Do you know how to spook Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Tony Roma this time of the year? Just simply remind him, “It’s December.”

Romo would probably flash an expression that showed concern that the good times, for another year, are over. Now comes the nightmare that is December and January. Some say, mostly Cowboys fans, that Romo is just a good December and January away from being elevated to the NFL elite quarterbacks. This claim offers hope for Dallas, but it doesn’t acknowledge the more imposing statistic that shows Tony Romo has lost only two games in November during his NFL career, but has led the Cowboys to just over 32% winners in December, and even a lower percentage in January.

This decline in the Cowboys fortunes at the end of a regular season, and in every playoff game, does not have to last forever. There is no deemed provision that commands the Cowboys fold like a cheap suit every winter, but that is exactly what has happened this entire decade under a pair of head coaches, Bill Parcells, and their current mentor, Wade Phillips. If the Cowboys do fade this December, it could end the coaching reign of Phillips in Dallas.

Jerry Jones didn’t shell out more than a billion dollars on a new stadium to count on a coach that is discovering things about himself while his team fades to black long before the competition closes in on the Vince Lombardi Trophy. From purely a motivational level, I would say Dallas has the need to focus on their stretch drive this year; they are one division leader that is not overconfident on their chances of winning their division.

But, even with that motivation, the Cowboys get two strikes against them, their history, and this week’s matchup with the New York Giants.

Two years ago, Tom Coughlin guided the Giants to a Super Bowl win over the previously unbeaten New England Patriots. New York had started that season with a pair of losses, against Dallas and Green Bay, and was trailing at halftime on the road against the Washington Redskins when something just clicked. They came from behind to beat Washington at FedExField, which began a six game winning streak that led to a Wild Card postseason berth, which they parlayed into four straight road wins and a Super Bowl triumph.

You would think, off that extraordinary end to a season that began so poorly, that New York could have had a letdown in 2008. Quite to the contrary, they equaled the best record in the National Football Conference last season and earned home field advantage in the playoffs.

The Giants didn’t do anything with their home field advantage, losing a Divisional Playoff game to the Philadelphia Eagles in their only postseason appearance.

How good would they be this year?

Early returns on the 2009 Giants were very positive, a 44-7 trouncing of the Oakland Raiders in Week Five set up a contest between two undefeated teams in Week Six at New Orleans. On that day, the Saints proved they were the better team this year, and the Giants absorbed a 48-17 dominating effort by their hosts.

Most figured the Giants would recover the following week at home against the Arizona Cardinals, but Kurt Warner clearly out-dueled Eli Manning and the Giants were handed their second straight loss. Favored at Philadelphia the next week, no one could picture New York losing three straight, the Giants lost again, as the Eagles won at Lincoln Financial Field. The following Sunday, back at home, the Giants surrendered a late touchdown that earned the San Diego Chargers a 1-point win in Week Nine.

The Giants open date on their schedule was the NFL’s tenth weekend, and the break was supposed to offer New York an opportunity to regroup.

The Giants snapped their four game losing streak in Week 11 against the Atlanta Falcons, requiring overtime to win a game while losing their fifth straight point spread decision. That string was extended to six consecutive point spread losses last week when the Giants were dominated on Thanksgiving night by the Denver Broncos, 26-6.

Rock bottom.

What we therefore get this week at Giants Stadium is a New York team that has had 10 days to prepare for this game after their holiday loss in the Mile High City; they are both rested and motivated. Their opponent, the Dallas Cowboys, are alone in first place after winning six of seven games, currently holding a one-game lead over the talented Philadelphia Eagles and a two game bulge over this week’s opponent, the New York Giants.

In other words, if the Giants lose this game they fall three games behind the Cowboys and pretty much out of the playoff hunt. If the Cowboys win it, they are assured of maintaining at least a one game lead over the second-place Eagles and shove the Giants three games back.

The Cowboys really want this one; the Giants really, really need it … and, in all likelihood, will get it.

Which brings us back to poor Tony Romo, who is going to unfairly get hit with derogatory stories about his December performances after the Cowboys lose this one. If I could defend him in the court of public opinion, I just want to point out that this game was unwinnable for any opponent that met the Giants in Week 13 … it wasn’t his fault.

The defense rests.

Qoxhi Picks: New York Giants (+3) over Dallas Cowboys