The Cowboys will win if ...
Tony Romo, making his first start, must play error-free football, and the running game must chew up the clock. The formula has worked before for the Cowboys against Carolina, and it has to work again for the Cowboys to get above .500. The Panthers do not allow many points (18.3 per game), and the Cowboys have to take advantage of opportunities. Defensively, pressuring Jake Delhomme is a must because he will throw the ball up for grabs.
The Panthers will win if ...
Getting off to a fast start would be a plus, because it would make the Cowboys one-dimensional with an inexperienced quarterback. Carolina, sitting at 4-3, needs this game as much as the Cowboys do. Defensive end Julius Peppers has a league-high eight sacks this season and has tormented the Cowboys in the past. With cracks in the Cowboys' confidence, the Panthers must attack on offense – as the New York Giants and Philadelphia have done.
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