Underachieving Cowboys still look good as favorites

Six weeks after opening the season in style, the Dallas Cowboys have been exposed for their lack of substance. The logo on quarterback Tony Romo's helmet should be a falling star.

But there is plenty of manure to spread around for the Cowboys' early-season collapse. Throw some on coach Jason Garrett and wide receiver Dez Bryant, among others. One of the NFL's most talented teams is buried in the NFC East basement at 2-3.

And for anyone who claims Dallas' talent is not as good as advertised, I'll point out the Cowboys rank No. 2 in the league in total defense and No. 6 in total offense. The talent is there; the win-loss results are not.

Romo's interceptions, Bryant's inconsistency and Garrett's game-management gaffes are three primary reasons for the discontent in Dallas. None of it is too surprising, because we know the Cowboys are underachievers. We also suspect they are not dead yet.

This is one of those "public square" plays that will be opposite the so-called sharps, but I'm taking a chance on the Cowboys as 2-point favorites at Carolina on Sunday.

As bad as Romo has been, Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has been worse. Call it a sophomore jinx or say Newton has been scouted better and defenses no longer so easily are fooled by him. Maybe his freshman season in the NFL was more of a fluke.

Newton has completed 58.8 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and five interceptions. He has been sacked 13 times. The ground attack has not given him enough support, and now Pro Bowl center Ryan Kalil is out for the season.

If Newton is on the run, Dallas outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware, who has 31½ sacks in his past 24 games, can chase him down. The Panthers, 1-4 and outscored by 33 points, rank 23rd in total offense.

The Carolina defense also ranks 23rd. The Cowboys piled up 227 yards rushing in Week 6 against Baltimore, and a commitment to the run would help Romo, who is 3-0 as a starter against the Panthers.

In Week 8, the Cowboys host the New York Giants, the team they upset to open the season, before trips to Atlanta and Philadelphia. This is the softest spot on their schedule in a five-week stretch.

It's not a must-win spot for Garrett and Romo, but it's as close as it gets.

Four more plays for Week 7 (home team in CAPS):

■ RAMS (+5½) over Packers: A year ago, St. Louis went 2-14 straight up and 3-12-1 against the spread. How much has changed under coach Jeff Fisher? The Rams are 5-1 ATS with home wins over Arizona, Seattle and Washington. After blowing out Houston in Week 6, it won't come so easily for Green Bay this time. That's how this league usually works.

■ Redskins (+6) over GIANTS: For some odd reason, the Giants are at their worst as home favorites. They also dropped both meetings with Washington last season, including a 23-10 loss as 6-point home favorites. Redskins rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III is proving he can put up points against the strongest defenses.

■ BUCCANEERS (+2½) over Saints: Drew Brees is saying all the right things, and his team is off a bye, but there is no fixing what's wrong with New Orleans' defense. The Saints, 5-10 ATS in their past 15 tries as road favorites, were upset 26-20 at Tampa Bay last year, and that was with coach Sean Payton.

■ Lions (+6½) over BEARS: Before the bye, Chicago was coasting and playing its best. Sometimes, the bye comes at a bad time. The Lions gained confidence with their comeback win at Philadelphia in Week 6. The only certainty is both quarterbacks, Jay Cutler and Matthew Stafford, will throw passes into double coverage and up for grabs. I'll take Detroit as a 'dog and hope Calvin Johnson makes Stafford look good.

Last week: 4-1 against the spread

Season: 21-9

Contact sports betting columnist Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. He co-hosts "The Las Vegas Sportsline" weekdays at 2 p.m. on ESPN Radio (1100 AM, 98.9 FM). Follow him on Twitter: @mattyoumans247.