Dallas Cowboys: 5 Keys to Beating Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts

Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts have struggled this year, but their struggles pale in comparison to the struggles of the Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys have already made a coaching change this season, firing Wade Phillips and replacing him with offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.

The teams seem to be heading in opposite directions, as the Cowboys have won two of their last three and were very competitive against the Saints on Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, the Colts have dropped two in a row and are in second place in the AFC South.

This game is more important to the Colts, but the Cowboys have been playing hard lately, so they can't be written off.

Here are five things the Cowboys must do on Sunday afternoon if they want to pull off the upset.

5. Get a Lead Early

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ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 31: Miles Austin #19 of the Dallas Cowboys runs for yards after the catch against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Cowboys Stadium on October 31, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

With the game being in Indianapolis, it will be key for the Cowboys to take the lead in the first quarter.

That will take the crowd out of the game and make it easier for the Cowboys to hear the snap counts.

That's important because the Cowboys offensive line sometimes struggles with mental errors.

4. Win Field Position

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ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 21: Quarterback Jon Kitna #3 of the Dallas Cowboys scrambles with the ball against tackle Sammie Hill #91 of the Detroit Lions at Cowboys Stadium on November 21, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. The Cowboys beat the Lions 35-19. (Phot

When the Cowboys have to punt on Sunday, it's important that they don't punt from their own end zone.

They need to give Peyton Manning a long field to work with. If he starts around midfield, he'll put up a lot of points on the Cowboys' sometimes suspect defense.

3. Get Dez Bryant The Ball

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MINNEAPOLIS - OCTOBER 17: Wide receiver Dez Bryant #88 of the Dallas Cowboys catches a pass for a touchdown as Lito Sheppard #29 of the Minnesota Vikings misses the tackle during the fourth quarter at Mall of America Field on October 17, 2010 in Minneapo

Dez Bryant has been one of the few bright spots for the Cowboys this year. He always plays hard and makes the smart play.

He's turning into one of the best young receivers in the game, and he's also a very good punt returner.

Bryant will need to have several catches and a couple decent punt returns in order to give the Cowboys a chance to win.

2. Establish a Running Game

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ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 25: Felix Jones #28 of the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys carries the ball after making a reception against the New Orleans Saints at Cowboys Stadium on November 25, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

The Colts don't have a good run defense and haven't had one for a couple years now.

The Cowboys running game hasn't been very consistent this year, though Jason Garrett wants to get it going a little bit more.

He'll have his chance against the Colts. Felix Jones and Tashard Choice need to get going early and often against a porous run defense in order to control the clock and wear down the Colts defense.

1. Pressure Peyton Manning

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NEW ORLEANS - DECEMBER 19: Linebacker DeMarcus Ware #94 of the Dallas Cowboys sacks quarterback Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints at the Louisiana Superdome on December 19, 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Last week, the San Diego Chargers pressured Peyton Manning for most of the game. He appeared rattled, and the Chargers forced him into making some questionable decisions.

The Cowboys have DeMarcus Ware, a pass rusher who is better than anyone the Chargers brought to the table.

Ware will need to collapse the pocket and hit Manning a few times on Sunday. That will allow the Cowboys secondary to get an interception or two.