NFL Week 9: Houston Texans vs. New York Giants

Dallas Cowboys must weather the ultimate pass rush against the New York Giants in NFL Week 9.

Cowboys vs. Giants Overview:
The war for the top spot in the NFC East truly begins as the Dallas Cowboys roll into the Meadowlands to take on the New York Giants. Fans with Dallas Cowboys tickets are rightly concerned about their injury-plagued team going against the awesome pass rush of the New York Giants. Even with Tony Romo and Pac-Man Jones in the lineup, this battle would take all the Dallas Cowboys could muster. With a thin secondary and no Tony Romo, the Dallas Cowboys find themselves as the underdogs for the first time this season.

Dallas Cowboys Offense:
With Brad Johnson at the helm, the Dallas Cowboys offense is not the dynamic force it is with Tony Romo but is still filled with weapons. The duo of WRs Terrell Owens and Roy Williams has quickly developed into one of the best combos in the NFL and scatters the defense. TE Jason Witten is beaten up but will play through the pain. The favorite player of fans with Dallas Cowboys tickets is RB Marion Barber. With the heart of a lion, Marion Barber takes the fight to the opponents and has carried the Dallas Cowboys in the absence of Tony Romo.

Dallas Cowboys Defense:
The 3-4 defense of the Dallas Cowboys has gained a new aggressiveness thanks to the extra involvement of 3-4 genius Wade Phillips. OLB DeMarcus Ware is second in the NFL in sacks and will be turned loose by Wade Phillips with OLB Greg Ellis also coming off the edge. NT Jay Ratliff has been a monster in the run game but gets more pressure on the passer than any NT in the NFL. ILBs Bradie James and Zach Thomas have become leaders in the Dallas Cowboys defense. The Dallas Cowboys secondary has been decimated with S Ken Hamlin being the only constant.

New York Giants Offense:
Eli Manning may sell New York Giants tickets, but behemoth RB Brandon Jacobs has been the key offensive player for the New York Giants. The size of a lineman, Brandon Jacobs crushes linebackers and defensive backs in the open field and wears down defenders. QB Eli Manning has a strong trio of WRs in Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer, and Steve Smith, who perform all their roles admirably. TE Kevin Boss has been a wildcard weapon as well. New York Giants tickets feature one of the best offensive lines in football.

New York Giants Defense:
Fans with New York Giants tickets know that the defense is their key to victory. With the unmatched pass-rush system of the New York Giants 4-3 defense, QBs never have more than a few seconds to make throws. DEs Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka are the leading sack masters, but DTs Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield also rack up the hits on the QB. MLB Antonio Pierce is the defensive leader of the New York Giants and is a monster against the run. The New York Giants secondary is not the best, but the pressure up front easily protects it.

Dallas Cowboys Keys to Victory:
The pass will not defeat the New York Giants, especially not the attack led by Brad Johnson. The Dallas Cowboys offensive line is huge and built for the run, so the Dallas Cowboys must lean on Marion Barber more than ever. An established run can keep the New York Giants pass rush at bay for a little bit and could open up some lanes. TE Jason Witten will have great success against the New York Giants linebackers if he is healthy. Terrell Owens and Roy Williams should be able to dominate but the combination of Brad Johnson and the pass rush limits them.

Injuries to CBs Terrance Newman and Anthony Henry, along with the losses of Pac-Man Jones and SS Roy Williams, have left the Dallas Cowboys all-star secondary depleted. To protect it, the Dallas Cowboys must blitz and then blitz some more on passing downs. The quick offensive line of the New York Giants and the power of Brandon Jacobs will be difficult to stop, but NT Jay Ratliff can wreck it all with penetration. If the run can be stopped, then Wade Phillips can send DeMarcus Ware and Greg Ellis after Eli Manning.

New York Giants Keys to Victory:

Against the 3-4 defense of the Pittsburgh Steelers, RB Brandon Jacobs did not gain many yards, but his bruising size ran down the quick defense. The New York Giants know that the Dallas Cowboys have been weak against the run, and they will ride their huge pony. The New York Giants offensive line protected Eli Manning against the blitzes of the Pittsburgh Steelers and allowed no sacks. If they can shut out DeMarcus Ware and let Eli Manning get comfortable, then the Super Bowl MVP can pick apart the injured Dallas Cowboys secondary.

The New York Giants pass rush got to Ben Roethlisberger 16 times and sacked him five times, even with a strong running game. The Dallas Cowboys have a far-superior offensive line, but Brad Johnson is not even close to Big Ben in talent. Marion Barber must be stopped in order for the New York Giants to truly implement their pass rush. Brad Johnson is prone to interceptions, and pressure in his face will force plenty of them. The New York Giants cannot go one-on-one with Terrell Owens and Roy Williams so plenty of zone will be called for.

Cowboys vs. Giants Outlook:

The Dallas Cowboys played the New York Giants three times in 2007 and defeated them twice. Going back to the 1980s and 1990s, the Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants match up has always been powerful offense vs. outstanding defense. This trend continues as the record-setting New York Giants pass rush meets the Dallas Cowboys wild offense. The lack of Tony Romo is a big letdown to fans with Dallas Cowboys tickets and takes away a huge factor in this classic rivalry. Both the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys are Super Bowl contenders.

Before the injury to Tony Romo and the problems in the Dallas Cowboys secondary, this game would be too close to call. With Tony Romo on the sidelines, the passing attack of the Dallas Cowboys is non-existent. The front seven of the New York Giants is having fits just thinking about Rob Johnson in their path. The rivalry between fans with Dallas Cowboys tickets and fans with New York Giants tickets is almost as powerful as the rivalry between the two teams. The Meadowlands will be rocking with fans with New York Giants tickets seeing their defense earn them the victory.