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I've decided to compile a list of five players the Cowboys will face in 2012 who could give them fits. This doesn't include Eli Manning, the New York Giants receivers, Ray Lewis, Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson, Atlanta's receivers, New Orleans' offense or Ben Roethlisberger. It's just five additional guys I see as troublemakers.

Here goes:

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Cam Newton. You love the commercials. But you love his game more. He's got the size, speed and arm strength to test the Cowboys secondary. He won't be the Cowboys' biggest test in the 2012 season, but it will be interesting to see just where the secondary stands when facing Carolina on Oct. 21. The Cowboys might be coming into this game off of a loss because they take on Baltimore the previous week (more on that later), so a two-game losing streak is a strong possibility.

Andy Dalton. The former TCU standout proved last year he can play in this league. When the Cowboys visit Cincinnati on Dec. 9, they will take on the second-year quarterback who compiled a 78.1 quarterback rating but threw eight touchdowns and six interceptions in home games in 2011. NFL teams aren't waiting on quarterbacks to develop, they're playing them now and getting results. Dalton is another example of this.

Fred Davis. The Redskins tight end had seven catches in two games against the Cowboys last season. He's a threat to the linebackers and safeties who might cover him. Does Brodney Pool cover Davis? Gerald Sensabaugh? Anthony Spencer? Davis is athletic enough to provide matchup problems and with Robert Griffin III moving around the pocket, Davis becomes a target to find on the run.

Jason Pierre-Paul. The New York Giants defensive end is the new Cowboys killer. In two games last year, Pierre-Paul had 13 tackles, three sacks and a blocked field goal. The Cowboys couldn't contain this man. Last year, Doug Free had trouble with Pierre-Paul. Now, Tyron Smith gets his turn at one of the better young defensive players in the game.

Courtney Upshaw. Terrell Suggs' injury might keep him out for the Oct. 14 matchup between Baltimore and Dallas. If he's not available -- and it appears he won't be -- the rookie from Alabama will show the Cowboys what he can do. Jason Garrett saw him at Alabama's Pro Day. There's a thought that Upshaw is no different than Anthony Spencer in terms of skill set from the outside linebacker position. Early in the draft process, the Cowboys were linked to Upshaw as a mid-first round pick. But Upshaw dropped to the second round. We'll see what he can do against Dallas.

IRVING, Texas -- The Cowboys continued their defensive trend in the 2012 NFL draft by selecting safety Matt Johnson with the 135th overall pick, the final selection of the fourth round.

Johnson was also a four-year starter at Eastern Washington with 17 career interceptions. Leading up to the draft the Cowboys were locked in on Alabama’s Mark Barron in the first round, but Johnson was always considered a mid-to-late-round possibility because he fills a need.

His senior season was cut short because of a biceps injury. He ended his career as the school’s second all-time leading interceptor. He had 52 tackles -- eight for a loss -- two picks, two forced fumbles and 1.5 sacks before the injury.

The Cowboys signed Gerald Sensabaugh to an extension last season and signed veteran Brodney Pool to a one-year deal in free agency. They also have special teams standout Danny McCray, Barry Church -- who is coming off shoulder surgery -- and Mana Silva on the roster.

It’s the first time since 1982 that the Cowboys’ first four picks were on the defensive side. Cornerback Rod Hill, linebacker Jeff Rohrer, linebacker Jim Eliopulos and cornerback Brian Carpenter were selected in Rounds 1-4 that year.

The Cowboys got this pick for losing defensive end Stephen Bowen to Washington in free agency.

IRVING, Texas -- Nothing like seeing your family getting selected by NFL teams.

Cowboys safety Gerald Sensabaugh's cousin, Coty Sensabaugh, a cornerback from Clemson was taken in the fourth round by the >Tennessee Titans. Coty Sensabaugh was the 115th overall selection in the draft.

Here's what Scouts Inc. had to say about Coty Sensabaugh's ball skills:

"Ball skills are average but is not a difference maker in terms of playmaking ability. Can come down with routine interceptions but lacks the ability to adjust and pull in highlight reel interception. Does a nice job of turning, locating and playing the ball. Displays good body control to reach over receivers and use hands to break up throws without drawing pass interference flag. Also does a nice job of jostling when in position to hold ground in one-on-one downfield battles."

