Owens update

Terrell Owens will be a game-time decision three weeks after hitting the shelf with a high ankle sprain, though he is back on the practice field.

"It was a limpthrough for him," Dallas head coach Wade Phillips told reporters after Monday’s workout, "and a walkthrough for others. He jogged some, but that was with the rehab people. He's favoring it."

However, a number of Cowboys, including Jason Witten, seemed confident that Owens would be in the lineup, so it could be a case of Phillips trying to keep his cards close to the vest.

Dallas downturn

The Cowboys head into Sunday’s game on a four-game against the spread losing streak, including a pair of outright losses. Dallas’ offense is catching most of the blame.

With Owens on the sidelines and Tony Romo’s romantic life all over the headlines, the Cowboys have scored just 32 points in the last three games. By comparison, Dallas cracked the 30-point barrier in eight different games this season and is averaging more than 28 points a game on the year.

All Eli, all the time

It’s tough being a Big Apple quarterback. Eli Manning had his struggles this season, throwing 23 interceptions, but it’s hard to get a fair shake from the New York media.

Manning still makes mistakes that a young quarterback is going to make, like his late interception against the Patriots in Week 16. He showed poise in taking care of the ball in last weekend’s win over Washington

“ I thought he did an excellent job, one of the best I've seen with regard to his utilization of his eyes and his pump-faking and his ability to recognize what he was trying to do, pulling defenders out of position so he could then go to other voids in the zone coverage," Giants coach Tom Coughlin told the New York Post. "He had great confidence that his protection was going to allow him to and that followed through. A very, very impressive game."

Manning has completed better than 71 percent of his passes against two of the best defenses in the league over the last two weeks. If the Giants stick to their running game, he can be effective.

Open the Barber shop

Without much to play for down the stretch the Dallas Cowboys limited running back Marion Barber to just 42 carries for 179 yards over Dallas’ last four games, so he’ll be ready to go this weekend.

The third-year back rushed for 973 yards on 4.8 yards per carry with 12 touchdowns and added 203 receiving yards with two touchdown catches despite the slow finish. Expect to see a lot of Barber on Sunday, especially if Owens is out. 

Road trippin’

Whether it’s the nasty New York fans or the swirling winds of Giants Stadium that gets Coughlin’s club down, it has been a much better home team this year. Last weekend’s win at Tampa Bay pushed New York to 7-2 against the spread on the road.

Familiar foes

Dallas has won and covered both of its meetings with the Giants this year, recording a 45-35 win as a 6 ½-point favorite in Week 1 and a 31-20 win as a two-point favorite in Week 10.