How to approach this season if you're a Cowboys fan

I am over 2008. It was a major dissappointment, probably the biggest dissappointment of the year in Professional Sports. But it's over. It happened. I kind of have a similiar atttitude to the one that I had two yea rs ago at this time. Two years ago, the Cowboys were coming off a wildcard playoff choke job against Seattle. And once it was over it was over. I knew, or at least figured that whenever the question of "How are the Cowboys going to do this year?" and my reply went somewhere along the lines of "they probably have as much say in the big picture as anyone" . That's the same for this year. The experts are quick to assume that Wade Phillips won't change, he's too nice and too much of a cheerleader. There isn't any question that the Cowboys have as much talent as any team, if not the MOST. It's the discipline. It's simple though for Coach Phillips. This team not only needs to be in the playoffs but win a game or two in order for him to be back as the head man in 2010. The best scenario in my mind if '09 turns out to be more of the same "underachieving talent", that Mike Shanahan ought to be brought in and Wade to be moved over to where he probably belongs, defensive coordinator. It's all a just wait and see kind of thing. And it's only June 17.

What do the so called experts really know?

The Cowboys are kind of under the radar from an expectation standpoint. Based on what happened in 2008. A year ago at this time, they were almost a unanimous pick to at least be in the Super Bowl, which was based on 2007. 2007 was when they were the best team in the NFC but choked in the playoffs. 2008 was when they had lofty expectations but had lots of injuries, which basically made them like a track star on crutches. Romo breaking a finger and missing three games, two of them lossess. Losing their pro-bowl caliber punter for the year in week 6. Losing Felix Jones in the same game, also for the year. Romo broke his finger in the SAME damned game at Arizona. The turmoil followed based on the team all of a sudden under achieving. It turned into drama. Marion Barber hurting his toe on Thanksgiving in an easy win against Seattle (Isn't that usually when a key injury happens? A game that you are winning without breaking a sweat), caused him to be less than 50 percent in the last four games. He didn't play at all against Pittsburgh. If he had, they would have closed that one out for sure. Choice filled in for him decently but there wasn't any other runner in there to spell him since Felix Jones was lost back in October. Felix was an upgrade from Julius, who was an average back on a 13-3 team in '07. Both he and Barber are back 100 percent. The only real question mark I think is at the number one receiver slot obviously. Roy Williams has potential but the Cowboys could very well be better and more effective if they mix in a nice 50-50 run, pass ratio. And Williams could have dynamic year if teams don't take him nearly as serious as T.O. This team if harnessed right and healthy, is going to be very good. By harnessed, I mean, team concept, accepting the roles, and DISCIPLINE. And as I recall, in a few other instances where, nobody talked about a team going into a season, then the team wound up a suprise or should I say, better than everyone thought. The 2007 Giants. The 2008 Cardinals. The 1995 Packers come to mind as a team that had lost I think NINE free agents, and not much was done to compensate much less improve the team according to the so-called experts. And they made it to the NFC Championship game, battling valiantly before losing to the eventual Super Bowl Champ Cowboys, and then dominating and winning it all the following year. Remember the 1999 Rams? They came out of nowhere. The 2001 Patriots were unheralded until Bledsoe goes down in week 2 and this unknown named Tom Brady steps in and the rest is history. Tony Romo was an unknown before he took over for Bledsoe in 2006 in the seventh game of the season and has gone 27-12. And the Cowboys of 2009 certainly wouldn't be looked at as a team that came from nowhere to go on a playoff run. People are quick to base something off of the year before when it comes to negativity without remembering the facts and circumstances of why this highly touted bunch only went 9-7 and missed the playoffs. I mean there were probably FIVE games last year that the Cowboys should have won but didn't and that's just how the ball bounces. Then there is the coaching thing. Who is to say that Wade Phillips doesn't finally have his day? People said the same thing about Tom Coughlin. About Doc Rivers. About Joe Torre. People want to bash Norv Turner but he's gotten the Chargers further into the playoffs than anyone else ever did since that time that they were the sacrificial lambs to the Niners under Bobby Ross in 1994. (The REAL Super Bowl that year was the NFC Championship between the Niners and Cowboys) And Jimmy Johnson was the genius who became the first head coach to ever win a NCAA Championship and the Super Bowl, which he did back to back and who knows how many more he would' ve in Dallas had he stayed. And then he didn't taste really any more playoff suceess in Miami then say Wade Phillips has to this point. Three more months until football and not a moment too soon. And no reading into any so-called power poll rankings because they are a load of crap as I've mentioned earlier. There really ought to still be a nasty taste in the mouths of the Cowboys lingering from that ultimate no show in the last game against Philly.

