Everyone knows the old cliche that “defense wins championships”. Obviously you still need to score to win but a great defense can certainly make up for a not so good offense.

Luckily the Cowboys going into the 2010 season have arguably the most talented offense in the NFL. They will move the ball and they will score points, but the defense will be the key to a home played Super Bowl or not.

Now it’s hard to say that the defense could use improvement considering in 2009 they were the NFC’s fourth best overall defense, first in scoring, third against the rush and fifth in sacks.

The one glaring improvement is turnovers. They ranked 26th overall in the NFL in interceptions and having a total of 11 picks will not get it done in 2010. This team needs to create more turnovers period. Wade Phillips has been having the team work in the offseason on doing just that.

The Cowboys are also suppose to start playing more press coverage which will allow more opprtunities for interceptions. Can you imagine how much more potent this offense would be with a shortened field?

So what is the best way to create more turnovers? The simplist way is the pass rush. Now again it’s hard to argue especially considering this team had one of the NFL’s best pass rush the last half of the 2009 season.

DeMarcus Ware is the NFL’s best rusher. Fans of other teams can argue this until they are blue in the face but he gets it done. The emergence last season of Anthony Spencer was the key to the pass rush becoming what it was. We all know Jat Ratliff puts pressure on the quarterback which is unbelievable for a nose tackle, but Spencer made the difference. If he continues to improve as predicted the Cowboys will have the best pass rushing outside linebacking tandem in the NFL. That alone will create more turnovers.

Fans and the Cowboys themselves are hoping that Alan Ball can emerge as a good cover safety. Along with the pass rush I think if Ball can be the player most are predicting than that too will create more interceptions. The safety position has been a sore spot far too long. Mike Jenkins and Terence Newman are good cover corners with Jenkins expected to be even better this season. Gerald Sensabaugh is not a great player but he is more than adequate at his safety position. I really think if Ball emerges this team will without a doubt have more than 11 interceptions and will be a top five defense in the NFL.

Popularity: 3%

Once again through the first 2 weeks of December the Dallas Cowboys were being haunted by December’s past. Fans and media alike had one phrase circling through their minds, “Here we go again”. This time however, things would be different.

As soon as the final second ticked off the clock, with the loss at home to the San Diego Chargers Sunday a week ago, Cowboys coaches, players, and front office personnel were enveloped by a storm of fans and media, calling for the dismissal of Wade Phillips, and Jason Garrett. No one and I do mean no one, gave this team a chance to knock off the “unbeatable” Saints.

Quietly however, a transformation had begun to take shape inside the locker room. That transformation was ignited, not by coaches, or by fans, or even by the owner, no this transformation was ignited by the two “Leaders” of this football team, Tony Romo and DeMarcus Ware.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Earlier this week we were asked to participate in a podcast segment on Cat Crave Radio. John White at Cat Crave Radio was kind enough to invite me to give the Cowboys perspective on their weekly segment entitled “The Enemy.” This was our first such venture, and hopefully not the last.

You can hear the full program on Cat Crave Radio, or you can listen below. Afterward, be sure to let me know what you think!

Thanks again to John and the folks at Cat Crave Radio I had a great time and look forward to doing this sort of thing again.

Read the rest of this entry »

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The time has come to put the misery of last week behind us, I have wanted to do this since moments after the Giants defeated our beloved Cowboys on Sunday night. This has been very difficult for me to do, and hopefully the players on this team have struggled as badly as I.

Let’s take a look at what we have in store for us on Monday night when the Carolina Panthers come to town.

The Panthers are almost a mirror image of this Cowboys team in many ways. They have a very strong rushing attack, led by DeAngelo Williams and Johnathan Stewart. This pair of tailbacks is leading the Panthers ground game at just over four yards per carry.

Much like the Cowboys the Panthers offense depends heavily on how effective the rushing attack can be.

John Fox the Carolina Panthers head coach must like Wade Phillips rely on a very streaky Quarterback to lead his team. Jake Delhomme has moments of brilliance, much the same as Tony Romo. Unfortunately for both players and coaches those moments are usually followed quickly by moments of shear stupidity!

The Panthers finished last season with a 12 and 4 record only to get shellacked at home by the eventual NFC Super Bowl representative (a game that they were heavily favored to win) and ended their season prematurely.

It seems the Panthers end up on the same roller coaster the Cowboys have been on for 12 years now! Just when you think they are going to make a push, the wheels fall completely off the bus.

