NFL Preview - Washington (5-4) at Dallas (8-1

 The Dallas Cowboys aim to complete a November sweep of
 their NFC East competition when the current conference front-runners host the
 Washington Redskins this Sunday in a divisional showdown from Texas Stadium.

 Dallas has been able to pad its lead atop the East by registering back-to-back
 road wins over division rivals Philadelphia and the New York Giants heading
 into this matchup. After posting an authoritative 38-17 victory over the
 Eagles on November 4, the Cowboys came through with a big second half to knock
 off the Giants at the Meadowlands last Sunday.

 Quarterback Tony Romo matched a season-high with four touchdown passes, two of
 which wound up in the arms of star receiver Terrell Owens, as Dallas continued
 its storybook season with a 31-20 downing of New York. Both of Owens' scoring
 grabs came after intermission, while the Cowboy defense held the Giants to
 only a field goal over the game's final two quarters.

 The win moved the Cowboys a comfortable two games in front of the second-place
 Giants in the NFC East standings, and improved the team's overall record to
 8-1. That is Dallas' best nine-game beginning to a season since 1995, the year
 the franchise captured the most recent of their five Super Bowl victories.

 The Cowboys, who have not started out 9-1 since 1983, are currently tied with
 Green Bay for the best record in the NFC. The two teams will square off in
 Dallas on November 29.

 But first, the Cowboys will have to get past a Washington squad eager to atone
 for last week's 33-25 home defeat to Philadelphia, in which the Eagles rallied
 for 20 fourth-quarter points to erase a 22-13 deficit with less than 11
 minutes to play.

 The setback proved to be quite costly for the Redskins, and not just because
 the club dropped to 5-4 on the season and missed out on a chance to draw even
 with the Giants and Detroit Lions, the teams presently in control of the NFC's
 two wild card berths who both lost last week. Washington will be without its
 top defensive player, Sean Taylor, for at least two weeks after the standout
 free safety sprained his right knee in the Philadelphia game.

 That's not good news for a Washington secondary that already lost cornerback
 Carlos Rogers to a season-ending knee injury earlier this season and will have
 to face a Dallas offense that ranks second in the NFL in total yards (396.8
 ppg) and scoring (32.9 ppg), and third in passing yards (274.0 ypg).

 The Redskins fell to 0-2 in NFC East games with the Philadelphia loss, while
 the Cowboys are a perfect 3-0 within the division so far this year.

 SERIES HISTORY

 The Cowboys lead the all-time regular season series with Washington, 55-35-2,
 including a conventional home-and-home split of last year's series. Dallas was
 a 27-10 home winner over the Redskins in Week 2, and dropped a 22-19 decision
 at FedEx Field in Week 9. The Skins swept the 2005 home-and-home between the
 longtime division rivals. Prior to 2005, Dallas had won 14 of the last 15
 games in the series, including home-and-home sweeps in both 2003 and 2004.

 Washington is 2-0 against Dallas in the postseason, winning in the 1972 and
 1982 NFC Championship games.

 Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs is an even 15-15 against the Cowboys, including
 a win in the 1982 NFC Championship, during his career. Dallas' Wade Phillips,
 meanwhile, is 1-0 all-time against Washington, with that win coming for his
 Bills team in 1999 at FedEx Field. Gibbs and Phillips will be meeting for the
 first time head-to-head.

 WHEN THE REDSKINS HAVE THE BALL

 With a young quarterback under center in Jason Campbell and Gibbs' reputation
 for being conservative, Washington has emphasized running the ball on offense
 throughout this season. That philosophy has paid off well lately, as Clinton
 Portis (766 rushing yards, 6 TD, 23 receptions) has delivered his two best
 performances of the year the last two weeks. The eccentric running back racked
 up 196 yards on the ground in a win over the Jets in Week 9, then backed that
 effort up with 137 yards on 30 carries last Sunday. Portis' recent prowess has
 vaulted the Redskins to a No. 8 overall ranking in rushing offense (132.1
 ypg).

 Campbell (1735 passing yards, 9 TD, 7 INT) is also coming off a big game, as
 the third-year signal-caller threw a career-high three touchdown passes
 without an interception and finished with 215 passing yards against the
 Eagles. The 25-year-old will be working with a depleted receiving corps on
 Sunday, though, with wideouts Santana Moss (24 receptions) and James Thrash (8
 receptions, 2 TD) expected to miss the game with injuries. That means
 sixteenth-year veteran Keenan McCardell (8 receptions, 1 TD) will likely line
 up opposite leading receiver Antwaan Randle El (32 receptions). Campbell will
 have his top red-zone target available in tight end Chris Cooley (32
 receptions), who's caught five of Washington's nine touchdown passes in 2007.

