Cowboys vs. Giants: Dallas Will Secure NFC East with a Win

The Dallas Cowboys have had a bit of an up-and-down December, but Sunday marks the New Year and the 'Boys will start 2012 off with a division crown.

Dallas may have just one win this month, but the Cowboys have overcome adversity a few times this season already. They were able to get victories against the NFC West champion San Francisco 49ers and archrival Washington Redskins with a banged-up Tony Romo at the helm.

The New York Giants may be a talented football team, but the Cowboys realize this game will define their 2011 season and they will win on Sunday night.

Rob Ryan's Defense Steps Up

After a stellar start to his first year as defensive coordinator in Big D, Rob Ryan's defense had a bit of a swoon halfway through the year, but it seems Ryan is turning things around at the right time.

The Dallas D has held its opponents to less than 21 points for back-to-back weeks. The Philadelphia Eagles offense that once torched Ryan's unit was held to just two touchdowns and two field goals last Sunday with plenty of opportunities as the Cowboys offense was ineffective all game.

Though the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are no Eagles on offense this year, they too were shut down offensively for most of the day against Dallas' defense, scoring just 15 points that day.

The last matchup between the New York Giants and Cowboys was a shootout, but I think Ryan has made strides with his players since last game. They'll at least slow down Eli Manning and company enough to allow the 'Boys offense to put up more points than the G-Men.

Tony Romo Will Continue Hot Streak

The phrase "Romo-Coaster" was made famous by the media earlier this season, but Tony Romo has been nothing short of consistently excellent since the start of November.

Romo has had just two interceptions compared to his 18 touchdowns over this period, along with just two games with less than 250 yards passing.

The Cowboys QB posted a near-perfect game against the Giants the last time these two played, with four touchdowns and 321 yards through the air. 

Dallas needs to have its offense clicking on all cylinders if it wants the NFC East title, and Romo will continue to do his part to make that happen come this weekend.

Cowboys Offense Will Take It to Giants Defense

Though the team came up on the losing end against New York, the Cowboys were able to move the ball seemingly at will against the Giants defense for almost the entire contest.

The running game was clicking, with Felix Jones posting 106 yards on the ground while Laurent Robinson, Miles Austin and Dez Bryant all caught touchdown passes from Tony Romo.

Robinson was especially effective, grabbing four balls for 137 yards receiving on the day, while Austin moved the chains time and time again with four receptions for 63 yards.

Dallas needs to put up big numbers like the ones it was able to post in its first meeting with Big Blue if it wants to be wearing the division champion hats and T-shirts at the end of the game.

Eli Manning Plays Less Than Elite

Eli Manning has been having a great bounceback to his 2010 campaign, with a 90.3 passer rating and 26 touchdowns. That being said, much of that success hasn't been visible in the past few weeks. 

Against both the Washington Redskins and New York Jets in back-to-back weeks, Manning has been unable to throw more touchdowns than interceptions.

The former Ole Miss quarterback turned the ball over three times against division rival Washington in a stunning loss. He then followed that performance up with a game against the Jets, when he threw another interception and posted just nine completions on 27 attempts.

Manning has turned the ball over in every game the Giants have played since the start of November, and if Dallas can force a few of those come Sunday night, it gives Romo and company more opportunities to post points.

Dan Bailey Comes Through

Dan Bailey has had one of the most stressful, yet effective rookie campaigns for a kicker in recent memory.

Bailey has kicked more than his share of game-winning field goals for the Cowboys, but has cost them two games over the past month alone.

The rookie kicker has made 32 of his 36 attempts this season and if called upon, he'll need to convert every attempt Sunday night.

Bailey has had more than enough time to hear the media criticize him and think about how to overcome his recent inability to make a field goal after being "iced." Look for the Dallas kicker to come poised and prepared to contribute when needed.