This off season this Carolina team has been riddled with injuries and contract disruptions, none of this has helped them get off to a good start.

After a classic Delhomme meltdown in week one against the Eagles (in which he was benched during the game), they lost a respectable game to the Atlanta Falcons.

I warn you all however, do not think this will be a cake walk win for the “Home Team” ! The Panthers are a very prideful team, and they are fighting to save their season. Expect John Fox to have his defense fired up and ready to fight come Monday night.

Through the first two games of the year Fox’s defense has been rather shaky, giving up almost five yards per carry on the ground. Where they have been strong however is in the secondary.

They have faced two of the leagues best QB’s in McNabb and Ryan and have allowed an average of 151 through the air per contest. They also can create turnovers as through the first two games they have recorded 2 INT. and 2 Fumbles.

The Dallas offense must account for a few players on the Carolina Defense, these guys will absolutely make their night tough if they do not know where they are on every play.

1. Julius Peppers
2. Jon Beason
3. Thomas Davis

How will the Panthers defense decide to attack the Cowboys offense? Well my

Guess is that they will follow the lead of the Giants and Bucs, and load the line of scrimmage with 8 men to try to stop the Cowboy ground attack, and dare Tony Romo and the boys to beat them through the air.

If Tony Romo and the rest of the offense is ready, and prepared they will have the opportunity to rip this game wide open very quickly, but if they let this team stay around well they are going to find themselves in a real brawl!

The Panthers Offense much like the Cowboys are going to use their wealth of backs to open up the passing lanes for Delhomme. Do not forget that Jake has one of the most electrifying receivers in the league at his disposal, you know the real Steve Smith! Not the imitation one that torched the Cowboys secondary just 3 days ago.

The Cowboys will not be able to continue to allow their safeties to take chances by playing close to the line of scrimmage. Whoever draws the assignment of Mr. Smith is going to need help, so they best be ready, and in position to do so.

I cannot express to you and to the Cowboys how extreme the situation is as far as them being able to create pressure! This Cowboy team can only go as far as their defense will take them, they MUST get the lack of pressure problems fixed, and it must begin now!

This may be the most crucial game of the year for the Cowboys, a loss on Monday night could cause this team to spiral out of control much worse than last year! They have an opportunity here to get things going in the right direction and begin to come together.

The Cowboys defense is saying all the right things and showing emotion which is great and I am glad to hear it, but the time for talk is gone, only results matter now!

I have never been big on predicting things especially when it comes to the Cowboys, but I feel an urge to predict this week.

So my prediction is the Cowboys come out firing on all cylinders, scoring early and often, and put the game away before the end of the third quarter.

COWBOYS – 35

PANTHERS – 13

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Welcome to another edition of the Weekly Roundup. This week I had the opportunity to speak with Jimmy from Music City Miracles the top rated Tennessee Titans blog, and discuss this week’s game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Tennessee Titans.

We exchanged five questions with each other, and below you will find what Music City Miracles had to say in response to our questions. Then switch over there to see what we had to say to their questions.

(1)   In the Off Season the Titans were not able to retain the services of Albert (I like to stomp on peoples heads) Haynesworth. How will his departure change the dynamics of the team and more so the defense in particular?

It won’t change things as much as people think.  The Titans were already heavily using a rotation at the defensive tackle spot and will continue to do so.  They obviously do not have a guy as talented as Haynesworth in that rotation, and you could argue that no one else in the NFL does either, but they think they can replace the production with the guys they have.

(2)   I have never really “gotten up” for a Pre Season game, but many Cowboy followers including myself believe that this game means a ton as far as the development of the team. What is the overall feel of the Titan fanbase towards this game?

It is a preseason game.  The Vince Young people are hoping he gets some time with the first team, but other than that it will just be another preseason game.

(3)   I keep hearing that the Titans want Vince Young to become a better passer and not rely on his legs so much, but then when he gets in to play the plays selected for him seem to be primarily boot legs, and option plays, do the Titans have a plan for him? Or are they simply going through the motions until they can release him?

The plays called for him are not primarily boot legs and option plays.  Do they run more of that stuff with him than Collins? Sure, but there is an obvious reason for that.I can assure they are not just going through the motions until they release him.  They honestly feel that they have a team capable of winning the Super Bowl, and they are one injury to a 36 year old quarterback away from counting on VY.  It would be dumb to give up on him considering how small the window is for winning a championship in this league.

(4)   Who are some of the Titans that Cowboy fans should keep an eye on in this game?

