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Cowboys try for third win over Giants

Jan 13, 2008 - 12:29 PM New York Giants (11-6) at Dallas (13-3) Sunday 4:30 pm EST

IRVING, Texas (Ticker) - The Dallas Cowboys expect wide receiver Terrell Owens to return to practice this week and they may need him Sunday, when they face the New York Giants in an NFC divisional playoff game.

After beating the Green Bay Packers, 37-27, on November 29, Dallas improved to 11-1 and seemed a lock to reach the NFC championship game.

But the Cowboys were not the same team in December as the offense sputtered down the stretch. While Dallas matched a franchise record with 13 wins, it only went 2-2 in the final month of the season.

After needing a late rally to beat the lowly Detroit Lions, 28-27, the Cowboys were held without a touchdown in a 10-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Then, they struggled to hold off the Carolina Panthers, 20-13, and again failed to reach the end zone in a 27-6 loss to the Washington Redskins.

Another thing that could be weighing on the Cowboys is their recent playoff failures. "America's Team" may have five Super Bowl victories, but it hasn't won a playoff game since 1996, going 0-5 in the postseason since then.

Owens, who caught 81 passes for a team-high 1,355 yards and 15 touchdowns, has been sidelined since suffering a high ankle sprain against the Panthers, and the Cowboys say he will be a game-time decision.

By Sunday, however, Owens will have had three weeks to recover, although the layoff could impact his effectiveness.

Still, Owens' presence could make a difference. He was dominant in the Cowboys' regular-season sweep of the Giants, catching two touchdown passes in each of Dallas' victories.

While the Giants' defense dominated in last week's 24-14 wild card win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it was unable to contain the Cowboys' potent offense in the regular season.

The Cowboys opened the season with a 45-35 win over the Giants at Texas Stadium, then posted a 31-20 Week 10 victory at Giants Stadium.

In each contest, Tony Romo tossed four touchdown passes, but he also struggled down the stretch while battling a sore thumb.

The Cowboys and Giants have been rivals since the early 1960s, meeting 91 times in the regular season, yet Sunday marks the first playoff meeting between the long-time NFC East foes.

The winner of Sunday's game will face either Green Bay or Seattle in the NFC championship next week.

New York heads to Texas riding a franchise-record eight-game roading winning streak. The Giants' only road loss this year was the season-opening defeat at Dallas.

Still, their 8-1 road record shows they are not intimidated in hostile environments. Despite the Week One loss, they are 4-4 in their last eight visits to Dallas.

"We love playing there, we love going to Dallas," Giants quarterback Eli Manning said. "There are no secrets between the teams. It's a challenge against Dallas, we know that. We played them two times. Maybe the third time will be a charm."

The Giants cleared a major hurdle last week, winning their first playoff game in three attempts under coach Tom Coughlin. Manning also won his first postseason contest after poor performances in playoff losses to Carolina and Philadelphia the previous two seasons.

Manning seemed to have gained confidence after throwing four touchdown passes in the Giants' 38-35 loss to the New England Patriots. He played with poise and confidence against the Buccaneers, completing 20-of-27 passes for 185 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions against the league's top pass defense.