 Portis will face a challenge from a Dallas defense that comes in ranked fifth
 in the NFL versus the run (86.8 ypg) and has yet to allow an enemy back to
 rush for 100 yards this season. Linebacker Bradie James (62 tackles, 2 sack)
 has had a particularly strong year at one of the two inside spots, while there
 aren't too many safeties that play the run better than four-time Pro Bowl
 honoree Roy Williams (53 tackles, 2 INT).

 The Cowboys are also adept at putting pressure on the quarterback, having
 amassed an impressive total of 26 sacks through nine games. Dallas took down
 the Giants' Eli Manning five times last week, and has been getting relentless
 heat from the outside linebacker combo of DeMarcus Ware (52 tackles, 8 sacks)
 and Greg Ellis (13 tackles), who's compiled 6 1/2 sacks in six games since
 returning from a torn Achilles'. Their pass-rush prowess has helped the
 Cowboys intercept 14 passes thus far, the third-best total in the league.
 Cornerback Anthony Henry (15 tackles, 5 INT, 10 PD) and free safety Ken Hamlin
 (35 tackles, 4 INT, 7 PD) have been especially adept at being ball-hawks.

 WHEN THE COWBOYS HAVE THE BALL

 Opponents have been almost powerless to slow down Dallas' quick-strike passing
 attack, as Romo (2555 passing yards, 11 INT, 65.1 comp. pct.) leads all NFC
 quarterbacks with 22 touchdown passes and Owens (50 receptions, 8 TD) and
 tight end Jason Witten (47 receptions, 5 TD) are in the midst of monster
 seasons. Owens recorded his third straight game with over 100 receiving yards
 last Sunday, when the entertaining wideout finished with 125 on six catches
 against the Giants. Speedy Patrick Crayton (31 receptions, 5 TD) has also
 developed into a nice third option for Romo, who continues to receive great
 protection from a line that's yielded just 13 sacks so far.

 Dallas' aerial wizardry has overshadowed a solid ground game that has churned
 out the 10th-most yards in the NFL (122.8 ypg). The Cowboys split carries
 between backs Marion Barber (569 rushing yards, 24 receptions, 7 total TD) and
 Julius Jones (401 rushing yards, 2 TD, 13 receptions), although Barber tends
 to get the bulk of the work in short-yardage and passing situations. The duo
 has also been remarkably sure-handed, as neither has lost a fumble this year.

 Losing Taylor (42 tackles, 5 INT, 9 PD), who covers as much ground as any
 safety in football, clearly limits the capabilities of a Washington defense
 that comes in just 22nd overall against the pass (218.3 ypg). Veteran Pierson
 that comes in just 22nd overall against the pass (218.3 ypg). Veteran Pierson
 Prioleau (37 tackles) should be an adequate fill-in, but the journeyman had
 been recently serving as the team's nickel back, so secondary depth is an
 issue. The Redskins do possess an excellent coverage linebacker in leading
 tackler London Fletcher (84 tackles, 2 INT, 5 PD) and a disruptive pass rusher
 in end Andre Carter (34 tackles, 7 sacks).

 Washington does rank a respectable 11th in defending the run (99.9 ypg),
 although the unit did allow Philadelphia's shifty running back Brian Westbrook
 to scamper for 100 yards on 20 attempts last week. The Redskins did play that
 game without the services of strongside linebacker Marcus Washington (16
 tackles, 3 sacks) due to a nagging hamstring problem, but the team expects the
 2004 Pro Bowl selection back in the lineup on Sunday. He is part of a quality
 linebacking corps that contains Fletcher in the middle and athletic second-
 year man Rocky McIntosh (71 tackles, 3 sacks) on the weak side.

 FANTASY FOCUS

 Those with Romo and Owens on their rosters have reaped the benefits all year
 long, and there's no reason to believe that either player won't have another
 big day going up against a Redskins secondary that's a patchwork group right
 now. Witten's also been an excellent source of fantasy points this season and
 a must-start as well, although he faces a tougher matchup considering the
 Redskins' athleticism at linebacker and safety. Crayton's always the
 overlooked member of the bunch, but he's now proven himself enough to be
 considered a solid choice as a No. 2 receiver. Dallas' rotating backfield has
 really hurt the fantasy status of both Barber and Jones, making both a risky
 week-to-week proposition. Since Barber's more likely to get the ball near the
 goal-line, he's the better play of the two.

 For the Redskins, Portis has delivered two straight excellent games, but does
 face a tough draw on Sunday. He's still worthy of starting, however. So is
 Cooley, who could have a productive afternoon against a Dallas defense which
 let Giants' tight end Jeremy Shockey pile up 12 catches for 129 yards and a
 touchdown last Sunday. Stay away from Campbell this week with the Redskins'
 shaky situation at wide receiver, and Randle El's been a hit-or-miss player
 all year.

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