Dissecting Most Crucial Matchups in Dallas Cowboys' Week 10 Contest with Jaguars

The Dallas Cowboys have hit the low point of the 2014 season after two straight defeats. The team dropped another home game to the Arizona Cardinals last week with starting quarterback Tony Romo on the sidelines.

In order to bounce back in Week 10, Dallas will have to beat the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars on foreign soil. The game will take place at Wembley Stadium in London, England.

If this game were played two weeks ago, many wouldn’t believe the Jaguars had a fighting chance. However, Jacksonville is playing better of late, and the Cowboys have stumbled. Let’s examine the individual matchups that will determine Sunday’s winner.

Tony Romo vs. Jaguars defense

The most important player on the field will be quarterback Tony Romo. The Cowboys’ leader is expected to return in Week 10 after practicing Thursday.

Lefteris Pitarakis/Associated Press

Dallas competed last week against the Cardinals, but the play of backup Brandon Weeden didn’t give the team a real chance. Too often, Weeden missed open receivers and made poor decisions.

With Romo back in the starting lineup, Dallas’ offense is expected to pick up right where it left off. The Cowboys need Romo to contend for a Super Bowl, so avoiding big hits is a must for the 34-year-old. If he can stay upright, the Cowboys offense should roll.

Anthony Hitchens vs. Denard Robinson

One of the Jaguars' most dynamic players is running back Denard Robinson. The former college quarterback has come into his own this year as an elusive option in the Jacksonville backfield. Last week against the Cincinnati Bengals, Robinson gained 94 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.

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The key to stopping him this week is rookie linebacker Anthony Hitchens. Since the status of Rolando McClain is up in the air, Hitchens will most likely take over in the middle.

The rookie has performed well thus far and will have to continue to do so for Dallas’ defense to be successful Sunday. The linebacking corps has already lost Sean Lee and Justin Durant for the year and will need to lean on guys like Hitchens more often.

DeMarco Murray vs. Johnathan Cyprien

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Since Romo will be returning from another back injury, the Cowboys are likely to feed DeMarco Murray again this week. The NFL’s leading rusher has looked unstoppable this year—until last week when he was held to 79 yards on 19 carries.

The Jaguars defense will not be able to hone in on Murray quite like Arizona did. If Romo is able to play, he should be able to expand upon the 183 passing yards the team had a week ago. Still, Murray will be the focus of the offense and will see the majority of touches.

Jacksonville’s best hope of slowing down the back is safety Johnathan Cyprien. He’s the team’s active leader in tackles since Paul Posluszny went down to injury. Cyprien will need to add to his 62 total tackles this week for the Jags to have a legit chance at winning. He’ll have to be around the line of scrimmage often to force Dallas to make plays through the air.