Everybody knows the Dallas Cowboys need to upgrade their secondary, and much of the attention has been on cornerback, where Terence Newman is sure to be released and the Cowboys are being linked to cornerbacks such as Brandon Carr and Cortland Finnegan in free agency and Janoris Jenkins and Dre Kirkpatrick in the draft. But they also need to address safety, and the Cowboys' website raises the interesting name of Brodney Pool as a possible solution there. Pool played for Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan in Cleveland and could be a fit in Dallas if it decides not to retain his former teammate, Abram Elam:

Having started alongside Elam in Cleveland, Pool's signing with the Cowboys would mean that Elam will play elsewhere in 2012, most likely. Gerald Sensabaugh has been locked up to a long-term deal, but the Cowboys could use an upgrade opposite him. Pool and Elam are comparable talents, but Pool is three years younger and has a bit more size and athleticism. The team would seem unlikely to use a first-round pick on one of the draft's top safeties like Mark Barron of Alabama, and could hope to buy more time for a young player like Barry Church before inserting him into the starting lineup. Pool is quite capable of bridging that gap.

This is the kind of name that makes sense for the Cowboys at a position where they have a serious need but aren't likely to fill it with a pursuit of the biggest, flashiest names. I wouldn't rule out them taking someone like Barron in the first round of the draft, especially if they like whatever they've done at cornerback in free agency. But there are enough Pool-type veteran safeties on the market that the Cowboys should be able to find someone to give them what they need at the position.

INDIANAPOLIS – If the Cowboys want to re-sign Abram Elam to a new contract this offseason, they now know which agent is representing the veteran safety.

Elam has hired CAA’s Tom Condon as his representative after parting ways with Drew Rosenhaus late last season.

Condon, along with fellow agents Ben Dogra, Jimmy Sexton and Ken Kremer, represent a number of Cowboys, including Tony Romo, Terence Newman, Jason Witten and Doug Free.

Elam signed a one-year deal with the Cowboys last year worth $2.5 million, including a $1.8 million signing bonus. Elam started every game in 2011 and finished second on the team in tackles with 79. He had four tackles for loss, a forced fumble and fumble recovery.

The Cowboys handed Gerald Sensabaugh a five-year contract extension late last season, however, they added Jerome Henderson as secondary coach, which could help in Elam’s return. Elam played for Henderson in Cleveland before joining the Cowboys.

Condon said he has not spoken with the Cowboys about a new deal.

INDIANAPOLIS -- As currently constructed, the Dallas Cowboys have 19 players scheduled to count more than $1 million against the 2012 salary cap.

Cornerback Terence Newman is slated to count $8.016 million against the cap, but the veteran could be released in order to create more room to sign players. If the Cowboys want to count Newman as a “June 1” cut and spread the salary-cap hit out over two years, they will have to wait until March 13 to release him.

The list does not include free agent linebacker Anthony Spencer. If the Cowboys decide to use the franchise tag on Spencer, then he would count $8.8 million against the cap in 2012. Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones did not rule out the possibility of signing Spencer to a multi-year deal, but that does not appear likely.

DeMarcus Ware has the highest cap figure at $10.301 million, followed by Tony Romo and Doug Free at $8.060 million apiece. Orlando Scandrick is scheduled to count $7.7 million as part of the extension he signed last summer.

The Cowboys have structured the contracts of Free and Scandrick in such a way that they could dramatically reduce their cap figures to create around $8.6 million in cap room.

This is the 10th installment of our 12-part series breaking down the Cowboys roster. Today we look at safeties.

Players: Gerald Sensabaugh (signed through 2016), Danny McCray (signed through 2012), Abram Elam (free agent), Mana Silva (signed through 2013), Barry Church (signed through 2012).

Top free agents: Tyvon Branch, Oakland Raiders; Michael Griffin, Tennessee Titans; LaRon Landry, Washington Redskins; Dashon Goldson, San Francisco 49ers; Mike Adams, Cleveland Browns.

Top draft prospects: Mark Barron, Alabama; Antonio Allen, South Carolina; Harrison Smith, Notre Dame; George Iloka, Boise State; Markelle Martin, Oklahoma State.

2011 review: The Cowboys were inconsistent at this position in 2010. Last season, Elam's return brought some stability, but he became inconsistent, too. Sensabaugh played well at the start of the season but a foot injury slowed his progress. The Cowboys valued Sensabaugh and gave him a new contract. Church showed defensive coordinator Rob Ryan he could play a little linebacker and should see more playing time in 2012. McCray was a solid contributor on special teams but a shoulder injury late in the season slowed him down.

