4 Reasons Dallas Cowboys Will Light Up Carolina Panthers Defense

Tony Romo has his chance this Sunday to light up the Carolina Panthers.
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The Dallas Cowboys are 2-3 on the season, but the Carolina Panthers' defense stands no chance against Tony Romo Sunday.

While the Cowboys have struggled on offense this year, a pulse was found in Sunday's loss to the Baltimore Ravens. With that loss in mind, a struggling Panther defense is going to do the same Sunday against the Cowboys.

Aside from that, the Cowboys are hungry after they let a win slip through their fingers. Unfortunately for the Panthers, they get the Cowboys next.

Here are four reasons why the Cowboys will light up the Panthers on Sunday.

Dez Bryant

Dez Bryant has had his coming-out party the last two weeks.
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It seems the Cowboys are finally getting everything out of Dez Bryant that they thought they could.

Bryant has impressed over the last two weeks, catching 21 balls for 200 yards and two touchdowns.

Some will point to his drop of the two-point conversion in Sunday's loss to the Ravens. However, without Bryant, the Cowboys probably don't have a chance to win the game.

While there are still some issues that have to be resolved with Bryant, some believe he has turned the corner. All it took was a few good games, and he should be the receiver everyone expects him to be the rest of the way.

Cowboys Passing Game

Tony Romo has passed for at least 250 yards in every game this season.
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Romo may have been picked off at least once in every game (five against Chicago), but he's still getting a lot of passing yards.

While the point totals haven't been there, one has to think that the Cowboys are on the brink of a big game.

With receivers like Bryant, Miles Austin and Jason Witten, Romo has a plethora of targets to throw to.

The biggest question will be can they get it into the end zone?

Plus, you have to remember that running back DeMarco Murray is out. That should add a few more passes over the course of the game.

Poor Carolina Pass Defense

The Panthers rank 19th in passing yards allowed per game.
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The Panthers rank 19th in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game with 249.6.

Cornerbacks Chris Gamble and Josh Morgan are nothing to get excited about, as neither have an interception on the year. In fact, only Captain Munnerlyn has an interception at the cornerback position for the Panthers.

The Panthers have also allowed 625 of 1,248 receiving yards after initial contact. That's close to half. In the NFL, that doesn't get the job done.

While safety play has been decent with Haruki Nakamura and Charles Godfrey, they can't cover No. 1 or 2 receivers. The two best secondary players are safeties; that's not good, as they won't be able to cover No. 1 or 2 receivers on a consistent basis.

What makes this issue even worse is...

Run Defense Is Even Worse

The Panthers had success against the Falcons on the defensive line but have largely struggled ever since.
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Even worse than the pass defense is the rush defense, which is a big reason why the Panthers are 1-4.

Carolina ranks 23rd in the NFL in stopping the opposing team's rushing attack. While the Cowboys won't run as much as they normally do, the few runs they do have will keep Carolina honest.

The Panthers also haven't forced any fumbles this year. In 16 games last year, they caused 10 on rushing attempts.

Their lack of turnovers is a big reason why they're currently 1-4. If they could cause more, then there might be more wins.

Cam Newton can't do it all himself.