The Titans have a very talented rookie class that is headlined by first round wide receiver Kenny Britt, third round tight end Jared Cook, and fifth round running back Javon Ringer.  All 3 of those guys have made big plays in camp and games so far.

(5)   Last year the Cowboys were given a ticket to the Super Bowl before the season ever started and we all know how that worked out! The Titans however were somewhat of a surprise. Can the Titans pick up where they left off last year to make another push for the trophy? And if they can what aspect of their game is going to allow them to do so?

I honestly believe they can.  Jeff Fisher knows what it takes to get these guys back to the level they played at last season.

I also believe the offense will be a lot more potent this season with the editions of Nate Washington, Britt, Cook and a drastically slimmed down LenDale White.  This should be more than enough to compensate for the loss of Albert.

Bonus: All of us here at Dallas Cowboys Nation would like to send our thoughts and prayers to the McNair family and the Tennessee Titans and all of their fans for the loss of Steve McNair.

Once again a big thank you to Jimmy and the guys over at Music City Miracles, and be sure you all head over there to see our answers and leave them some good natured comments, and keep it clean folks!

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Here we are again in the second installment of the series. Last time we added the New York Giants as an obvious threat. Next, in week three the Cowboys will be home against the Carolina Panthers. Though the buzz hasn’t been surrounding Carolina, they are still a dangerous team.

Key Offseason Additions:

None.

Key Offseason Subtractions:

FB Nick Goings

WR DJ Hackett

CB Ken Lucas

Key Draft Picks:

DE Everette Brown, Florida State: Brown is a speedy guy with great size, he should compliment Peppers nicely.

S/CB Sherrod Martin, Troy: Martin is a speedy guy with great range and versatility. Won’t start but should be in on nickel packages.

Projected Top Performers

(courtesy ESPN 2009 Projections)

DeAngelo Williams 267 car 1325 yards 11 Td

Steve Smith 90 rec 1390 yards 9 TD

Jonathan Stewart 196 car 936 yards 9 TD

Read the rest of this entry »

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When we started this blog we had one goal in mind, to be the best fan blog out there. Well we forgot some details in that original goal and have since been shown a few new things we needed to work towards. Needless to say it became apparent that we had to write about something on here that would keep you all interested.

So we brought you an interview with a rather unlikely candidate – Mickey Spagnola, the www.DallasCowboys.com writer. We got some good feedback and it was fun to do, but our real goal with that was to get the fire started, and today the flames have risen once again.

Some of you know him and others only know of him. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2005 draft after he recorded a record vertical jump of 46’6 at the combine. He then started all 16 games his rookie season with the Jaguars.

He’s coming off of his best year in Jacksonville where he amassed 55 tackles, a team leading 4 interceptions, and 8 passes deflected while playing in all 16 games, starting 13. He’s the new starting Strong Safety in Dallas and has already shown us that he can cover man to man like Roy Williams only dreamed of doing.

I’m happy to present to you #43 Gerald Sensabaugh!

—

DCNation: In the off season you had an opportunity to sign a long term deal elsewhere, why did you decide to opt for a one year deal with the Cowboys?

Gerald: The numbers weren’t where I wanted them to be. So I figured I would take one last shot and see what I can get after another 1 year deal. I also wanted to go to a larger market team and experience football with some tradition behind it.

—

DCNation: We know that the main goal every year is to win the Super Bowl, but can this team realistically do that? Why?

Gerald: Yes, this team has the talent and personnel to do so. There are many explosive players on the offensive side of the ball, so expect lots of points. On the defensive side, we have the opportunity to be one of the best defenses this year in the league. So if you combine the two, I say we have a legit shot at winning the Superbowl.

—

DCNation: The past couple of years this Cowboys team has had plenty of talent to get deep into the playoffs, lack of execution has been the Achilles heel to this team. Every year the fans of the Cowboys hear “how things will be different” from the same players, so many fans have grown weary of their talk. So far in your first year with the Cowboys, what can you tell us about this team – what makes you think that you can contend this year?

Gerald: We will be major contenders this year. Going through OTA’s this team got a lot better from last year. Through training camp we are going to fine tune the chemistry and we will be set to go.

—

DCNation: Based on what you’ve seen so far, what do you think about the cornerback situation that’s brewing? Scandrick has shown serious talent, but Jenkins was drafted higher and also brings some good coverage skills. Your thoughts?

Gerald: I’m very exited about the two young corners. No matter who starts, they both will be major contributors to this defense.