Offseason preview: Signing Elam might be a good thing for the Cowboys since he knows Ryan's defensive scheme, but he might want a long-term deal and that's something the franchise might be unwilling to offer. Sensabaugh can play both safety spots, and seemed to excel as a free safety. Finding a strong safety willing to play the run with a force is must for the Cowboys. If the team elects to draft a safety, Barron most likely will be gone at No. 14, so waiting until the second or third day of the draft might be the best move. A free-agent safety might command too much money on the open market, which the Cowboys don't seem willing to offer.

Bryan Broaddus' Scout's Eye: Since losing Darren Woodson, Jerry Jones has attacked this position with poor results, either through the draft (Roy Williams, Tony Dixon) or free agency (Ken Hamlin, Gerald Sensabaugh). As other NFL teams have been able to fill this all-important position, the Cowboys have continued to struggle to find the right mix. During 2011, the Cowboys made a two-year commitment to Sensabaugh and nothing to Abram Elam. When he signed, Elam was praised as a player that would help his teammates master Rob Ryan’s scheme. As the season wore on, however, it was clear that Elam and his teammates were far from prepared on a weekly basis. I don’t have a problem with the Sensabaugh signing, but this team needs a safety that can play with some range and help these corners on the outside. Too many times, the ball went down the field and receivers were able to make plays to keep drives going. I like younger players like Barry Church and Danny McCray, but they are more forward players and aren’t safeties with range. Ryan needs a guy that can make plays down the field or the defense will continue to struggle to get off the field. To me, fixing that problem is just as important as finding a player that can rush the passer.

Need meter (0-5): 3

IRVING, Texas -- Sometimes it is difficult to translate Jerry Jones. Over the years you get a feel for not so much what the Cowboys owner and general manager says but how he delivers the message.

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Jones spoke to reporters Monday at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., and some of what he said made sense, and some, frankly didn’t.

What made sense: “If you don’t have pressure on them [the opposing quarterback], then you’re toast.”

What didn’t make sense: “Our front is one of the strengths of our team.”

Huh? This front seven needs a makeover. Look at San Francisco, Baltimore and the New York Giants. Those front sevens make plays. The Cowboys have DeMarcus Ware, Sean Lee and Jay Ratliff, but he had just two sacks in 2011. Anthony Spencer, Bradie James and Keith Brooking are free agents. Kenyon Coleman is not a lock to return.

What made sense: “We’re very likely to have new faces over there [in the secondary]. How much I can’t tell you but we’re going to have new faces.”

What didn’t make sense: “It wouldn’t be a surprise for him to be there on the team,” talking about Abram Elam, who is a free agent.

Well, if Elam returns – and I’d favor that and have said they should have re-signed him in favor of Gerald Sensabaugh – then the only new faces in the secondary would be Terence Newman, Alan Ball and Frank Walker.

What made sense: “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

What didn’t make sense: “Personnel is not an issue in my mind overall relative to us having a good team next year. I think we’re going to have and do have a core base of personnel that’s going to get us there.”

What the, huh? The core is pretty good if that core is about 10-15 players deep but the Cowboys need to shore up the depth of this team to be better than 8-8 in 2012. Now, that’s not unlike a lot of teams in the NFL but the teams that made playoff runs had reliable players in spots 16-46 on game days.

The Cowboys' secondary drove you crazy last season.

It was inconsistent and its three prime cornerbacks, Terence Newman, Orlando Scandrick and Mike Jenkins, were hurt at various times during the season. The safety play from starters Abram Elam and Gerald Sensbaugh was inconsistent, as well. Sensabaugh played with a sprained foot the last two months of the season and was in so much pain, he took a pain injection before games.

The numbers suggest the Cowboys' secondary was not very good. It allowed 57 passes of 20 or more yards, eighth most in the NFL, and Dallas went 0-3 when opposing quarterbacks threw for 300 or more yards. One bright spot was that the Cowboys allowed just eight first downs on third-and-10, the fourth fewest in the NFL.

New secondary coach Jerome Henderson has to work with a secondary that might see significant changes.

Here's what Henderson expects from the secondary: "Guys who will challenge, guys who are tough and guys who play with intelligence -- situational intelligence. And that's one of the things I will really talk to the guys about: having situational understanding of football. There are certain situations where I have to get down on that guy [in] certain situations."

