Game 6: Cowboys at Cardinals

Since the Cardinals moved from St. Louis to Arizona (calling themselves the Phoenix Cardinals for five years in the process), the Cowboys have dominated them, winning all but 10 of the 33 games they've played against Arizona. For 41 seasons, from 1961 to 2001, the two teams played each other twice a season since they were in the same division. Since being moved to the NFC West in 2002, the Cardinals have played the Cowboys four times, winning only once. Dallas holds the series lead by a large margin, 55-28-1.

The 1988 season was the Cardinals' first playing in Arizona, having moved from St. Louis after the Cowboys had faced them for their first 28 years while located in St. Louis. Their first home game in Sun Devil Stadium was against the Cowboys, and that did not end on a high note for them. The Cardinals (called the Phoenix Cardinals at the time) may have moved to a different locale and may have been playing in front of a larger crowd, but they still couldn't stop Cowboys running back Herschel Walker, who had 161 all-purpose yards. The game was actually up for grabs, the Cowboys leading only 10-7 going into the fourth quarter. With Walker's help, Dallas engineered a 13-play, 81-yard drive lasting nearly five minutes, ending it with a touchdown on a sneak by Cowboys quarterback Steve Pelluer. The Cardinals weren't done, though, as Phoenix quarterback Neil Lomax threw a touchdown pass to teammate (and future Cowboys tight end) Jay Novacek, closing the margin to three points with just as many minutes left on the clock. But the Cardinals would perish at the feet of Walker, who ran the ball on eight of the final nine plays before the final gun sounded.

The Cardinals and the Cowboys look very much the same... on paper. The Cowboys have scored 151 points to the 147 of the Cardinals. The Cowboys defense has given up 111 compared to the 120 by the Cardinals. Dallas is undefeated on the road and Arizona is undefeated at home.

Tony Romo currently holds the longest streaks with an interception, going back to last season with 8 consecutive games. DeMarcus Ware holds a consecutive game streak, too. He's sacked the QB for 8 straight games.

Cardinals to Watch:

• Kurt Warner: 127-183 for 1472 yards. He has 10 TDs and 4 Ints along with 12 sacks.
• Edgerrin James: 92 carries for 334 yards with 3 TDs
• Tim Hightower: 36 carries for 110 yards with 5 TDs
• Larry Fitzgerald: 31 catches for 467 yards with 4 TDs
• Anquan Boldin: 27 catches for 366 yards with 5 TDs and one lost fumble.
• Travis LaBoy: 17 tackles, 4 sacks and one forced fumble.

Cowboys to Watch:

• Tony Romo: 104-162 for 1368 yards. He has 11 TDs with 5 Ints and 4 sacks.
• Marion Barber: 93 carries for 395 yards with 4 TDs and one lost fumble.
• Felix Jones: 27 carries for 244 yards with 3 TDs; 15 KO returns for 412 yards and 1 TD.
• Jason Witten: 35 catches for 442 yards with 2 TDs
• TO: 19 catches for 331 yards with 5 TDs
• DeMarcus Ware: 26 tackles, 2 for a loss, and 5 sacks.
• Adam Jones: 20 tackles, one forced fumble, and 6 pass deflections.

Forecast: This is going to be a tough game. If Romo plays in this game the way he played last Sunday, it could spell out to be an Arizona victory. Still, the Cowboys find ways to win. And what is weird is how the media is talking about this team as if they are 1-4 and not 4-1. I told my wife the other day that if the Cowboys don't beat their opponent by 30 points every week, they just aren't good enough for the media around here. They're good enough for me, though. And I think they walk into the Cardinals house with the swagger that a 4-1 team should have and walk out 5-1. Score: 34-31, Cowboys.

Note: Cowboys go into fourth quater trailing and win it there.

Home Plate