Cowboys-Falcons: How they match up
10:41 PM CST on Friday, December 15, 2006
By TODD ARCHER / The Dallas Morning News
| WHEN THE COWBOYS RUN |
| EDGE:  | Atlanta DT Grady Jackson is tough to move, which is a reason only three running backs have eclipsed 100 yards vs. Atlanta this year. Julius Jones looked like he had a spring in his step last week vs. New Orleans before the score got out of hand. |
| WHEN THE COWBOYS PASS |
| EDGE: | How does Tony Romo respond after last week? Facing the league's 31st-ranked pass defense should help. But the Falcons can get after the quarterback, especially John Abraham. Terry Glenn is coming off his first 100-yard game of the season and faces hit-or-miss CB DeAngelo Hall. |
| WHEN THE FALCONS RUN |
| EDGE:  | Atlanta is the only team with two 900-yard rushers (Warrick Dunn and Michael Vick) and its third runner, Jerious Norwood, has a lot of speed. But Dunn and Norwood are battling injuries. In the last two games, the Cowboys have shown vulnerabilities against the run. |
| WHEN THE FALCONS PASS |
| EDGE: | Vick has completed only 51.8 percent of his passes and has 15 TD passes and 10 interceptions. His receivers lead the league in drops, and he has been sacked 35 times. The biggest worry for the Cowboys is TE Alge Crumpler, who is Vick's go-to guy in tough situations. The Cowboys must get Vick into obvious passing situations. |
| SPECIAL TEAMS |
| EDGE: | Martin Gramatica has missed two field goal attempts in two games with the Cowboys, but coach Bill Parcells said he is not concerned. Allen Rossum is a dangerous kick and punt returner but has not busted one all season. This could be the time for Terence Newman to break out on a punt return. The Cowboys will need to win the field-position game. |
| INTANGIBLES |
| EDGE: | After last week's shellacking, where is the Cowboys' confidence? The four-game winning streak seems long forgotten, and the Falcons have won two straight. Atlanta coach Jim Mora said fans could turn on his team if it plays poorly, which means a fast start by the Cowboys could be key. |
E-mail tarcher@dallasnews.com
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