Keys for Injury-Riddled Dallas Cowboys to Beat the New York Giants

Coming off another Super Bowl title, with many vital pieces still intact, it should come as no surprise that the New York Giants are favorites tonight against the Dallas Cowboys.

Jay Ratliff has already been ruled out, Jason Witten is doubtful and Michael Jenkins is questionable, meaning there's a chance three former Pro Bowlers won't go for the 'Boys—something that certainly factored into the decisions of the line-makers. 

Dallas has lost four of the last six to its NFC East nemesis, but due to an unparalleled familiarity between the two clubs, many of the games have been tightly contested. 

Odds are against the Cowboys in this season-opening road game, but Tony Romo and Co. mustn't be totally counted out. 

Here are the three keys to Dallas pulling the upset this evening inside MetLife stadium.

Run the Football 

The NFL's all about passing. Tony Romo's coming off his best year since 2007, the Giants' secondary is dealing with any injury to Prince Amukamara and has the relatively inexperienced Michael Coe starting opposite Corey Webster—an exquisite recipe for the Cowboys to feature the passing game tonight, right? 

Wrong. 

Are Dez Bryant and Miles Austin completely healthy? Eh. Witten's out. Oh, and, New York's pass-rushing quartet is unchanged and still one of the most fearsome foursomes in the NFL. 

So, the Cowboys, given the circumstances, must use the Giants' strength against them. 

In their 37-34 loss in Week 14 last year, Dallas ran for 139 yards at 5.8 yards per carry. This second-quarter run by Felix Jones, out of a typical pass formation, will be successful tonight, especially with stalwart Tyron Smith now manning the left tackle spot. 

As you can see, the three-wide set and shotgun placement of Romo says pass. 

Upon the snap, the right guard pulls and the left side of the offensive line sets the edge while the Giants' pass-rushers, expecting pass, attack the quarterback. 

With a powerful lead blocker, Jones was able to utilize his speed, vision and cutting ability to pick up nine yards. 

DeMarco Murray is ready to build off a solid but incomplete rookie year, and he too has the physical talents to gain big chunks of yardage on a run play like this one. 

Move Around DeMarcus Ware

Eli Manning has proven himself to be a remarkable volume passer, especially after a 4,933-yard season in 2011. He scorched the Cowboys for 746 combined yards in their two meetings last year, including a 400-yard masterpiece in the aforementioned 37-34 win. 

With some shuffling across their offensive line, the G-Men's quarterback may be slightly more susceptible to making a bad decision with increased pressure this season. 

Former guard and left tackle David Diehl will play right tackle this season, and veteran Sean Locklear will protect Manning's blind side. 

Ware is arguably the most dominating and physically impressive edge-rusher in the game, and moving him around could cause mass confusion along the Giants' front. 

On a sack in the Week 17 matchup, Ware lined up as the RDE and stunted his way to Manning on a critical third down. 

Later, he beat Diehl with a counter move on a 10-yard sack of Manning in the fourth quarter. 

Ware will have a major impact in this game, but giving him varying favorable matchups will keep Dallas in this game by applying a great deal of pressure on Eli. 

Keep Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr on Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz 

Victor Cruz is so dangerous because he's a capable receiver from the outside and the slot formation. In fact, he especially flourishes in the slot with more space to create separation. Brandon Carr is a fine man-to-man corner, and Claiborne excelled in man coverage at LSU. 

The two were brought in with Cruz and Nicks in mind, you can count on that. 

Therefore, the two cornerbacks should follow both wideouts regardless of where they line up pre-snap. The Cowboys cannot allow Cruz or Nicks to get a favorable matchup against a safety or nickel back, especially if Jenkins can't go. 

They especially cannot leave Cruz with that much real estate in front of him off the line. 

The same goes for Nicks, although Cruz seems to be the wideout the Giants like to place in the slot more often. 

Dallas drafted Claiborne and inked Carr for a reason, tonight's the time to let them get to know Cruz and Nicks. 

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