Elam is an unrestricted free agent and it's not known if the Cowboys want to bring him back. Henderson coached Elam in Cleveland for the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

"Abe is probably one of the best people I know," Henderson said. "One of the best men, cares about his teammates, cares about football, works his butt off, studies, prepares, competes. He's tough. I love the kid."

The secondary also has Alan Ball, Frank Walker, Mana Silva, Danny McCray and Barry Church.

Who returns is uncertain. The Cowboys could add a cornerback in the draft, maybe in the first or second round, and must prepare themselves if they don't have Jenkins for offseason workouts.

Jenkins underwent shoulder surgery that will keep him out four to six months while rehabbing. He might not be ready until training camp and he could be limited when he returns.

"I'm sure there are guys in place that will be on this team that will be big contributors on this team," Henderson said. "I just don't know the roles and I don't know what I have to do with them to get them to where I want them to be or where they should be."

One thing Henderson has done is start the process of reviewing film of his unit. He's built small lockers in his office of every secondary player on the roster, and when they're involved in a play he takes a clip of it and places it in the small stalls.

Henderson is trying to see if the secondary players are making plays and, if not, he's trying to fix it. Henderson said he's a coach that wants to give his players solutions to their problems if they have any.

"I do know there are a lot of guys who will play a lot of football for the Dallas Cowboys that are already on the roster," Henderson said.

We're a work week away from the NFC and AFC title games and it's amazing what we've learned in just two weeks of the postseason. Here are my thoughts.

1. The Giants are a mentally tough team. More so than the Cowboys. Do you really believe the Cowboys could have gone into Lambeau Field and beat the Green Bay Packers like the Giants did on Sunday? Really? The Giants never gave up hope during their late-season dive, and still believed they could beat the Cowboys, which they did twice in a 30-day span to close the season. The Giants have an elite quarterback, Eli Manning, and a pass rush that isn't centered around one player, much like the Cowboys' and DeMarcus Ware. Moving forward, the Cowboys need to improve the offensive line, secondary, pass rush and find depth at wide receiver. Things the Giants already have. That tells you how far the Cowboys are from the Giants.

2. It's good to see Laurent Robinson wants to return to the Cowboys. What do you pay him? Robinson should be a highly sought after wide receiver when free agency starts in March. You have to look at a few salaries of some No. 3 receivers and see if the Cowboys want to pay Robinson something similar. Earl Bennett of Chicago singed a five-year, $18.5 million deal with $9 million guaranteed. Is Robinson better than Bennett? What about Jacoby Jones of Houston, who signed a three-year, $10.5 million deal with $3 million guarantee with Houston? Jason Avant of Philadelphia inked a five-year $18 million contract with $8 million guaranteed in 2010. Jordy Nelson of the Green Bay Packers signed a four-year, $13.9 million deal with $5 million guaranteed including $3.5 million to sign. I wonder if the Baltimore Ravens are interested in Robinson? The Ravens might not pick up Lee Evans' $1 million roster bonus, due March 17. The Cowboys have a big decision to make here at wideout because the depth is lacking.

3. Todd Archer wrote a good post last week about the interior of the Cowboys offensive line. The hiring of Bill Callahan last week confirms the Cowboys think he can help younger players improve more so than previous line coach Hudson Houck. Houck's ability to work with young linemen was questioned, but you must give him credit for the development of Doug Free and Tyron Smith. While Free regressed in 2011, Smith emerged as a talented player who must play the left tackle spot in 2012. Callahan has some young talent to work with at guard/center from Kevin Kowalski, Phil Costa, Bill Nagy and David Arkin. It appears the Cowboys might draft a guard/center in the draft. If so, it should make for an interesting competition in the middle in 2012.

4. If the Cowboys don't re-sign Robinson, this is the depth chart at wideout: Miles Austin, Dez Bryant, Andre Holmes, Dwayne Harris and Raymond Radway. Think the Cowboys have a better group of receivers than say the Eagles? Giants? Packers? Saints? Robinson has the leverage here which could mean a contract which benefits him. If you're wondering, Kevin Ogletree and Jesse Holley are free agents and it doesn't appear they will return in 2012.

5. If the Cowboys don't re-sign Abram Elam at strong safety, Gerald Sensabaugh isn't the answer. He seemed to play better at free safety. If the Cowboys move him back to strong safety, he could have problems especially if the Cowboys have a younger player at free safety. The Cowboys tried Alan Ball at free safety in 2010, and were met with major, major issues.

