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OXNARD, Calif. – The player who will determine whether the Cowboys' defense is good or great doesn't even start.

His name: Anthony Spencer.

Seriously.

If he's the pass-rushing difference-maker Dallas believed he'd be when it took him with the 26th pick of the first round in 2007, the Cowboys' pass rush will be every bit as good as the Giants' pass rush was last season when they won the Super Bowl.

The Giants shut down Tony Romo, Brett Favre and Tom Brady. That's what a dominating pass rush can do.

That's the kind of potential the Cowboys' pass rush will have if Spencer joins DeMarcus Ware and Greg Ellis as elite pass-rushers. One of them should always be in a one-on-one situation, and that's a battle they should win most times.

If Spencer develops, it means Dallas has a good chance to become the first team in eight years to have three players with at least 10 sacks each.

New Orleans did it in 2000, finishing with a league-high 66 sacks. The Saints ranked eighth in the league in defense, but lost their first playoff game to Minnesota, 34-16.

Jacksonville did it in 1999, when it recorded 57 sacks and ranked fourth in defense. Tennessee beat the Jaguars, 33-14, in the AFC Championship Game.

It probably sounds a little optimistic considering, the Cowboys didn't have a player with double-digits sacks from 1996, when Tony Tolbert did it, until Ware achieved the feat in 2006.

We know Ware and Ellis are capable of getting 10 sacks. The question is whether Spencer can elevate his game. It won't take as much improvement as you think. Last season, he showed the potential to make plays with 36 tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles in limited playing time.

Besides, the Cowboys should have one of the NFL's best secondaries. They sent Ken Hamlin, Roy Williams and Terence Newman to the Pro Bowl last season, and Anthony Henry led the team with six interceptions. They also added first-round pick Mike Jenkins and Adam Jones, the sixth player selected in the 2005 draft.

This unit's ability to consistently cover one-on-one, whether opposing offenses use formations with three, four or five receivers, will give Spencer the extra fraction of a second he needs to get to the quarterback.

Spencer, Ware and Ellis should also get more opportunities to sack the quarterback because the Cowboys' offense is so good Dallas should be playing from ahead much of the time, forcing opponents to throw the ball.

Nothing helps a pass rush like a lead.

Then there's coach Wade Phillips' creative approach to rushing the passer, which is the best thing he does.

It's no accident Dallas had 46 sacks last season, ranking third in the NFL in Phillips' first season. He likes to blitz and use imaginative schemes that give his players an opportunity to hit the quarterback consistently.

No one should be surprised when Spencer, Ware and Ellis line up on the field together. Each is capable of rushing the passer from a two-point stance or with his hand on the ground.

Really, Spencer is just happy he doesn't have to spend this season thinking about what he's supposed to do every play. These days, he can react and take advantage of his first-step quickness and improved hand technique.

He spent quite a bit of the off-season working on ways to free himself from offensive linemen once they get their hands on him. That's the difference between being just a guy and a good player.

"I really just want to be better than I was last year," Spencer said. "That's always my goal. I just want to be better."

If he is, the Cowboys will be significantly better.