Can this finally be the year?

Well, it looked like 2007 would be the year that the Cowboys would at least get to the Super Bowl. They were unquestionably the best team in the NFC that year, having bested the Packers in that November showdown(both teams came into the game at 10-1) and taken care of the Giants twice. (the Giants were really not even considered a darkhorse despite making it in as a wildcard) And then we know what happened next ofcourse.

And then 2008 was REALLY supposed to be it but the problem was that they probably believed it too much. So the year turned out to be injury plagued, inconsistent, sloppy play, and a very dissappointing end. Humbling. And they felt the need to let T.O. go. Is that addition by subtraction? Is Roy Williams the Number One guy? Can the running game stay healthy and be the potential lethal trio? Will the defense indeed be deep due to lots of experience now from the younger guys that got forced into playing in '08? Is Tony Romo finally going to take that next step? Will Wade Phillips finally taste success in the postseason?

Not much has been said except from DE Jay Ratliff, who recently said that there are tighter rules now, and that everyone, in order to be a TEAM, has to one by one, check their egos at the door.

It's clear that this team is overdue. And it's also possible for someone to go 16-0 in the regular season and still biff it in their first playoff game. But the regular season is what comes first and putting yourself in position to at least have the homefield advantage. And THEN worry about the playoffs. There will be no playoff success if you don't even get there in the first place. Nothing is a given in this league. The Dallas Cowboys should have as much say in the big picture as anyone. I myself have been optimistic about it being a question of when rather than if.

Looking forward

Clearly the Cowboys are better than last year's 9-7 will attest. But they certainly won't be the NFC Consensus to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl not based on last year's dissappointment but probably because it's simply a level playing field. That said, the opportunity window is still there. And will continue to be. My prediction is that the Giants take a step back this year in the standings, the Redskins continue to hover around .500 while the Cowboys main threat is the Eagles. That's what I predict this year. On the surface it doesn't look like much has been done thus far to improve the team. No doubt that there is a lot of talent on the team and what seems to be believed within the organization is that they will be able to harness it more without T.O. It's unfortunate that he had to go but it looks as though he had to go. A combination of inner turmoil and the fact that he may finally be starting to show some age. (He will turn 36 on Dec. 7 of this football year) Is Roy Williams the guy at the number one slot? They think so apparently. Will Crayton be as affective back at the number two as he was in '07? He's just turning 30. The offensive line being smart and healthy along with a healthy three man-running back tandem of Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Taschard Choice is vital. And Witten and Bennett at the Tight Ends. Witten was beat up much of '08 and hardly missed any time. He's the best in the business. Especially if he's healthy. There's talk about using Bennett in the wideout sets and two tight end sets. And ofcourse there's Romo. He's unflappable and fearless. He just needs to take a sack or throw it away instead of throwing an INT in those rare instances that he's in trying to improvise and everyone's blanketed. The depth at WR includes the return of Sam Hurd and a healthy Miles Austin. The defensive secondary is expected to be solid for sure with the developement of a lot of guys getting playing time last year when injuries forced them into action. There's still a long summer left ahead between now and then. Plus there are probably a few acquistions to be made too. It would be nice to bring in a Julius Peppers on defense to bolster the front line as well as maybe some more depth at the offensive line. One thing that will help is the drafting of USC kicker David Beuller to be the kickoff specialist while steady Nick Folk(over 88% FGs made) will continue to handle FG duties. Definitely not what's broken. But Folk hasn't been very deep on the kickoffs. Team Game. The Dallas Cowboys, if they play as a team, could seriously be the best considering their top notch talent level. The biggest question marks will be Roy Williams being a number one slot receiver, the offensive line, and Tony Romo, the QB, the leader. I think this is a 12 or 13 win club if they stay healthy. In 2008, they were anything but.

