Dallas offense vs. Arizona defense

	COWBOYS OFFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	Run	5
	Pass	21
	Tot. Yds.	13
	Scoring	4
	Int's allowed	9
	Sacks allowed	16
	CARDINALS DEFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	vs. Run	29
	vs. Pass	10
	Total yds. allowed	19
	# of Ints.	8
	# of Sacks	22
	Turnover differential	-18

There is still an outside chance that QB Troy Aikman will play but it's more likely that backup Jason Garrett will make his second start. The Cowboys didn't scale back their playbook as much as anticipated in last week's victory over Green Bay. Garrett was particularly effective on a route that he normally struggles to complete -- the deep out. Garrett took advantage of some soft coverage on the corners and connected on a couple of big third down throws.

Knowing that he got beat deep repeatedly last week, look for the Cowboys to go after DC Aeneas Williams with big play WR Rocket Ismail. Since Michael Irvin's spinal injury, Ismail has averaged over five receptions per game and should be able to get behind Williams, putting pressure on FS Kwame Lassiter to provide good deep help.

Garrett likes to use his tight ends to draw the safeties up so look for David LaFleur and Eric Bjornson to get more work this week. Bjornson's 32-yard reception against the Packers was the first ball thrown his way in seven weeks and it's no coincidence that it took Garrett to get him the ball.

Arizona's battered defensive line came up with a huge effort last Sunday, sacking Detroit's Gus Frerotte five times. Defensive coordinator Dave McGinnis' latest master scheme has RDE Simeon Rice lining up behind DT Eric Swann on passing downs. The Cards can stunt out of this alignment and it forces offenses to choose which player to block. Swann recorded his first two sacks of the season out of this formation a week ago and he could be in for another big day if Pro Bowl LOG Larry Allen can't play because of a sprained right knee. Rookie Solomon Page would replace Allen in the starting lineup and he must gel with his linemates quickly. Dallas picked up the blitz fairly well against Green Bay, except for a couple of safety blitzes off the edge. If McGinnis can't get pressure from his front four, he likes to bring OLB Rob Fredrickson because of his ability to rush from virtually every angle.

If Garrett starts, look for the Cowboys to establish the run early with RB Chris Warren. Dallas went with more two-tight end formations last week because LaFleur and Mike Lucky are solid at sealing off the edge, which enables Warren to bounce outside. Warren started fast last week, piling up 46 yards on 10 carries in the first quarter. If Warren's fumbling problems persist, Dallas coach Chan Gailey won't hesitate to insert bruiser Robert Chancey, who rushed for 57 yards in the second half against the Packers.

Arizona's run defense was outstanding a week ago, holding the Lions to just 42 yards on the ground. The Cardinals need another strong outing from backups like Corey Sears if they are to duplicate their Week 4 performance against the Cowboys, in which they held Emmitt Smith & Co. to just 114 yards on 39 carries (2.9 avg.).

The Cowboys completely manhandled the Packers up front, holding All-Pro Dorsey Levens to just 31 yards on 15 carries. The return of DT Leon Lett significantly upgrades defensive coordinator Dave Campo's unit because it enable him to rest starters Chad Hennings and Alonzo Spellman. Look for Campo to work Lett into the rotation more frequently this week, especially if Spellman continues to be flagged for stupid personal foul penalties.

QB Dave Brown is beginning to feel more comfortable with the Cards' system and it shows by the number of times he took shots downfield against the Lions. Brown connected with three different receivers for gains of 30 yards or more -- the first time a Cardinal QB has accomplished that feat in 99 games.

The last time these two teams met, Brown and Jake Plummer combined to throw four interceptions but that should change this week against an injury-riddled secondary. The injury to nickel safety Izell Reese has forced SS Darren Woodson to stay at his safety spot and backup DC Charlie Williams now covers the slot. This greatly impacts Dallas' blitz packages because Woodson, an adept pass rusher, is no longer playing near the line of scrimmage.

The Cowboys sacked Brett Favre only three times last week but they were constantly in his face, forcing him to throw off his back foot. Favre's cannon arm allows him to get away with mechanical mistakes but Brown won't have the same fortune if he is pressured.

Look for the Cards to get their three receivers on the field as much as possible in order to spread the field and expose a thin defensive backfield. If Brown continues to go deep, good things will happen for this offense. Rookie WR David Boston is finally gaining a solid grasp of the system and can now be relied upon for big plays. Boston has nice deep acceleration and could run past hobbled RDE Deion Sanders the same way Green Bay's Corey Bradford did last Sunday.