Cowboys writer Albert Breer answered questions about the team on Monday, Oct. 22.

Albert Breer: All right, time to get started. At 6-1, going into the bye week, the Cowboys are in as good a spot as could've been asked for with three big NFC East games on tap. And we're in a spot to answer what you throw at us.

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NoMoreTuna: The Cowboys appear to be sitting pretty at 6-1 heading into the bye week, but they haven't played all that well the last three weeks. How do you see them faring in that three-game stretch (at Philadelphia, at the New York Giants and Washington at home) when they return? Will that stretch determine if the Cowboys really are the NFC's elite team?

Albert Breer: Tuna-hater, I don't think you can get a great read on who the "elite" really are until after Thanksgiving. And even then, you might still have to wait (the Colts were terrible last December, for example.) That said, the three-game gauntlet that awaits them is, obviously, vital. If the Cowboys can come out of that run with two wins, I think you'd have to consider it a success. That would put them at 8-2 and, at the very least, in a tie for the best record in the NFC with the race for home field heating up.

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From e-mail: Is it safe to say that Marion Barber is the Cowboys' go-to running back now?

Albert Breer: The way I look at it is Barber got 19 carries yesterday, Jones got nine and that was even after Jones took four handoffs on the first drive. I don't think either of them looked great, but part of that's a function of playing the league's No. 1 run defense. Both of them will be better in December and January, though, because of this rotation. And remember, Barber's always been part of a platoon, going back to college, so keeping his comfort level there is something to monitor as well. One thing to keep an eye on: As much grief as Jones catches for running east-west, Barber did a little too much of that himself against the Vikes.

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dgam: What do the Cowboys need to fix heading into the bye?

Albert Breer: Well, the pass defense is, right now, the weak link. You couldn't see that against Tarvaris the Terrible yesterday. But the true test will probably come in three weeks in New York. The Cowboys should have Anthony Henry back by then, to pair with Newman, and Manning, Shockey and Burress will provide one heck of a measuring stick. Outside that, the Cowboys also need to cut down on the mental errors – the penalties mainly – and play more consistently from week to week in all areas. But it's real hard to find too much wrong with a 6-1 start.

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Jimbo: What is the status of Flozell Adams? He didn't look to stable walking to the sideline.

Albert Breer: He finished the game, Jimbo, so I think he's all right. Adams, by the way, has been a bright spot the last couple weeks in my opinion. He's done a good job sealing off the edge, facing Rosevelt Colvin and Ray Edwards, in pass protection, and really has been leaning on guys in the running game.

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CowFan07: Do you think the Giants are a better team than the Cowboys right now?

Albert Breer: CowFan, right now, I'd say the two teams are pretty even. Like everyone, I've been impressed with the Giants the last weeks, but look who they've done it against – a reeling Jets team, the bottom-of-the-barrel Falcons and the 49ers with Trent Dilfer at QB. That's not to say the Cowboys' schedule, aside from New England, has been a murderer's row. But they've been tested a bit. I think the one thing the Cowboys should be worried a bit about is that the Giants are improving each week. Their weak link, for example, was considered the secondary. And Aaron Ross has stepped in and help shore that up. Bottom line: The Giants team the Cowboys face on Nov. 11 is a different one than they saw in the opener.

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reddy: What's up with Tony Romo's hamstring?

Albert Breer: He was hobbling a bit going into the locker room, but looks like he'll be fine. Like Flo Adams, he finished the game. And now he has a week off. If I were you, Reddy, I wouldn't worry too much

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TO81: Just how valuable is Mat McBriar to this team?

Albert Breer: TO, there's no overstating how big McBriar was yesterday. Three times, he pinned the Vikings inside the 10 and led to the Cowboys offense getting the ball back in prime position. Plus, he had a 50.5-yard net average. The special teams were huge and – apologies to Chris Canty and Patrick Watkins – McBriar was the star of that show.

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Jason L: Have teams completely taken away the Cowboys' deep passing game? It seems the Cowboys have taken almost no shots down the field the last few weeks.

Albert Breer: Yes, they have been. The big-play guy in the Cowboy offense is Terrell Owens and the Vikings bracketed him for part of yesterday's game and consistently had a safety over-the-top to help on him. That left Romo to pick Minnesota apart underneath, which he did. The Patriots, on the other hand, worked harder to take Witten out of the game. And Romo adjusted to that fairly well, too. On the whole, this offense isn't a big vertical passing unit, anyway. If the opponent's taking away the threat of T.O. hitting the home run, then you'll see what you saw yesterday in a controlled, short passing game.

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webicky: Is T.O as good for Dallas as he was for Philly, in terms of production?

Albert Breer: Webicky, if you're talking about the T.O. of 2004, no. That Terrell Owens changed the face of every game he was in and, without knowing for sure, I'd guess this T.O. – at 33 – isn't quite the gamebreaker he was in Philly. But he's still a good enough receiver to where he's got to be accounted for on an every-down basis, and he's still a guy who can do pretty much anything that's asked of him in the passing game.

