On Deck: Giants

On Deck will be here all season to provide you with everything you need to know (and a few things you don't) about every Cowboys game during the 2013 season.

The Opponent: The Giants got off to a horrid 0-6 start this season, including a season-opening loss to the Cowboys, but they've since won four straight and have pulled into contention in the mediocre NFC East. A look at the quarterbacks the Giants have faced during their win streak makes it a little less impressive, but one of the keys to the streak has been Eli Manning's efficient play after throwing nearly 20 interceptions in those six losses.

Key Matchup: NYG defense vs. DAL QB Tony Romo: As mentioned above, the Giants defense has had a dream run of opposing quarterbacks over the last four games, with the best of the bunch probably being Oakland first-year starter Terrelle Pryor. They've faced no-name third-stringers like Scott Tolzien and Matt Barkley. Now, they face a real NFL quarterback in Tony Romo. Say what you want about Romo, but even his biggest haters can say with confidence he's head and shoulders above the four quarterbacks the Giants have beaten. This should be an interesting test for New York.

Who's Hot: Well, "hot" isn't the proper adjective, but Miles Austin is back from a hamstring injury (imagine that, a hamstring injury). But the veteran hasn't caught a pass since Week 3 and has been supplanted by Terrance Williams as the No. 2 wide receiver in Dallas. Williams continued his nice string of games as a rookie, scoring another touchdown in the Cowboys' loss to New Orleans. Austin has likely even slid behind Cole Beasley, who has taken kindly to his role as a slot receiver and given Romo another reliable option.

Victor Cruz is coming off a nice game against the Packers, when he caught eight passes for 110 yards, and Manning had one of his better games, too. The veteran quarterback, who's made a habit of torching Dallas in the past, threw for 279 yards, a touchdown and a lone pick.

Who's Not: The Cowboys defense was in rare form their last time out, getting toyed with in front of a Sunday-night national audience. They will get DeMarcus Ware back after he's missed a couple of games but will still be without Sean Lee, which is certainly a huge setback. The Cowboys will also get safety J.J. Wilcox, cornerback Morris Claiborne and defensive tackle Jason Hatcher back after all missed that debacle in New Orleans.

Giants receiver Hakeem Nicks has basically become an afterthought despite still being relatively young and having plenty of physical tools. He caught four passes for 50 yards against Green Bay, which has been about typical for the former star.

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