At this point, we are all familiar with the various storylines for the Vikings game. Can Romo finally show the necessary poise and playmaking skill to win a huge game against his boyhood idol, Favre? Can D-Ware and Spencer fly off the corners, beat McKinnie and Loadholt, and tee off on graybeard? Can Felix Jones and Miles Austin continue their breakout seasons and reel off the big plays that put a defense on its heels?

But what about some of the lesser discussed pieces of the Dallas puzzle? Here are five guys (and a bonus) that could come up big, and make a major, game-changing play or two.

1. Martellus Bennett

MartyB, what the hell happened? We all thought the twin TE set with you and Witten was going to be unstoppable. Bennett was showing flashes of real gamebreaker skills, but lately he has fallen off the face of the earth. When the ball does go his way, he has shown suspect hands and I don't think he has broken a tackle or done much in the way of YAC even when he makes the catch. But this guy is supposed to have Vernon Davis-type athleticism. Step it up MartyB!

2. John Phillips

Talk about stepping up, Phillips has all but snatched MartyB's 2nd TE spot and everytime he touches the ball good things happen. Two catches for 14 yards in the end-of-season Philly matchup and a TD catch in the wildcard rematch might not sound overwhelming, but they reflect an emerging player that can contribute in clutch situations because: a) He catches the ball and makes the play when the game is on the line, and b) Defenses aren't focused on him. Don't forget he had 3 big catches against New Orleans for 40 yards. Is he (and not Bennett) the true answer in twin TE sets to bookend Witten?

3. Orlando Scandrick

I'll admit, I have been hard on Scandrick in comments and fanposts. But I am starting to really like this guy. He covers the slot and the short routes, which is exactly what Dallas needs. You may see Jenkins picking off bombs and breaking up TD passes, but Scandrick is doing the blue-collar work over the middle chasing down TEs and and pass catching RBs. Remember, Scandrick was once competing with Jenkins for the 2nd CB spot for a reason-- the coaches saw something in this kid.

4. Bobby Carpenter

Also a much-maligned Cowboy who has stepped up as of late to silence his critics. I don't need to remind anyone Barbie recovered two fumbles against Philly. I have always thought Carpenter was the kind of guy who is around the action, but a little late in getting there. But his penchant for being near the play is paying off-- those two fumble recoveries are a result of reacting well and sniffing out the action. As Carpenter gets more instinctive, we could have a playmaking nickel LB on our hands. I can't emphasize enough how awesome that would be. Getting teams off the field on 3rd downs is a big concern with this otherwise stellar Cowboys D. Having Carpenter in those passing situations to lock down the middle (and even occassionally blitz) could make all the difference. Let's see if he can hang with Shiancoe on 3rd downs.

5. Sam Hurd

Sam Hurd was once considered the front-runner over Miles Austin among the Cowboys young receivers. Let that sink in. Think about it. Were the coaches crazy? Were they blind to Austin's skills? Or does Hurd have untapped potential. I keep thinking about his big play capability-- a 53 yarder against Denver and a 36 yard TD reception against Seattle were tantalizing. But I also think about how he came up short against Denver when the game was on the line (granted he was being covered by Champ Bailey). The Viking safeties are suspect. Their corners can do a decent job against our #1 and #2 receivers. But those 3rd and 4th receivers are gonna get opportunities. Will Hurd capitalize? I like Ogletree. We all like Ogletree. But let's not forget Hurd (who is also a special teams contributor). This guy could be another Miles Austin-type breakout waiting to happen.

Bonus

Victor Butler

Why is he a bonus and not included in the five above? Because who knows if he will even get on the field. Probably not, as the Cowboys will be scared to throw a rookie into such a pivotal game with the season on the line. But this guy has been a monster when he gets the chance. My nickname for him is the Microwave-- because he heats it up quick. Anyone remember those two quick sacks against Carolina? How about his Week 9 sack of Donovan McNabb? Butler doesn't get many chances, but he is a classic example of a guy who makes the most of his opportunities. I'm not saying we should sub out Spencer or (god forbid) Ware. But if one of them needs a breather, we could always Microwave Favre like last night's meatloaf..

Poll

Well, you have heard my thoughts on some of the supporting cast members who may steal the show. Who do you think is going to come up big?

I just want to provide a post where all the Philly fans out there can come over and badmouth the Cowboys. It's a little quiet around here without all the chatter in the comment section. Where are the posts about spitting on the star? Where are all the photo-shopped pictures of Romo? Huh.

