Going into their crucial Sunday night game against the NFC East-rival New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys know they can't afford any more losses if they are to secure one of the two wild-card berths. But as good as the Giants are looking as 11-2 conference frontrunners, a strong three-game swing has the power to propel the Cowboys as the new team to beat.

Last season, the roles were reversed. The Cowboys won the » Full column