NFL Game of The Week: New England Patriots vs. Dallas Cowboys

Many have called New England the dynasty of this decade. Much like the Niners, Steelers, and Cowboys of yesteryear, the Patriots established their dominance early and never looked back. On Sunday, it all comes to a head as the Pats travel to the Lone Star State to face a new and improved Dallas Cowboys football team. Here's my take on arguably the best game of Week Six.

Why the Patriots are So Good

New England has won due to clutch play calling from their Field General Tom Brady. Brady sat on the sidelines much of his first season in New England, but finally got his start after Drew Bledsoe kept causing pointless turnovers. Since that day, the Patriots have been the reason why the AFC has been so dominant in the past 5 Super Bowls. With the exception of Tampa Bay and Indianapolis, New England has pretty much won every Super Bowl since the turn of the century. With the decade far from over, and the Patriots looking better and better, it's hard to pick against New England in any game. Just ask Peyton Manning.

 
Why the Cowboys are So Good

Not since the days of Troy, Emmitt, and Reverend Michael have the Cowboys looked so dangerous. Even in a mediocre division (not to mention conference) the Dallas Cowboys have been reborned with a sense of purpose and are out to get the NFC some much needed respect. On Sunday, they will look to get that respect against the odds on favorite to once again win the Super Bowl. Replacing Troy is the man known as "Hollywood Hottie," Tony Romo. Replacing Mr. Smith in the backfield is a young Marion Barber. Replacing the Rev is impossible, but Terrell Owens has been doing a pretty good job as his playing has backed up his talking. As far as defense goes, I'd say that Dallas can pretty much run over almost anybody that gets in their way of Lord Lombardi's trophy.

Why the Patriots Win

Simply put: Put the ball in your playmaker's hands. That's how New England beat St. Louis, Philadelphia, and Carolina to lay claim to their three Super Bowl Championships. As long as Tom Brady stays healthy, and his supporting cast does their job, New England can win this game. Problem is that this isn't the same Cowboys team that got beat up on during the post-Johnson era. This team has shown that even with mistakes, they can win ball games. Get the ball to Randy Moss, and let him do what he does best. Maroney can handle the load on the ground just as long as the offensive line gives him some holes to run through. As for Brady, well, you already know how good he is. Even with all the things that are different in his life now, TB has shown that he can lead his team to victory no matter what quarter it is or how far his team is down. If the offense gets the lead, the defense will have to put pressure on Romo. He's not much of a scrambler, and as seen against Buffalo on Monday night, he can make mistakes when he's flushed out of the pocket.

Why the Cowboys Win

More positives and less negatives. The Cowboys will have to win the turnover battle. Romo will have to settle down early and, if necessary, complete some short passes. This is where Barber and even Julius Jones will come in handy. It's also obvious that TO will be double- and possibly triple-covered. The solution: Patrick Clayton. He has surprisingly emerged as a backup receiver in the event that Owens can't get open. The tight ends aren't just blockers anymore in Dallas. They have emerged as clutch players as shown on Monday night. Everyone knows how dangerous Owens is if he gets open. Defense and special teams stepped up in a big way against the Bills, and with all due respect to Wade Phillips, the Bills truly lost that game. For anyone who was wondering how good Nick Folk was, I think two (yes, two) clutch 50-yarders will silence those critics. The defense will be able to apply pressure to Brady, but even then, it will all come down to Romo. To win this game, Dallas will have to keep the turnovers to a minimum and put points on the board every chance they get.

Who Wins

This game is arguably the best one of the season. Here you got two teams who are undefeated. The gut check belongs to Dallas after coming back to win a wild one in Buffalo. The experience belongs to New England because Belichick has been in wild ones before. Special teams has to go Dallas because of their clutch kicker. Defense goes to New England because when Brady needs them to step up, they step up. When Romo needs his offense to perform, they perform. This game promises to be one hell of a shootout, and it could most likely go down to the final two minutes of the game. This is where Brady's game somehow goes up a notch. As for Romo, we already know that he has the maturity to handle deficits, but can he handle it against arguably the best team in the NFL? Two undefeated teams. Two well known quarterbacks. Two outspoken receivers. Something has to give in Big D. And unfortunately for Cowboy fans, today won't be your lucky day. New England's streak continues on Sunday.

Final Score: Patriots 38, Cowboys 30