By Tony Moss, NFL Editor

(Sports Network) - It's safe to say the deck will be stacked against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

Marvin Lewis' club will travel to Texas Stadium as massive underdogs to the Dallas Cowboys, a status that has just as much to do with the home team as it does the visitor.

Dallas suffered a 26-24 home upset at the hands of the hated Washington Redskins last week, and in a crowded and talented NFC East, the Cowboys know they can ill-afford to lose another home game that they're expected to win.

In addition to the need to avoid losing ground, Dallas must erase the ugly specter of its first full-fledged controversy of 2008, which erupted in the wake of the Washington loss.

Following the contest, Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens was at his outspoken best, criticizing the offensive game plan. Owens, who caught seven passes for 71 yards and a touchdown in the loss, later in the week indirectly criticized quarterback Tony Romo for throwing him uncatchable passes.

The furor caused by the remarks figures to light a fire under the Cowboys, who have suddenly seen their Super Bowl viability questioned, even after notching impressive early-season wins over the Browns (28-10), Eagles (41-37), and Packers (27-16).

At the same time, the Bengals have no one to blame but themselves for their perceived Week 5 status as lambs being led to the slaughter.

Cincinnati is one of four remaining winless teams in the NFL, joining the Rams, Lions, and Texans, and is fresh off a 20-12 home loss to the previously 0-3 Cleveland Browns last Sunday.

That game was played minus quarterback Carson Palmer, who is nursing an elbow injury and is uncertain to play against the Cowboys. If Palmer can't go, backup Ryan Fitzpatrick would make his second straight start for Cincinnati.

It is possible that the Bengals could get a lift on Sunday from a couple of October additions.

Talented wide receiver and prodigal son Chris Henry has finished serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. The league gave the Bengals a one-week roster exemption for Henry, meaning he won't officially count against the 53-man roster unless the team chooses to play him on Sunday.

Also a possibility to make his 2008 debut is back Cedric Benson, who was signed as a free agent on Tuesday to shore up a beleaguered running back position. Benson, the No. 4 pick in the 2005 Draft out of Texas, started 11 games for the Bears last season but was cut prior to training camp after a series of off-the-field incidents.

SERIES HISTORY

The Cowboys hold a 5-4 edge in their all-time series with the Bengals, but were 26-3 road losers when the teams last met, in 2004. Dallas won the previous meeting, a 23-6 decision at Texas Stadium in 2000. The Bengals are 1-4 in Dallas all-time, with their only win there coming in 1988.

The Cowboys' Wade Phillips is 2-0 against the Bengals in his career, with a win each during stints with the Broncos and Bills. The Bengals' Lewis is 1-0 in his career against Dallas, and will be meeting Phillips for the first time as a head coach.

WHEN THE BENGALS HAVE THE BALL

Though Palmer's potential absence isn't going to be viewed as an indication that the Bengals are primed to rise from their current abyss, the unspoken reality is that Fitzpatrick just might be the better option at this stage. The woefully disappointing Cincinnati line has allowed 12 sacks thus far, and the mobile Fitzpatrick gives the Bengals a scrambling element that they simply don't possess with the plodding Palmer (514 passing yards, 1 TD, 3 INT) in the lineup. The Harvard product's first Bengals start was not a particularly memorable one, as he completed 21-of-35 passes for 156 yards with three sacks absorbed, a touchdown, and four turnovers (three INT, one fumble) in the brutal-to-watch defeat. But Fitzpatrick also led Cincinnati with 41 rushing yards on the day, and did enable wideout Chad Johnson (11 receptions, 1 TD) to catch his long-overdue first touchdown of the year. Fellow receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh (24 receptions, 1 TD) had six catches last week and is beginning to heat up. Chris Perry (208 rushing yards, 2 TD, 9 receptions) has not provided much of a spark in the running game, amassing just 28 yards on 12 carries last week and losing a fumble. As mentioned, the Bengals signed ex- Bear Cedric Benson to push Perry earlier this week.