IRVING, Texas -- For the sixth straight year the Cowboys had more than 100 penalties in a season, matching the longest streak in team history.

The Cowboys’ 114 penalties were fifth-most in the NFL and Jason Garrett was unable to correct a problem that has plagued predecessors Bill Parcells and Wade Phillips.

Doug Free and DeMarcus Ware led the Cowboys with 10 penalties called, although Ware had one penalty declined during the year. Free had five holding penalties and five false starts. Ware had seven offside penalties, two roughing the passer penalties and a neutral zone infraction.

Tyron Smith, Anthony Spencer and Orlando Scandrick had eight penalties called against them this year. Scandrick had two declined, Smith had one.

Spencer had four neutral zone infractions, which means the Cowboys’ best pass rushers had 12 penalties in which they could not time the snap properly. Spencer’s other penalties were an unnecessary roughness, roughing the passer, running into the kicker and face mask.

An interesting note: three backup secondary players combined for 20 penalties. Scandrick had eight. Alan Ball had seven. Frank Walker had five. Fourteen of those were on defense. Scandrick was a quasi-starter as the nickel back, but Ball and Walker were flagged far too often given the amount of snaps they played. Guard Montrae Holland had six penalties in 10 games.

Another interesting note: Mike Jenkins was not penalized all year. Yes, he missed four games, but he was flagged nine times last year with six pass interference penalties. He was a much improved player all around in 2011.

Here’s the player-by-player breakdown of penalties

10 – Doug Free, DeMarcus Ware
8 – Anthony Spencer, Tyron Smith, Orlando Scandrick
7 – Alan Ball
6 – Montrae Holland
5 – Terence Newman, Tony Romo, Frank Walker
4 – Jason Hatcher
3 – Martellus Bennett, John Phillips, Jason Witten, Phillip Tanner, Kyle Kosier
2 – Keith Brooking, Jesse Holley, Kevin Ogletree, Tony Fiammetta, Barry Chruch, Josh Brent, Derrick Dockery, Jay Ratliff, Dez Bryant
1 – Bradie James, Sean Lee, Laurent Robinson, Gerald Sensabaugh, Victor Butler, Kenyon Coleman, Phil Costa, Abram Elam, Kevin Kowalski, L.P. Ladouceur, Stephen McGee, Miles Austin, Sean Lissemore

There was going to be two ways that Jason Garrett and the Cowboys were going to play this game against the Eagles on Christmas Eve:

* If the New York Jets had beaten the New York Giants earlier in the day, then it was going to be all hands on deck to try and win the NFC East divisional title.

* If the Giants won, it'd be a meaningless game and Garrett would need to manage the game to try and protect players injured players such as Felix Jones, Jay Ratliff and DeMarcus Ware before this week's showdown vs. the Giants.

What Garrett didn’t count on was quarterback Tony Romo getting injured. What surprised me the most about the way that Garrett played this game was the amount of snaps that he gave to Ware and Ratliff. I was convinced Jones, Ratliff and Ware wouldn't play much, but it didn’t work out that way. To their credit, Ware and Ratliff were the best players on defense.

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Cowboys' ends limit McCoy's effectiveness this time

I felt Eagles RB LeSean McCoy would cause the most problems on offense, both in the running and passing games. When the Cowboys and Eagles met in Week 8, the Cowboys' front seven -- particularly DEs Marcus Spears, Kenyon Coleman and Jason Hatcher -- played poorly. They couldn’t get off blocks and did nothing to hold the point of attack.

In Saturday's game, the Cowboys' ends did a much better job of not getting pushed around, allowing the linebackers to flow and make plays. Spears had several plays where he was square to the line of scrimmage and was able to stack the blockers, which gave McCoy no room to run. Where the Cowboys' defense was outstanding was playing backside technique and not allowing McCoy to make that stop-start cut which hurt them last time.

Newman, Cowboys' secondary struggle yet again

In the first half, there were once again problems in the secondary with coverage. On the first drive of the game, the Cowboys were able to get pressure on Michael Vick.

With Anthony Spencer flushing Vick to his left, Spencer grabbed a hold of Vick’s facemask while trying to get him to the ground. Down the field, Mike Jenkins lost contact with receiver Riley Cooper as he started up the field. Gerald Sensabaugh tried to get over to help, but was left backpedaling while trying to locate the ball as it floated over his head. Safety Abram Elam also tried to get over to help, but he badly misplayed the ball as well. The result: Cooper caught the ball with three defenders within two yards of him.

