NFL Week 14: Dallas Cowboys vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Hits will fly in the Steel City as the Dallas Cowboys & Pittsburgh Steelers make their late-season playoff push!

Cowboys vs. Steelers Overview:
With great records of 8-4 and 9-3, respectively, the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers are having great years. Both teams play in highly competitive divisions, and even these records do not guarantee a playoff berth. With the postseason on the line, the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers will be playing what could be one of the best games of the year and basically is a playoff game by itself. Fans with Dallas Cowboys tickets are sure to be on the edge of their seats for all the action.

Dallas Cowboys Offense:
Workhorse RB Marion Barber is nicked up, and Dallas Cowboys tickets will feature rookie RB Tashard Choice shouldering a good bit of the load. This puts more pressure on QB Tony Romo to lead the team to victory. The receiving duo of Roy Williams and Terrell Owens on the outside is really starting to get rolling, and their presence on the outside opens up TEs Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett to gain big yardage. The real advantage the Dallas Cowboys have is their massive offensive line that can dominate any front seven in the NFL with both athleticism and pure size.

Dallas Cowboys Defense:
Fans with Dallas Cowboys tickets have come to love the 3-4 defense as of late as it has won some big games for the team. OLB DeMarcus Ware has 15 sacks on the year and could get more against the Pittsburgh Steelers’ poor offensive line. NT Jay Ratliff might be the best nose man in football and destroys game plans with pressure in the middle. Dallas Cowboys tickets feature ILBs Bradie James and Zach Thomas racking up tackles in the middle of the defense. The Dallas Cowboys secondary gets a boost as CB Pacman Jones returns to join CBs Terrence Newman and Anthony Henry.

Pittsburgh Steelers Offense:
The Pittsburgh Steelers offense is predicated on the run as always, and RB Mewelde Moore seems to be flourishing in the system as he shares carries with a healthy Willie Parker. QB Ben Roethlisberger is not putting up huge numbers this season but is managing the game well as the team goes back to old-school Pittsburgh Steelers football. WR Hines Ward is having one of the best seasons of his career, and young WR Santonio Holmes is also developing into a good deep-threat WR. Slot WR Nate Washington and TE Heath Miller have been big on third downs.

Pittsburgh Steelers Defense:
The 3-4 defense of the Pittsburgh Steelers is the No. 1 defense in the NFL and is coming off a game where it destroyed the New England Patriots. OLBs James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley have combined for 25.5 sacks and are the primary reason the Pittsburgh Steelers defense leads the NFL in taking down the QB. NT Casey Hampton is the anchor of the front seven and eats up multiple blockers on running plays. ILB Lawrence Timmons is progressing to be the future star of the defense. S Troy Polamalu is having a Pro-Bowl year and makes plays at every spot on the field.

Dallas Cowboys Keys to Victory:
Even with RB Marion Barber battling a toe injury, the Dallas Cowboys have to establish the run early. Getting the run going will not only slow the blitz from the outside linebackers but will also bring S Troy Polamalu into the box to defend it. WRs Terrell Owens and Roy Williams both require double coverage, and a reduced pass rush will let Tony Romo dissect the defense like fans with Dallas Cowboys tickets are used to. The key to a Dallas Cowboys victory will be keeping Tony Romo upright and protecting the ball from Troy Polamalu.

The return of CB Pacman Jones to the secondary means that the Dallas Cowboys will be able to blitz more often thanks to good nickelback play. The focus will be on stopping the Pittsburgh Steelers’ running game though. Without the run, the 3-4 of the Dallas Cowboys should have a field day attacking the mediocre Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line, which will send fans with Dallas Cowboys tickets cheering. The Dallas Cowboys rank only behind the Pittsburgh Steelers in total sacks and DeMarcus Ware needs to get in the face of Ben Roethlisberger. NT Jay Ratliff has to have another big game control the line of scrimmage for fans with Dallas Cowboys tickets to see a victory.

Pittsburgh Steelers Keys to Victory:
The Pittsburgh Steelers will continue to ride their stable of running backs as they have for decades, and the pressure is on more now than ever before. The offensive line has been poor against the blitz, and Ben Roethlisberger will be hit many times and probably sacked a good bit as well. The run has been the bane of the Dallas Cowboys all year long and a steady diet of Willie Parker and Mewelde Moore could tire out the defense. Getting NT Jay Ratliff double teamed and pushed into the second level will open up the running lanes and could mean plenty of yardage.

Thanks to the No. 1 run defense in the NFL and the injury to Marion Barber, the Dallas Cowboys’ running game will not be the factor it usually is. The size and talent of the Dallas Cowboys offensive line will present a problem, but the zone blitzes of Dick LeBeau may be able to outmaneuver them. Getting to Tony Romo is the biggest priority of the defense, and the duo of LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison should give Tony Romo nightmares as well as plenty of bruises. The inside blitz of ILB Lawrence Timmons behind NT Casey Hampton could be a good source of sacks and pressure.

Cowboys vs. Steelers Outlook:
The aggressive 3-4 defenses of both teams have won games and sold Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys tickets alike. These aggressive blitzing schemes are run by the legendary Dick LeBeau and the expertise of Wade Phillips, respectively. Each team also has premier pass rushers at the OLB positions, and the two best NTs in football are also featured. Even the ILBs and DEs are remarkably close in ability and style. The Dallas Cowboys secondary has greater talent overall than the Pittsburgh Steelers, but Troy Polamalu could be the best player on the field, and fans with Dallas Cowboys tickets know this.  

The difference maker between the teams is offensive-line protection and quarterbacking. Tony Romo and Ben Roethlisberger are close in talent, but Tony Romo has better protection and weapons to get the ball to. With Ben Roethlisberger being under constant pressure, he will be prone to throwing picks into the greedy Dallas Cowboys secondary. The Dallas Cowboys will simply make fewer mistakes with the football and should turn the ball over less. Fans with Dallas Cowboys tickets will see their team win a hard-fought and close road game.