September 15th, 2007 2:21 am
by Pro Set
Dallas @ Miami 4:05pm ET on FOX
DAL -3.5
MIA +3.5
This interconference imbroglio is a tough read. Dallas comes in with an offence that had its way last Sunday night. On the road, and without injured WR Terry Glenn, the Cowboys will need to run the ball well to win. The onus will be on the interior line of Dallas to handle DT Keith Traylor and DT Vonnie Holliday. This presents a big opportunity for G Leonard Davis to provide a dominant display of run-blocking. If it is a warm day, the ageing Dolphins can be worn down quickly by the tandem of RB Julius Jones and RB Marion Barber. Clearly Miami will want to make QB Tony Romo feel pressured to force the ball to WR Terrell Owens and TE Jason Witten. Last Sunday night Romo threw a crucial, but, ultimately, not fatal, INT late in the game that allowed the Giants to close in when he simply did not see a defender dropping into the hook route. So the Dolphins will be well advised to bring LB Zach Thomas and LB Joey Porter up to fake the blitz, and drop them underneath Witten. Remember that Romo won the starting job last season because QB Drew Bledsoe was pilloried for hanging onto the ball too long and taking sacks. Romo will tend to throw under pressure instead of eating it. So if the Dolphins can get pressure with just the front four (especially DE Jason Taylor) then they must be ready for turnover opportunities.
When Miami has the ball, expect Dallas to bring overload pressure on QB Trent Green. No one fears Trent Green on the scramble. Dallas S Roy Williams is at his best close to the line of scrimmage. The best way to avoid WR Chris Chambers putting on a display similar to the last meeting of these teams is pressure on the passer. Expect Dallas CB Terence Newman to try to play, but his injured foot might cost him a step in coverage. This will further compel Dallas to minimise coverage time by blitzing. This is where Dallas has an advantage because I can’t see the Miami backs effectively picking up DeMarcus Ware. This is important because Trent Green will often fumble when sacked. If I were MIA coach Cam Cameron I would be inserting lots of screens and lead draws into this week’s playbook to slow the blitz and to exploit the absence of NT Jason Ferguson by running up the middle on the 3-4 DAL defence.
The bottom line here is that if MIA cannot run the ball well, the fate of the game will rest on the pocket presence of Trent Green. I think that MIA will come with running formations and personnel, and will try to pass on 1st down to avoid the blitz. For Dallas, this is a winnable game that will require a more disciplined approach than last week’s wild play. DAL will be hard to beat if they lead early. But DAL also has the weapons to overcome a deficit.
Prediction: DAL
Line: DAL
Posted in Cam Cameron, Chris Chambers, Dallas Cowboys, DeMarcus Ware, Drew Bledsoe, Jason Witten, Joey Porter, Julius Jones, Keith Traylor, Leonard Davis, Marion Barber, Miami Dolphins, NFL, NFL Coaches, NFL Franchises/Teams, NFL Game Previews, NFL on FOX, NFL on television, Roy Williams (DAL), Terence Newman, Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn, Tony Romo, Trent Green, Uncategorized, Vonnie Holliday, Zach Thomas | No Comments »