Things to Watch at Today's Patriots-Cowboys Game

The New England Patriots are set to take on the up-and-down Dallas Cowboys this afternoon.

Despite their struggles, the Cowboys look to be a tough test for this Pats team, so here are things to look out for.

Will the defense continue its positive momentum? The much-maligned Patriots defense looked much better against the Jets last week. The question is, though, was that actual improvement or a reflection on the quality of their opposition? The Jets, after all, were reeling. Their gameplan was ridiculously conservative, and they did start to have success when they went to the pass late.

The Cowboys present a bigger challenge. Tony Romo is talented (if mistake-prone) and he has very good receivers in Miles Austin and Dez Bryant. If the Pats secondary can slow Dallas' passing game, it will be a positive sign for this team.

Will Tom Brady rebound? After looking absolutely unstoppable in the first weeks of the season, Brady has come back to Earth in the past two weeks. He was proficient if unspectacular against the Raiders, and looked somewhat flustered against the Jets.

The Cowboys defense is helmed by coordinator Rob Ryan, who (like his brother) seems to have a knack for throwing Brady off his game. The Patriots will have to be mindful of exotic defensive schemes.

Is this running game for real? For two straight weeks, the Patriots have been able to run the ball extremely well. BenJarvus Green-Ellis looked very good last week (totaling 139 yards), and Stevan Ridley was quite efficient against the Raiders, with 97 yards on 10 carries.

If this Pats running game is for real, that would take some pressure off Brady — the team would be able to win when he's merely human. It would also bode well for late-season success, as weather will occasionally make passing difficult.

Can anyone rush the passer? The Patriots once again had problems getting to the quarterback last week. The team simply has problems applying pressure, and this likely contributes to its pass-defense woes.

The Pats recently lost DT Mike Wright for the season, making the team rather thin on the line. Can Albert Haynesworth handle extended action? Is there someone else who can step up and play well?

Can Chad Ochocinco continue his recent progress? Ocho has been a rather forgotten man in this passing offense. This isn't necessarily his fault — Wes Welker and the team's tight ends simply present more of a matchup problem for opposing defenses.

He has, however, been able to carve out a small place in the passing game. It will be interesting to see if he can build on that as teams start to focus more on Welker, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Can he regain his once-dominant form?

The Patriots-Cowboys game will be broadcast at 4:15pm on Fox 25.