Draft Day is later this month

Well, other than the departure of T.O., the Cowboys front office has been as quiet as a funeral parlor. They haven't made any moves as of yet. But it's obvious that they have something in mind and are just waiting for the right moment to strike. They certainly can't just be standing pat. This team is Romo's team and he's due to quit underachieving. He missed three games due to the broken pinkie finger and had a few subpar games. But his 26 TDs and over 3000 yards that he still amassed would have been somewhat impressive even had he played the whole season. With Romo, it's not a question of if, but when he'll take that next step, when he'll get the team to where it ought to be. I'm constantly checking the NFL news wires for anything on the Cowboys but so far, since the T.O. release, nothing. Stay tuned. This offseason is going by slower than last year.

Picking up the pieces

Well, it's starting to wear off. The shock from the fact that Terrell Owens is no longer on the Dallas Cowboys. He's now a Buffalo Bill. If anyone would have told me that a year ago that this would be where we are now, I'd have never believed it could be even possible. They Cowboys signed him to an extension. But all it took was an underachieving year like 2008, and somehow, it all unhinged. There is lots of speculation that's been going on about T.O.'s falling out with his quarterback, and his tight end, namely Jason Witten True or not, SOMETHING must have happened behind closed doors to cause the team to release him. I mean, it will cost the team 9 million against this year's cap and they still released him. Jerry Jones most likely did not want to have to release him. I wanted it to work out. The team was lethal when they had it rolling and T.O. had as much to do with it as anyone. But now Roy Williams is the number one guy. Patrick Crayton is probably back to being the number two guy. Romo should benefit greatly with more team unity. The question is, who else do the Cowboys bring in to provide the experienced depth at WR? Tory Holt? Marvin Harrison? A draft pick? Will Sam Hurd, back from season ending injury, step up? He's shown lots of promise and potential as has Miles Austin. Both were hurt last year during the crucial stretch which saw another disheartening December. The Running game could be the best in the league. Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Taschard Choice. The offensive line could use a tweak or two. On Defense, there will be some replacing and shoring for the departed Chris Canty(why in the devil did he have to go to a division rival? I won't bother mentioning the name) and safety Roy Williams. The team is making room for some new arrivals (free agents and the draft) Whether or not they can play as a true team this upcoming year is a question to be asked and answered at a later date this year. Right now, it's about laying the groundwork. It's about drafting for need. And getting ready to open up in the new stadium. This is hopefully perhaps could be, a happy 50th anniversary to the Cowboys. WoW! The Dallas Cowboys are turning 50 this year. I remember when they turned 25. 1984 when I was in seventh grade.

Shocking News

I really did not see this coming. I really didn't. Terrell Owens has been released by the Cowboys. I figured that if there was no news this month then he'd be back for certain. Personally, I'm sad. Sad that it didn't work out. And sad at the thought of seeing him in another uniform. I wouldn't mind seeing him retire now that he's been released. I just don't know who wants to take him on unless they're a contender. I guess that makes Roy Williams the go-to guy now for Romo. And I don't think that he wanted out of Dallas. It must have been a mutual thing perhaps. Perhaps not. It is just shocking news. I think that he never ever has been in trouble off the field. I also know that he always came to play on Sundays. I'm really numb. I just wonder what the team has in mind between now and next season.