The Cowboys have not been anything resembling a consistent defensive team thus far, ranking 18th in the league against the pass (210.8 yards per game), 16th against the run (103.5 yards per game) and joining the Lions as the only NFL teams that have yet to record an interception. The top feature of the defense has been the pass rush, which has totaled 12 sacks including a combined eight from outside linebackers DeMarcus Ware (21 tackles, 4 sacks) and Greg Ellis (10 tackles, 2 sacks) along with nose tackle Jay Ratliff (15 tackles, 2 sacks). But that effort hasn't meant big things on the back end for a high- profile group of defensive backs including Terence Newman (9 tackles), Anthony Henry (13 tackles, 2 sacks), Adam Jones (14 tackles), and Ken Hamlin (24 tackles). The run-stopping effort has also been hot-and-cold, and was more of the latter when the Redskins' Clinton Portis was rushing for 121 yards on 21 carries last week. Ends Marcus Spears (6 tackles) and Chris Canty (12 tackles, 1 sack) need to provide more of a presence at the point of attack, and inside linebackers Bradie James (21 tackles) and Zach Thomas (29 tackles, 1 sack) must make more plays behind them.

WHEN THE COWBOYS HAVE THE BALL

Though the Cowboys failed to finish off a couple of drives against the Redskins and didn't run the ball consistently, it is hard for anyone - Owens included - to argue that the team had a poor offensive day. Romo (1192 passing yards, 8 TD, 4 INT) completed 28-of-47 passes for 300 yards with three touchdowns and a pick on the day, and Owens (17 receptions, 4 TD), fellow wideout Patrick Crayton (15 receptions), and tight end Jason Witten (27 receptions, 1 TD) all had seven catches each. No. 3 receiver Miles Austin (7 receptions, 2 TD) caught a touchdown pass in the loss, as did Owens and Witten. That said, Dallas needs to show more interest in using a running game that includes a pair of great talents in Marion Barber (311 rushing yards, 12 receptions, 5 TD) and Felix Jones (148 rushing yards, 2 TD). Barber carried just eight times for 26 yards in the defeat, and Jones - who is averaging a whopping 8.2 yards per carry - did not have a single offensive touch. The Cowboys line has done a terrific job of protecting Romo, surrendering just three sacks through four games.

Romo is at his most dangerous when he has time to throw, and against a Bengals defense that has a grand total of two sacks in its first four games, that shouldn't be a problem. Safety Chinedum Ndukwe (19 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT) had the only sack of Cleveland's Derek Anderson last week, and joins end Antwan Odom (7 tackles) at the top of the team's short sacks list. Cincinnati could be in trouble in the secondary as well, as cornerback Johnathan Joseph (8 tackles) remains questionable with an ankle injury. If he fails to return, Leon Hall (10 tackles) and David Jones (13 tackles) would cover Owens and Crayton, with safeties Ndukwe and Marvin White (29 tackles) helping out over the top. The Bengals are 28th in the league against the run (164.2 yards per game), and could be without both linebacker Dhani Jones (foot) and tackle Domata Peko (hand), both of whom are questionable for Sunday. Linebackers Rashad Jeanty (30 tackles) and Keith Rivers (28 tackles) will join tackle John Thornton (14 tackles) in trying to slow Barber and the Dallas rushers.

FANTASY FOCUS

If you haven't already given up on Chad Johnson, it might be worthwhile to give him one more shot. Johnson might be able to tap into his former greatness this week, if only to equal the work of Owens. Houshmandzadeh looks like a viable starter as well, but it obviously makes sense to stay away from both Cincinnati quarterbacks, all of the team's running backs, the defense, and kicker Shayne Graham.

On the Dallas side, there are starters aplenty. Romo, Barber, Owens, and Witten are consistent point producers (no matter what happened last week), and kicker Nick Folk and No. 2 wideout Patrick Crayton are decent options as well. The Cowboys defense hasn't had a great number of turnovers forced, but against the woeful Bengals offense, all of that figures to change on Sunday.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

Owens complained after last week's loss about the approach of the offense, but the Cowboys really lost to the Redskins because they were unable to make a wealth of big plays on defense. The offense still got its yards and scored some points, and that trend isn't going to change against Cincinnati and its nondescript defense. Romo, in particular, should have all day to throw. Luckily for the Dallas defense, the Bengals and their surprisingly weak attack should also accommodate them with some turnovers. Cincinnati's poor line won't be able to keep the Cowboys pass rush off of Palmer, Fitzpatrick, or whoever plays quarterback with any kind of consistency.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Cowboys 34, Bengals 17