I'm still waiting for comments about how Romo can't win big games, or about how he ruined it for his team by taking a trip to Vegas earlier in the season. Where are all the posts about how DeSean Jackson is better than Miles Austin? Celek still better than Witten? At least pop in for a minute to accuse us of being "Bandwagon" (whatever that means).

Haven't heard a peep from Bye Dawk since the game. Read your "Eff You, We're Winning Anyway!" post on BGN. Good stuff. Just thought you might want a post where you can come over and laugh about how Romo chokes under pressure. He's not a cool hand like McFlabb (Vick? Who is the Philly QB these days, anyway?).Come tell me how ignorant I am because I think the Philly LBs suck. Come tell me that it's ridiculous to say the Eagles are a team in decline. Gonna start Klob next year?

Hope everything is alright. It's mighty quiet. Is there a snow storm in Philly shutting down internet access or something?

Dallas was lucky to get Roy Williams for the price. A handful of draft picks? Please... those are lottery tickets. Roy is an annuity. Why?

Because he is a physical specimen. He is a true #1 WR. Those guys are like LTs and 3-4 NTs. There just aren't very many human beings with the right combo of size, speed and strength to fill that role. Look around the league. You have to have that type of big body threat in your WR1 spot. Randy Moss, Larry Fitzgerald, Hines Ward, TO, even guys like Muhsin Muhammed. I don't care if they go a whole game without a catch, they are still absolutely crucial to have on the field. And teams that don't have them, suffer. Anyone calling for Austin and Hurd to be the #1 and #2, doesn't understand the requirements of a #1 WR. Yeah, Austin is phenomenal and Hurd is showing flashes, but neither one has that WR1 build.

I know Roy has missed some balls, but Romo hasn't been putting them in the right spots either. And Roy looks dangerous every time the ball is thrown his way. He is also a great teammate-- he has repeatedly accepted the blame with no primadonna hissy fits and the man blocks downfield. Everytime. 

He would have been justified in calling out Romo after he was hung out to dry by a bad pass against the Broncos and suffered a nasty rib injury. But I didn't hear a peep.

I believe he will start catching balls and making plays. But even if he doesn't, he is the only #1 WR on our roster. Period.

Ware is getting to the passer so fast they can't react. Ratliff is the best nose tackle in the league (there, I said it). Spencer is always around the play, if not quite the playmaker yet. Buehler is booming them-- maybe the most important addition of the off season. Sensabaugh is flying around the secondary, even if it leaves us open at times. Hamlin is sold. But you know what sums it up?

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Remember all those years old man Ellis was grumbling about not getting enough respect and pay? Looks like he was right. He has three sacks and one forced fumble in Oakland so far-- more than our entire defense has generated. And he is doing it in the abyss of Oakland without DeMarcus Ware to draw double teams on the other side. Reading this quote from ScarletO's piece really drives home the point:

"For those wishing to dump their stock, look at Anthony Spencer for justification.  Ratliff and Ware were occupying two or three blockers on almost every pass play, while one guy was keeping Spencer away from Eli for almost the entire game"

I know Spencer broke up a pass and almost intercepted it, but that isn't really why he was drafted. He needs to show some ability to rush the passer. Not only are we missing Ellis's production, Ware and Co. are looking a lot less threatening without Ellis on the other side. 

I also want to point out that blitzing Bobby Carpenter is a complete waste of time. Watch his feeble attempt to rush the passer on the play where the Giants WR bobbled and caught a TD pass-- it was ridiculous. It looks like he is slow-dancing with his blocker. He needs to stay in coverage if he is even going to be on the field.

Based on his performance against Minnesota, it really looks like Rudy Carpenter is a better QB than Stephen McGee. I understand McGee was a draft pick, but if we are going on pure merit, Carpenter showed a lot more. In fact, I would go so far as to say the Boys should have had a QB competition between McGee and Carpenter in camp and kept the winner as a backup.

Trading Henry for Kitna was ridiculous given that Kitna was about to hit the street anyway, and as another post mentioned, I would like to have seen Henry get a shot at that safety position. I haven't seen anything from Kitna to be excited about-- he holds onto the ball too long, much like Bledsoe in the later years. Dallas would be fine with Carpenter as the only back up. Use the extra roster spot to pick an additional OL off waivers-- McQuistan and Proctor are terrible.