Tim Cowlishaw

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If you missed Wednesday's point-counterpoint between Todd Archer and David Moore, you have only yourselves and an understandable lack of faith in two veteran beat writers to blame.

Just to review, Archer thinks the Cowboys are elite, but as a lifelong soccer fan, he's overly impressed with the Cowboys' ability to score more than once a game.

Moore denies the Cowboys elite status, but then there are few things that really excite the wily Moore other than the 'I' key on his laptop.

Anyway, Archer and Moore were somewhat limited in the space they were given to discuss this topic. Fortunately, I have recovered nicely from Thursday's examination of a torn rotator cuff (would I make that up?) in which the prescription calls for exercise, therapy and greater use of middle irons off the tee.

Thus, I am here to tell you why Moore is right and Archer is who we thought he was (in other words, wrong) but has a chance to be right when it actually matters in January.

It all starts at Green Bay with a game that will be significantly tougher for Dallas than last week's win at Philadelphia. Yes, significantly.

I picked Dallas to beat the Eagles by five points based on the sacks and turnovers their pass rush would create. Four sacks, two Donovan McNabb interceptions and a four-point win later, I should consider retiring from picking games forever.

Instead, this menial job forces me to plow ahead. And so I pick the Cowboys to beat Green Bay by 3. Grudgingly. And with no real confidence that I got this one right.

(Did I type something about Moore and his "I" key? Perhaps I misspoke. Let's move on).

The fact that the Packers lost to Tampa Bay may hurt the Cowboys more than it helps.

Both statistically and to the naked eye, the Packers and Cowboys are not that different. Or at least they weren't until last week when Green Bay lost to a bad team.

Green Bay's other losses are to Cincinnati and to Minnesota twice. Like the Cowboys, they score right at 27 points a game. The Cowboys average about 28 more yards per game, but they allow more than 50 yards more than the Packers do.

At 4-4, this is it for Green Bay. Sometimes, those situations bring out the best in wild-card wannabes.

And it's a losable game for Dallas because Moore was correct in that the Cowboys cannot yet be called elite. If there are two elite teams in the NFC, they have to be 8-0 New Orleans and 7-1 Minnesota. Those teams have had some fortunate moments, but so did the Cowboys against a winless Kansas City team.

Expanding it to the NFL, here's how we know the Cowboys are not one of the five elite teams. (If you think there are more than five elite teams, you haven't been watching this product much).

If I say to pick five teams that could win the Super Bowl and if you are correct, I will give you $100 ... or $1,000 ... or even make it $10,000 – whatever it would take to get your Cowboys blinders off – do you pick Dallas?

Or do you take the logical approach and pick the defending champion Steelers, unbeaten Indianapolis, New England and then the top two NFC teams?

If you remain a Brett Favre doubter and drop Minnesota, you're ignoring that team's defense, Adrian Peterson and the Vikings' ability to win at home.

The Cowboys to this point haven't shown they should be picked ahead of 5-3 Arizona (Cards' schedule in second half is easier) or a 6-2 Cincinnati team that already has beaten Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Green Bay.

What has to happen for the Cowboys to become elite?

Tony Romo's efficiency with the football must remain intact. The running game has to become more consistent. And the secondary has to make winning plays in a game where the pass rush isn't mauling the opponent's line and quarterback.

When you have a quarterback and head coach that haven't produced in January, proving elite status is tough.

Of the five teams I said are elite, only New Orleans has a coach and quarterback without Super Bowl rings. And ownership of the league's most dangerous offense keeps the Saints in elite status.

But the Giants' Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning broke through 21 months ago, and no one ranked them as elite even entering December of that season. Or January, either.

It can happen. Good teams become great when they hit on rolls we don't always see coming.

The Cowboys aren't there yet. They need to pull off a difficult win Sunday before anyone really starts thinking about "elite" labels for them.