Dallas Cowboys: Why Rob Ryan's Defense Will Shut Down Michael Vick

Sunday Night Football this week features the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles hoping to stay afloat in the playoff picture, with Michael Vick going against Rob Ryan's Dallas defense for the first time.

Too often I hear analysts defend why Michael Vick is going to have a great game against a certain team with the argument that "He's Michael Vick." Given, he had a phenomenal 2010 season, but he has failed to live up to expectations for this year.

"He's Michael Vick." The same Vick that has failed to throw for 300 or more yards in all but two games this season. The St. Louis Rams even held him to 187 yards through the air, and Ryan's defense is a whole different beast than what Vick saw against the Rams.

Last year, Jason Garrett's Cowboys did take a loss against Philly in their first meeting of the season, but the defense held Vick to under 300 yards in a game that featured 57 combined points on offense.

2011's squad is playing head-and-shoulders better than the one Vick saw last time he played Big D.

Ryan's defensive unit features linebacker Sean Lee and his 51 tackles and three interceptions, DeMarcus Ware and his eight sacks and the always-dominant Jay Ratliff lining up at nose tackle.

Out of the six quarterbacks Dallas has faced this year, only one has thrown for 300+ yards, that being Mark Sanchez in Week 1.

The Cowboys have also never allowed a QB to throw for more than three touchdowns this season, which is also something Vick has yet to accomplish in 2011.

You can make the argument about the Virginia Tech alum's frightening feet and his rushing capabilities, but this isn't Dallas' first go against Vick, obviously, and Garrett has plenty of tape to look at on Philly's man under center.

Sure, Vick will have some runs that burn the "Boys" defense at some point during the game, but overall, the seventh-ranked defense in the NFL should be able to continue their normal output of producing turnovers and holding opposing quarterbacks in check on Sunday night.