—

DCNation: The 2008 Dallas Cowboys Defense was a strong unit, but I think the coaches and fans believe that this years defense could be one of the best in the entire NFL. It is my perception that the biggest reason for these thoughts is because of you. What do you feel is the greatest asset you’re bringing to this team?

Gerald: I feel that I bring the ability to cover at the strong safety position. I have had my share of both run stuffing and covering but I believe the need here in Dallas is to cover more. I am still expecting to make a impact on the run game also.

—

DCNation: Is there another player, former or current, that you have tried to pattern your play after? Why?

Gerald: Donovan Darius because he was a physical player that was know for big hits, and always being around the football. And Deon Grant because of his ball skills and coverage ability. Those are the two that I learned from as a youngster and I tried to pattern my game with both of theirs combined.

—

DCNation: It’s no secret that the Cowboys have struggled in recent years at the Strong Safety position. From both the perspective of your new teammates and your own estimations, what do you feel is your biggest goal for 2009 to bolster the Strong Safety position in Dallas?

Gerald: Covering Man to Man. To make a bigger difference in the passing game.

—

DCNation: Many fans in the NFL view the safety position as a guy who can really lower the boom on opposing players. The Dallas Cowboys recently had a safety who was known for that, but was not very good to say the least in coverage. Does your play favor coverage over hitting? Or do you feel you are a balanced Safety?

Gerald: I feel that I am balanced. In my prior years I had to do both.

—

DCNation: Dave Campo has had defensive success in Dallas before, and as well in Jacksonville. Having seen him in action in both places, what do you think he brings to a team that might be otherwise missing?

Gerald: He brings a positive, fair, competitive environment that players like. He’s a coach that gets the best out of his players.

—

DCNation: It is obvious that you were brought in to be the starter, but do you still feel like you need to prove that you are the man in training camp?

Gerald: Yes, I always have to prove something. Here in Dallas there is a lot of competition. We have guys that can play safety and corner. This secondary is real athletic. Everybody here can play.

—

DCNation: Of the scheduled opponents for 2009, which team concerns you the most as a safety?

Gerald: I really don’t have any concerns but I do respect all teams equally. Every team brings a different attack to the table so you must prepare as best as you can for all of them.

—

DCNation: Can you give us a little insight about the work ethic and demeanor of your new Head Coach / Defensive Coordinator?

Gerald: Coach Phillips is going to make sure that we work hard and get things right. He is less tolerant of errors (especially mental errors), I can tell those get under his skin.

—

DCNation: Playing in the AFC South you were able to test your abilities against one of the greatest QB’s of this era, Peyton Manning. Was there anything you learned from your time against him that you feel will help you be a top tier Safety in this league?

Gerald: Reading QB’s and not going for fakes. He’s the pump king and does it every play. He makes the safety play honest and is hard to get a tip on.

—

DCNation: There has been a lot of talk about some incidents in your past, are those things behind you now? And is there anything you would like to let the fans in Dallas know about you to clear up any questions they may have?

Gerald: The whole past is behind me and I’m looking forward to winning the super bowl with the Cowboys. That is my main focus.

—

You can find out more about Gerald by going to his website – www.GeraldSensabaugh.net – he has a blog there that he not only updates rather often, but he actually participates in comments on his blog. Truly a class act and we welcome him to Dallas.

We want to thank Gerald Sensabaugh not only for speaking with us, but for taking the time to do so from San Antonio as training camp starts. We also look forward to more interviews with Gerald throughout the season.

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This marks the beginning of a highly controversial and highly opinionated series. We have deeply analyzed the 2009 Dallas Cowboys Schedule and will target those teams that have the potential of giving us problems. Today we start with those crazy New York Football Giants.

The Giants will immediately come to town in Week 2, as the Cowboys open the new stadium. Here is the outlook:

Key Offseason Additions:

DE Chris Canty from Dallas.

OLB Michael Boley from Atlanta.

DT Rock Bernard from Seattle.

DB C.C. Brown from Houston.

Key Offseason Subtractions:

RB Derrick Ward

WR Plaxico Burress

CB R.W. McQuarters

CB Sam Madison

S Sammy Knight

Key Draft Picks:

WR Hakeem Nicks, North Carolina- Nicks is a potential game-breaker, whose known for making spectacular catches

OLB Clint Sintim- A great linebacker with good size, should start opposite Boley. Read the rest of this entry »

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In part one of this series we discussed how we see things shaking down amongst the over populated line backing corps.