There were several plays in this game where Terence Newman was not near good enough. In the second quarter, Newman misplayed a ball on second-and-10 after Marcus Spears made a nice square tackle on first down against McCoy.

When you study Vick, the one place that he loves to throw the ball is the middle of the field. On this particular play, receiver DeSean Jackson drove on a crossing route against Newman in man coverage. When Jackson broke inside, Newman lost contact with him and then tried to undercut the route but was a step late. Ware was able to get pressure on Vick, but not enough to affect the throw. Vick ripped it down the middle of the field to Jackson with Newman in chase position, giving up a catch and the first down.

On the Eagles TD with 10 seconds left in the half, Newman and Jenkins were playing in-and-out coverage on Jeremy Maclin from the 6. Newman was on the inside and Jenkins on the outside as Maclin started his route up the field and then inside. Newman passed Jackson inside to Sensabaugh from the slot and turned his attention to Maclin on the outside. Jenkins saw Maclin start inside but Newman didn’t react quick enough to pick him up. As Maclin got away from Jenkins and cleared Newman, Vick saw Newman not react and fired the ball to the middle of the end zone for a TD.

In the third quarter, the Eagles dialed up a screen pass to tight end Brent Celek. Where the Eagles are dangerous is that they'll throw a screen at any point on the field. On this play, Newman was once again trying to cover Maclin down the field but misplayed his route and got turned around and had his back to the screen. As Newman is hand fighting with Maclin, Celek ran right by him and up the field for a big play. If Newman hadn’t got in such bad position on the route, he could have made the tackle, keeping Celek from getting down the field.

Cowboys' offensive line failed to protect Romo

This game was going to be a struggle for the Cowboys' offensive line to provide protection, with or without Romo in the lineup. Romo doesn't have Vick's mobility, but he has been able to buy second and third chances with his legs the last several weeks. That's why the offense has been so productive.

The challenge for the line this week was to block defensive ends Jason Babin and Trent Cole. Once again, the line struggled most with protection as a result of not picking up the twist stunt. On the play that Romo was injured, the Eagles used a blitz that they've run in several games this season.

With the Cowboys facing a third-and-4, the Eagles blitzed Matthews in the front side “A” gap, which was picked up by Phil Costa. Patterson hit the “B” gap, which was blocked by Kyle Kosier. Jason Babin was lined up on the outside shoulder of Tyron Smith, started into the line then looped all the way behind his teammates hitting the gaps. Smith tried to crash down inside to wad up the rushers, but Babin made it clean all the way through the center box while Costa was still locked up on his man.

Kosier saw what was happening and tried to work inside to block Babin but went to the ground. Babin had a free run at Romo, who was trying to get the ball to Miles Austin on a crossing route. The problem with this play is that Austin and Dez Bryant were trying to cross by each other with one of them not running the route deep enough, causing both receivers to not get to their spot cleanly. Romo had Babin in his face to the point that his hand hit Babin’s helmet. In all discussions that I have had with members of the front office, Romo should be ready to play against the Giants on Sunday.

Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan vs. Eagles RB LeSean McCoy: With as many weapons as the Eagles have on offense, this is the one matchup the Cowboys cannot afford to lose.

Rob Ryan and his staff must find a way to put his defensive players in the best positions to make plays. When you study the Eagles, you understand the dynamic of what Michael Vick brings to the game and how dangerous he can be to defend, but McCoy is truly what makes this Eagles offense go. With McCoy, it’s about dealing with his explosive plays that cause defenses the most trouble.

Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg uses McCoy in so many different ways, whether it’s on the stretch play, sprint draw or the screen. Mornhinweg does a great job of getting McCoy one-on-one in space, which puts so much pressure on a defense to have to make a sure tackle.

McCoy has that rare stop-start quickness that backs like Barry Sanders had. He has the ability to allow the play to develop front side, then see what is happening back side, plant his foot and make a cut into the open space. Many a day I observed Sanders doing the very same thing for the Lions.

McCoy does an outstanding job of avoiding tackles because of this skill. He has the ability to run out of the negative play.

Mornhinweg likes to use McCoy in the screen game. It doesn’t matter at what point or where on the field, the Eagles will run a screen to McCoy.

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The last time these teams met, Ryan played his safeties deep to prevent the vertical passing game of the Eagles. I believe you will see Gerald Sensabaugh and Abram Elam lining up at normal depth, but also one or the other down in the box helping with the running game and the potential for the cut-back run.

