarcus Ware is the best pure player on the defense and cannot be stopped by one blocker. Veteran LBs Greg Ellis and Zach Thomas are still playmakers and difference makers. NT Jay Ratliff has become a monster on the front of the defensive line and deserves thanks for much success. The Dallas Cowboys secondary has three great cornerbacks in Terrence Newman, Anthony Henry, and Pacman Jones.

Cincinnati Bengals Offense:

The Cincinnati Bengals offense has been in flux and not in a good way. Superstar QB Carson Palmer is out with injury and backup QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has a turnover machine against the Cleveland Browns in week 4. WR Chad Johnson (now legally Chad Ocho Cinco) is one of the best in the NFL but has suffered from the injury to Carson Palmer. WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh has really stepped up his game and usually pairs well with Ocho Cinco. RB Chris Perry has become a starter and shows true potential to be a franchise back.

Cincinnati Bengals Defense:

Rookie OLB Keith Rivers is already a leader on the Cincinnati Bengals defense and is a pure athlete. DE Antwan Odom is the best player on the Cincinnati Bengals defensive line and gets help from DT Domata Peko who is a good run stopper. MLB Dhani Jones is playing great so far and leads the Cincinnati Bengals in tackles. CBs Leon Hall and Jonathan Joseph are a great young duo, but Joseph has been battling nagging injuries. S Chinedum Ndukwe is another Cincinnati Bengals player with great potential.

Dallas Cowboys Keys to Victory:

The gigantic offensive line of the Dallas Cowboys has the ability to push defensive linemen all the way back into the linebacking corps. The domination at the line of scrimmage and beyond will allow Marion Barber and Felix Jones to explode into the secondary. Felix Jones and Marion Barber will be the best friends of Tony Romo if they can get into a rhythm and stop the pass rush. Terrell Owens will have to contest with CB Leon Hall, but he should have no problem beating the mediocre safety coverage. Jason Witten vs. Keith Rivers will be an intriguing matchup.

The Dallas Cowboys defense likes to blitz, and they certainly aren’t going to call the dogs off of backup QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. OLB DeMarcus Ware will be all over the field and attacks the offensive line at various places. The great secondary of the Dallas Cowboys should stick to Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh well and the passing lanes could get very small. NT Jay Ratliff must play well to open up holes for ILBs Zach Thomas and Bradie James to make plays on fumble-prone RB Chris Perry.

Cincinnati Bengals Keys to Victory:

The Washington Redskins ran into the teeth of the Dallas Cowboys and had good success. With Carson Palmer out, the Cincinnati Bengals will try to do the same with RB Chris Perry. Not only will the running game gain yards, but it could also keep OLB DeMarcus Ware off of QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. The backup QB will have to be careful with the football to prevent throwing into the interception-hungry Dallas Cowboys defense. Chad Johnson should have success against Terrance Newman one-on-one.

The Cincinnati Bengals will have a tough task stopping the Dallas Cowboys offense, but they know that stopping Felix Jones and Marion Barber will be the first step. The Washington Redskins shut down the run of the Dallas Cowboys and beat them. The Cincinnati Bengals will hope that DE Antwan Odom lives up to his paycheck in both rushing the passer and playing the run. OLB Keith Rivers has the job of trying to stop Jason Witten and certainly has the athletic ability to cover the Dallas Cowboys X-factor.

Cowboys vs. Bengals Outlook:

On paper, the Dallas Cowboys appear to have the ability to run away with the win, but the loss to the Washington Redskins opens up doubts about the total superiority of the Dallas Cowboys. Chad Johnson will be at the top of his game to best Terrell Owens in not only a war of words but on the field as well. The Cincinnati Bengals have the passing system and talent to defeat the Dallas Cowboys and the defense is much improved.

The Dallas Cowboys may be just too strong for the injury-riddled Cincinnati Bengals. Carson Palmer and Chad Ocho Cinco vs. Tony Romo and Terrell Owens could have been a battle for the ages, but the lineup for the game is very different and so is the outcome of the game. Ryan Fitzpatrick is no Carson Palmer, and the heat from the Dallas Cowboys will be on him all day. The Cincinnati Bengals will fight hard but do not have a leader on the offensive side of the ball to take the victory.