Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys have some work to do on a short week, as the 2-1 Cowboys play host to the 3-0 Detroit Lions in Week 4.
Dallas has won two consecutive games after their heartbreaking Week 1 loss to the New York Jets. The Cowboys needed overtime to defeat the 49ers in San Francisco in Week 2, before battling injuries and simulated snap counts in Week 3 en route to an 18-16 win over the Washington Redskins.
This Sunday, though, the Cowboys will be facing one of the few 3-0 teams in the league: the Detroit Lions.
Detroit started the season off with a 27-20 win over the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay, before demolishing the Kansas Chiefs 48-3 at home in Week 2. The Lions rallied from a 20-0 deficit in Week 3 to defeat the Donovan McNabb-led Minnesota Vikings -- in Minnesota.
Dallas will represent Detroit's toughest test of the year, and conversely, the Lions' offense will be defensive coordinator Rob Ryan's biggest test of the year as well. Matthew Stafford has thrown for 977 yards and nine touchdowns against just two interceptions thus far on the season, and has one of the league's best receivers to throw to: Calvin Johnson. Johnson has 16 receptions on the year for 225 yards, but more impressively, he's been the recipient of two touchdown passes in each of Detroit's games this season.
Ryan will have to get creative with the defense, as it's certainly possible that the Cowboys will be without Terence Newman against the Lions. Newman, who was playing for the first time this season against the Redskins, appeared to have suffered a concussion in the fourth quarter. With the bye week looming after Week 4's contest against the Lions, it's likely that Dallas will play it safe with Newman.
Dallas' offense going to have to get the ball into the end zone against the Lions on Sunday. On Monday night, the Cowboys were forced to settle for six field goals en route to their victory over Rex Grossman's Redskins.
With Miles Austin likely sidelined for this week as well, it's imperative that Tony Romo and his receiving corps get on the same page. There were plenty of times during Monday's win over the Redskins that Romo and the wide receivers simply weren't in sync -- specifically on a third and goal play where Kevin Ogletree simply stopped running his route, and the ball was delivered to where Ogletree was supposed to be.
Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. CDT from Cowboys Stadium. Televised coverage can be found locally on FOX.