The second area that should help Ryan is that Sean Lee will be back in the mix. Like many of the defenders in the last meeting, Lee was not at his best, and then got hurt and was out of the game. Ryan needs Lee to be special in this game and if the Cowboys are going to contain McCoy, it will be because of Lee, DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer. The defensive ends will need to be on point, but so will the linebackers for Ryan.

Cowboys RT Tyron Smith vs. Eagles DE Jason Babin: Smith really struggled with the inside spin move of Babin when these teams met in Week 8. Smith indicated that he has a better feel and understanding of what he has to deal with in playing Babin the second time around.

What makes Babin so dangerous on that move is that he is able to rush to the depth of the quarterback in the pocket, get the weight of the offensive tackle on his right foot, then spin hard inside and right on top of the quarterback for the sack. Smith really struggled early in the season when the rush came to the inside, not with the wide rushers. Since that game, he has done a much better job of handling those types of moves.

Smith will also need to be able to handle Babin in the running game, whether that is reaching him to the front side or play side or when the ball goes away. Babin is not as good as Eagles right DE Trent Cole playing the run, but because of his motor and effort he is one of those guys Smith is going to have to block to and through the whistle.

Smith needs to turn this game into a brawl against Babin and try to beat him up with power. Babin can’t go toe-to-toe with Smith power-wise, so beating him up will go a long way toward trying to slow his rush and having a better chance of controlling him.

Cowboys FS Gerald Sensabaugh vs. Eagles TE Brent Celek: The Eagles' leading receiver is tight end Brent Celek. When you study the games, it is very evident that he is Vick’s favorite target. When Vick gets in trouble or he feels pressure, Celek is the guy he is looking to.

Celek is similar to Jason Witten in the way he plays. He lines up all over the formation, like Witten, but when Celek can and will do the most damage is when he lines up inside as a normal, true tight end. You will generally see Celek line up on the offensive left side because when he runs his routes to that side, it is easier for the left-handed Vick to make that throw.

Celek is too dangerous a player to cover with Frank Walker, who earlier in the season did a nice job against tight ends but has not been as productive lately. I could see Ryan putting Sensabaugh in coverage to deal with Celek. Sensabaugh does have the cover skill to run with Celek and can be physical enough when he needs to be.

Last week, Jets coach Rex Ryan tried to cover Celek with cornerback Antonio Cromartie, but that didn’t work out well. Of the two Cowboys safeties, Sensabaugh does have the better cover skill, and next to dealing with McCoy, this will be the next most important job for the defense.

If Cowboys running back Felix Jones plays Saturday afternoon versus the Philadelphia Eagles at Cowboys Stadium without practicing it won't be the first time a player has done that this season.

Safety Gerald Sensabaugh missed a week of practice prior to the Thanksgiving Day game against the Miami Dolphins with a sprained foot. Sensabaugh is still bothered by the foot and said this week he still gets a pain injection on gamedays.

Sensabaugh does not take a shot for practices.

Coach Jason Garrett said there are no hard-and-fast rules whether or not a player can participate in a game without practicing.

Jones did some sprinting and lateral movements during Thursday's practice and should be ready to play. He's listed as questionable on the injury report.

"It would surprise me if Felix does not go," owner/general manager Jerry Jones said Friday on KRLD-FM. "On the other hand, it would be madness not to recognize that he hasn't practiced all week, so you better have another plan in place."

IRVING, Texas -- When Sean Lee walked to the Cowboys’ bus after the 34-7 loss at Philadelphia on Oct. 30 with a brace on his left wrist, he was unsure he would play again in 2011.

Lee knew his wrist was dislocated in the first half and needed an MRI the following day.

“I was blessed the injury wasn’t as bad as we thought it was,” Lee said.

Lee missed only one game to allow for the swelling to go down. He returned with a bulky cast that covered his entire hand, but in the last two games he has played with a cast that allows him to move his fingers.

“Once the swelling went down and we realized I can function with it and probably not need surgery, that’s when I was able to be like, ‘We can play with a cast. It’s not going to get worse,’ that it can heal and play with it at the same time.”

Despite missing one game, Lee leads the Cowboys with 116 tackles, according to the coaches’ breakdown. Gerald Sensabaugh is second with 70 tackles. Lee is tied for the team lead with four interceptions.

“I’m 100 percent ready to go,” Lee said.