Tennessee-Dallas, Cowboys to Take Advantage of Gambling Titans

The Cowboys come off the bye week to continue salvaging their season while the Titans try to get back in the winning column after a loss to the Broncos. 

The Titans loss last week makes them .500, but they're still a dangerous team with a dynamic running attack.

Chris Johnson (94 carries, 354 yards and four TDs) said he wants to hit 2,500 yards this season, but so far he's inconsistent. In the Titans four games this season, he's been bottled up twice and had over 125 yards in his two other starts. The Titans will have to stay committed to the run if they want Johnson to be successful this week.

The Cowboys don't give up much on the ground, forcing teams to pass against them. Expect Johnson to get about 30 carries. If the Titans get down quick you will still see Johnson get the ball but it will be in the passing game where he can get guys to miss in the open field. 

Vince Young (47-71, 511 yards, four TDs and two interceptions) hasn't done much in the passing game or in the running game with just 13 attempts for 66 yards. So far this season teams have been daring Young to beat them passing and the Cowboys will be no different. Expect the 'Boys to stack the box and dare Young to throw. 

The Titans might stick with the run for a while, but at some point Young is going to have to throw to Nate Washington or Justin Gage who is questionable for Sunday's game. Young might want to try going to tight end Bo Scaife (10 catches, 107 yards, one TD) who has been reliable so far this season. 

Defensively the Titans are strong. They're ranked in the top 15 in rushing and passing and are tied for first in the league in sacks. Defensive Ends Dave Ball and Jason Babin have combined for seven-and-a-half sacks this season.

In order for the Titans to blitz the Cowboys they'll have to stop the run first. The Cowboys ran the ball with success against the Texans and with the bye week they've been working on way to get Felix Jones the ball. If they Titans can keep the Cowboys under three yards per rush they can sick the dogs on Tony Romo. 

The Titans don't stack the line often  so they'll have to watch the Cowboys on draws as the offensive line loves to get into the second level. They'll also move their linebackers around the line of scrimmage to confuse the Cowboys blocking scheme. 

The secondary is the strength of this defense. Cortland Finnegan and company are physical and have gained the reputation of being dirty. Michael Griffin is a hard hitter and will be looking to take whoever comes across his territory out.

The Titans play a lot of man coverage so they'll have to hope the rush gets to Romo. It could be a long day for the Titans as the Cowboys have a solid receiving core and the Titans like to gamble a lot.

However, if Romo makes mistakes the Titans will capitalize as they were eighth in interceptions last season.  

The Cowboys come into this game trying to keep their season intact. Tony Romo (88-128, 940 yards, four TDs and two interceptions) has been consistent most of the season and should continue that this week. 

However, it'll be up to the offensive line to keep him upright to throw the ball. The line has done a great job since the debacle in Week 1. Kyle Kosier is expected to play which will give the Cowboys their entire starting unit. 

Romo will look for Miles Austin (22 catches, 308 yards and one TD) who wasn't a factor two weeks ago against the Texans. If the defense rolls towards him, expect big games from Dez Bryant and Roy Williams who like to take advantage of defenses underestimating them. 

The running game finally broke through last week as the Cowboys rushed for 101 yards on 27 carries. The Titans, however, are very stingy when it comes to the run. They've allowed just one rushing TD this season. Marion Barber will have to be tough and fight for every yard. Felix Jones will also be in the mix as Jason Garrett has said that they'll try to get more carries for Jones. He will also be used in the passing game on screens and wheel routes.  

Defensively the Cowboys will have to limit Chris Johnson. If they can do that and force the Titans into third-and-long situations, they can bring the house at Vince Young. They'll also have to watch him, however, as if he gets out of the pocket he can be dangerous. 

Anthony Spencer and DeMarcus Ware will run stunts inside to keep Young in the pocket instead of running wild. Head coach Wade Phillips usually doesn't get exotic with his blitzes, but he will throw some different looks at Young on Sunday. 

The Titans do not have great receivers and the Cowboys corners shouldn't have too much trouble keeping them in check. Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick both had solid games against the Texans, keeping Andre Johnson in check. With the bye week they should be ready for Sunday.

Fantasy Impact: Miles Austin. Austin was a non factor two weeks ago with just two catches for 20 yards, but Austin steps up in big games.  With the Finnegan covering him, he should have a good day. 

Finnegan likes to be physical but he also gambles a lot, if Austin can catch a few button-hook routes, then try a double move he can catch Finnegan trying to jump a route. If the Titans roll their coverage towards Austin like the Texans did, expect big games out of Williams and Bryant for the second week in a row.