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Cowboys4Life: Do you think coming out in the no-huddle contributed to the opening-drive touchdown? Is that something we can expect on a week-to-week basis?

Albert Breer: I can't say for sure whether it did or didn't. But what the no-huddle can do is help to establish rhythm offensively, and there's little question the Cowboys had that on their first drive. Is it going to work every week? Well, I'd say part of the decision to do it was specific to the Vikings. One reason you go no huddle is to stop the other team from substituting. And against Minnesota, that means keep the two Williams', great run-stuffers, not great pass rushers, on the field in all situations. So that probably played into the decision to go no-huddle. But if the coaches feel like it work to get the offense going, it would make sense to roll it out again in Philly.

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NY Cowboy Fan: Should I still be looking forward to Terry Glenn's return or is that more of a pipe dream than anything?

Albert Breer: Cowboy, the best info I can give you is that Glenn is trying to come back. But after multiple knee operations on a player in his mid-30s, I think the best approach is probably to see anything he can give you as a bonus. I don't think the team is counting on his return.

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Brandon: How close is Jason Hatcher playing himself into a starting position?

Albert Breer: Brandon, while Hatcher's certainly playing well and making big plays on passing downs, who are you going to bench? And with Tank Johnson coming in here, the D-line rotation is about to get even more crowded. Wade's first priority, as he's stated over and over, is to stop the run. On early downs, that means Spears and Canty are the best options at end. And there really is no telling how Hatcher would handle increased snaps. Bottom line: He's bringing a good spark off the bench to an area that's otherwise strong, so there's really not a big need for changing there.

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Lonestar: Would Julius Jones be more effective if they threw a few more screens and hit him in the flats more often? He seems like he can be effective in open space.

Albert Breer: Jones actually seems to work better and more decisively in space, Lone Star (with the caveat that I haven't watched him closely for that long). And he had four catches yesterday, so it's not like they haven't been trying to get him the ball in those spots. I think it's possible he could be utilized better in the running game on outside zone and toss plays.

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miken7: How would you rate Roy Williams' play yesterday? I noticed one big play in the third quarter where he knocked down a pass. It was one of those "finally!" moments.

Albert Breer: From what I've seen Williams can do a good enough job in coverage if you put him in the right place to succeed – and that's underneath as a nickel linebacker on passing downs. He still looks like a top-notch run defender to me, but, as always, can be had in the passing game, particularly on early downs when more is asked of him.

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jrs2300: Once again we saw alot of different formations with Owens in the backfield. Where was those plays vs. New England? We didn't need to show those cards vs. Minnesota.

Albert Breer: I think the offense is continuing to evolve under a new coordinator, and more and more, you're seeing creativity here – not only with Owens in backfield, but also tight ends split out, in the slot and motioning to fullback. Part of this is a lack of skill-position depth, forcing some ingenuity by the coaches. But part of it too is the comfort level the players are feeling with Garrett's offense, and the comfort level Garrett has in expanding his game-plans.

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Mark: Do you think Tank Johnson will start against the Giants on Nov. 11? I can't imagine him being any better than Jay Ratliff has been.

Albert Breer: I think it may turn into one of those "It doesn't matter who starts" situations. Ratliff has been much better than I think anyone could've expected. Ideally, Tank's good enough to become the starter – as an early-down run-stopper – with a rotation making the snaps between the two about even.

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gwfstr: Look down the remainder of the schedule and tell us where the Cowboys finish the year. Is this a Super Bowl team?

Albert Breer: I think the Cowboys lose three to four more games, putting them at 12-4 or 11-5. And I think home field is huge. The Giants, Redskins, Panthers and Lions are right on the Cowboys' heels, and all four remain on Dallas' schedule. If the Cowboys can go 12-4 – I think they lose in New York and Detroit and split with the 'Skins – that should be good enough to make the NFC playoff road go through Texas Stadium. And in that circumstance, yes, this is a Super Bowl-level team. Remember what I said earlier, though. You don't really get answers in this league until after Thanksgiving.

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Star in WV: Given that the lineup has not substantially changed from last year, why the 6-1 record? Is it that Tuna's schemes were just too predictable and conserative or is it that no one has quite figured out how to play us yet?

Albert Breer: Here's a big part of 6-1 – Chicago, Miami, Buffalo, St. Louis, Minnesota. You can only play who's on the schedule. But I think Parcells goes 6-1 against that slate, too. Again, the jury's still out on this team, even playing in the weak-sister conference.

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Collin Mc.: Do you think Jason Garrett will be gone after this season?

Albert Breer: If the Cowboys win a playoff game, I think it's a distinct possibility. Here are the names you need to remember: Mangini and Kiffin. They are the poster boys for an NFL trend of hiring young coaches. Garrett's the kind of dynamic coaching prospect that someone will come hard after, and that'll make him difficult to keep.

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Albert Breer: Thanks for getting in on this, everyone. Appreciate the time – I'm sure all of your bosses do, too – and we'll see you around the way.