Many of you are probably rolling your eyes both at the very stale cliche’ and the idea that a Rams team without their star RB Steven Jackson, an O-line playing musical chairs before each game, and a QB that is nursing broken ribs can surprise Dallas and limp out of Texas Stadium with a win Sunday. I also understand that this warning is like telling Texas Ranger fans that they better hurry and get their season tickets before they run out.

But, it’s happened before.

You can’t be a Cowboys fan and ignore the stark reality that this team has historically fallen to down-and-out teams after a spirit of overconfidence and laziness overtook them. Does anyone remember the very first game of the expansion Houston Texans on national TV on their turf? How about the 9-5 Dallas Cowboys in 1985 losing to the 7-7 Bengals 54-20 at Texas Stadium? I could go on…

Here’s another cliche’. The Cowboys simply have to take care of business this Sunday. If they put mental sharpness and unequivocal focus in their arsenal against St. Louis, this game will be over by halftime. If Dallas stumbles, and lets St. Louis stay close most of the game, then there is that deadly scenario staring all of us in the face of Bulger facing a Cowboys secondary that loves to give up the big pass play.

Rams WR Isaac Bruce has guaranteed a win. If he’ll look back at some of the verbal promises that the Giants’ Brandon Jacobs and Miami’s Joey Porter declared before they faced Dallas, then he’ll see how that turned out.

Isaac, may the best man win.

Some other notes and observations heading into Game 4:

1. Wade Phillips has given Greg Ellis a “50-50 chance” of playing Sunday. I don’t see that happening.
2. Dallas really needs Newman in there this Sunday even more than just the nickel packages considering St. Louis’ deadly receiving corps.
3. You hear that defense wins games, but that must mean that the offense has to contribute to a degree. The Rams’ D-unit is ranked 7th in the NFL and the offense is 25th.
4. I’m beginning to wonder if we’ve seen Terry Glenn for the last time.
5. How’s that 3-4 defense that Wade Phillips has installed? Dallas leads the league in INT’s and turnover ratio.
6. There will be a segment on Tony Romo during ESPN’s NFL Countdown and on the FOX pre-game show. FOX’s Terry Bradshaw interviewed Romo at Valley Ranch and was seen leaving with a Dallas Cowboys baseball cap on his head. Don’t you know Art Rooney is turning over in his grave!