After a 34-18 loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football in week 4, a bye week was exactly what the doctor ordered for the Dallas Cowboys. Tony Romo tossed five interceptions, while Bears quarterback Jay Cutler went 18-for-24 for 274 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Losing like that doesn’t sit well with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. If the Cowboys want to avoid a repeat this week, ball security must be the main focus, as Dallas goes on the road to face the 4-1 Baltimore Ravens.
Baltimore has no identity crisis, as what you see is what you will get from John Harbaugh’s squad. The Ravens have traditionally been known for a terrorizing defense, but the addition of a high-flying offense has the Baltimore faithful thinking Super Bowl in 2012.
THE GAME
The Ravens offense ranks in the top 10 in three of the four major offensive categories through five games this season. Quarterback Joe Flacco has been superb, leading a Ravens passing attack that ranks eighth in the league, averaging over 280 yards per game through the air. With the big numbers offensively, some of the pressure has been taken off the Ravens defense. Don’t tell them that, as Baltimore’s defensive unit allowed just six points at Kansas City last Sunday, frustrating Chiefs fans all afternoon. For the Cowboys, they simply need something good to happen. While the Ravens know their identity, the Cowboys are still searching. Dallas ranks 30th in the league in points scored and average just over 67 yards per game on the ground – good for 30th among the 32 NFL teams. While the Cowboys defense has kept Dallas in games this season, the offense has to protect the football, which is exactly what it did not do against the Bears on Monday Night Football.
WHAT TO WATCH
How will Tony Romo respond after throwing five interceptions on primetime? The Cowboys sure hope in a positive way, as Dallas risks falling under .500 through the first five games of the season in a division that is seemingly up for grabs. The issue for the Cowboys within the division is that every team is in the running and has a legitimate shot in 2012. If the Cowboys can’t fix things fast, Jerry Jones could be staring at a last place finish in the NFC East, which would probably signal the end of the Jason Garrett era in Dallas. For the Ravens, the opposite would be at play. Baltimore’s quest for the divisional crown would be in good standing if the Ravens can get off to a 5-1 start, which would set up a major showdown the following week against currently unbeaten Houston.
PREDICTION
According to the most recent week 6 NFL odds, the Ravens are favored by just over a field goal in this one, which actually does have the making of a field goal fest in Baltimore. Both defenses are built for the playoffs, with the Ravens holding the edge on the offensive side of the ball, especially with Ray Rice at running back. If the Cowboys want to win this game, it has to start with running the football, especially to get Tony Romo comfortable. The last thing Dallas wants is to see is Romo throwing it 40-plus times in this one, as it probably means the Cowboys are playing from behind.