Cowboys Offense vs. Rams Defense:
The match-up that I think is going to be key is Flozell Adams vs. Leonard Little. Flozell Adams is coming off one of his worst games in a while. He's going to have to get after Leonard Little, who is more than a capable pass-rusher. If Flozell Adams doesn't get Little blocked, Brad Johnson could be in for a long day.
Rams Offense vs. Cowboys Defense:
The Cowboys will have to contain Dante Hall, who is really more of a special teams guy. But he can flip the field and cause a short field. We know, even though the Rams have been stagnant on offense, they do have three weapons - Marc Bulger who has been to the Pro Bowl, and of course Steven Jackson and Torry Holt. So if you give these guys a short field, I think they can put some points on the board real quick. For the Cowboys, they didn't have a good week on special teams. They have to get mad about what happened last week. Datne Hall returns both punts and kickoffs. The Rams are going to try to use him to make some big plays on the Cowboys. If you heard Cardinals coach Ken Wisenhunt, they said they had seen some things on tape they thought they could hit on the Cowboys last week and they weren't surprised when they blcoekd the punt. The Rams are going to see the same things. They think they're guy - Dante Hall - is probably better than Arizona's J.J. Arrington.
The Cowboys Win If . . .
They run the football and tackle on special teams. They have to take advantage of the Rams' secondary. They don't have a lot of experience. They give up big plays. With Roy Williams and Terrell Owens both in the mix, you can take advantage of that Rams' defense. But it really starts by running the football. Marion Barber has to play big. And on special teams, they have to make the tackle. If Brad Johnson is the quarterback this week, you have to make sure and protect him enough where he isn't running outside the pocket. If Brad is forced outside the pocket, he will get chased down. He's not a very mobile guy. Keep him upright and the Cowboys will score 35 points.
The Rams Win If . . .
They rush for more than 125 yards from Steven Jackson. That will do a couple of things. It will give the Rams more confidence, but it will also cause the Cowboys to bring more pressure. The Rams will then want to throw the ball on guys like Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick. If you can't stop the run and allow the Rams to run wild, it's going to force you do some things that make you more vulnerable in the passing game. You don't want to put your young corners in that position.
Larry's Pick:
I think the Cowboys bounce back this week behind Brad Johnson and beat the Rams, 28-10.
Larry's Favorite Rams Memory:
When I think about the Rams, I think about facing wide receiver Henry Ellard. He was just an incredible route-runner. He ran with precision. Everyone talked about it. It was always difficult. He didn't need much room to get open. I would say Ellard, Jerry Rice and Michael Irvin are probably the best pure route-runners that played the game. I got an understanding that speed doesn't matter when you run great routes. You get in and out of your breaks. The DB could have you covered, but a great route runner can get open quicker and that's what Henry Ellard brought.
