Divisional Playoff Preview: Cowboys @ Vikings

Dallas @ Minnesota (Sun, 1:00, FOX)
The Cowboys looked dominant in a playoff season chock full of blowouts. Brett Favre and the Vikings are looking to continue the playoff trend at home in the Metrodome.
After beating the Eagles convincingly in their last two games, the Cowboys have focused their attention on Brett Favre and the Vikings. Tony Romo has beaten the December jinx and looks unstoppable. The Cowboys as a whole team are on fire. On offense, the running game has moved to the outside with Felix Jones turning in career performances with Marion Barber being stuffed on the inside. The biggest story this season on offense has to be the emergence of Miles Austin. Austin has given Romo a deep threat to complement Jason Witten across the middle. The always reliable Witten has been Romo's main target for the past few years and with the emergence of Austin, the middle has opened up for Witten. Adding to the fact that Witten has always been matchup problem for any defense, he should have a good game against the depleted Minnesota linebacking corps.
On defense, the Cowboys have shown that they could be the best defense in the league. The inside rush from Jay Ratliff and the pass rush off the corner from DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer have wreaked havoc in the past month. The real surprise has been the secondary. Mike Jenkins is proving why is was one of top shutdown corners in college and Terence Newman has been a good complement on the other side.
But the biggest improvement for the Cowboys has been in the kickoff game. David Buehler has been the neutralizer on kick returners all season and look for at least four touchbacks from him today.
For the Vikings, Brett Favre looks like he could play another couple years in the league. Favre has so many weapons to attack opposing defenses, starting with Adrian Peterson. Peterson has had the pressure taken off of him sicne Favre came to Minnesota and has flown under the radar running for almost 1400 yards in the regular season. In the air, Sidney Rice has been Favre's favorite target. With a cast of receivers that includes Bernard Berrian, Percy Harvin and Visanthe Shiancoe, and even Peterson out of the backfield, the Cowboys defense will have to keep all of these players covered because Favre can throw a strike to anyone of them in an instant.
The Vikings defense suffered a big blow when linebacker E.J. Henderson suffered a season-ending injury in Week 13 at Arizona. The linebackers have been the best part of the Viking defense all season but when Henderson went down, opposing teams found a weakness they could attack. Another weakness is the health of Antoine Winfield. Winfield will play today but is not at 100%, look for Miles Austin to be matched up against him and for Romo to go after Winfield a lot, that is if Jared Allen doesn't get to Romo first. Allen needs to have a huge game rushing the quarterback to help out the secondary in coverage. Along with Allen, Pat and Kevin Williams will need to get pressure up the middle as well.
5 Players to Watch for the Cowboys
WR Miles Austin
LB DeMarcus Ware
LB Anthony Spencer
KOS David Buehler
TE Jason Witten
5 Players to Watch for the Vikings
DE Jared Allen
QB Brett Favre
LB Jasper Brinkley
RB Adrian Peterson
TE Visanthe Shiancoe
Key Matchup: Cowboys OL Flozell Adams vs. Jared Allen
Prediction: Vikings