This next group some might say is the most critical to the Cowboys success, and I would be one of those people. As far as the defense goes this unit holds all the keys to success!

This very potent and powerful defense cannot do the things it wants without solid secondary play. The Cowboys have spent a lot of time and draft picks on shoring up the secondary, from first on the depth chart down to the last man on the chart.

So let’s take a look at what they have going to camp!

Corners:

Terrence Newman – Will be the starting Left Corner (barring Injury)

Mike Jenkins – Heading into camp as the leading candidate to start at Right Corner, but will have to battle to keep the spot.

Orlando Scandrick – The leading candidate to replace Jenkins if he stumbles, and most assuredly the best Nickel corner on the team.

Alan Ball – Alan has a leg up on the rest of the competition heading into camp based off of the solid year he had in 2008 with the boys.

Mike Mickens – By most accounts the steal of the draft, thought by many to be a top of the 2^nd round guy the Cowboys were able to wait and pick him up in the middle of the 7^th. Should be able to contribute in special teams right away.

Safeties:

Ken Hamlin – Will be the starting Free Safety again this year for the Cowboys, and thanks to an upgrade at Strong safety Hamlin should be able to get back to his 2007 Pro Bowl form.

Gerald Sensebaugh – One of the Cowboys top free agents acquisitions this year should add a much needed dimension to the Cowboys secondary.

Courtney Brown – Originally a Corner but made the switch to Safety at the start of 2007. Brown has the ability to be a ball hawking safety, this being his third year with the team and at safety means that this is a make or break year for him. Could also see some time at corner.

Pat Watkins – Is a big athletic, rangy player the Cowboys had high hopes for this young man, unfortunately that has not come to fruition just yet. Pat is a solid special teams player (has gotten lost a few times however) Special teams play will not keep him on the team this year, he must prove his worth as a safety.

Jerome Carter – Former 4^th round selection of the St.Louis Rams in 2005 and spent all of last year out of work, was signed to a futures contract by the Cowboys in January.

DeAngelo Smith – The Cowboys used the first of two 5th round picks on Mike Mickens collegiate teammate. DeAngelo was a top cornerback in college but the Cowboys have moved him over to safety, giving themselves more options at the position. In the early stages of his career could see some opportunities at corner as well.

Michael Hamlin – The second of two 5^th round selections Hamlin is a pure Free Safety, while lacking a little in the pure speed department he makes up for in instincts and awareness, hard hitting safety that has a nose for the ball and an exceptional leader.

Last year the Cowboys kept seven Cornerbacks and 4 Safeties, and I think those are probably pretty decent figures to go with this year. So with that in mind the coaching staff will have some major decisions to make.

With eleven spots available and 12 players vying for those spots the competition could get very heated in San Antonio.

My belief is that the Cowboys will end up releasing Jerome Carter, and then use DeAngelo Smith, and Courtney Brown as “Tweeners” leaving the secondary looking something like this.

Left Corner:

Terrence Newman , Orlando Scandrick

Right Corner:

Mike Jenkins , Alan Ball

Sub Packages:

Courtney Brown , DeAngelo Smith

Free Safety:

Ken Hamlin , Courtney Brown , DeAngelo Smith

Strong Safety:

Gerald Sensebaugh , Michael Hamlin , Pat Watkins

I would however like to say that I would not be a bit surprised if Pat Watkins was released as well. Pat has gotten several opportunities to claim a spot on this team and has simply not capitalized on those opportunities.

Who stays and who goes in your view?

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It’s a tradition for Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles fans to debate year after year which team will suck and which will claim the NFC East Throne. This year DCNation has partnered with Bleed Green to debate the subject and try to determine exactly who has all the answers. Cowboys fans know just what’s happening at Vally Ranch though.

Kyle Flip has given a good argument to the debate, here’s an excerpt:

The 2009 season has the potential to be an Eagles season we will never forget. With their new found passing game, and the emergence of DeSean Jackson, the Eagles have grown into a lethal pass team. In 2009, the passing game will only get better. Rookie Jeremy Maclin will utilize his quickness and agility to outrun the secondary, while veteran wideout Kevin Curtis will look to improve upon his injury plagued 2008 season. The Eagles have dumped tight end L.J Smith, who never lived up to all the hype surrounding him, and now Brent Celek will take over after Smith’s departure. Looking at the Eagles matchups with the Cowboy’s secondary, the Eagles’ wideouts have the favorable advantage. Besides Terence Newman, the Cowboys are stuck with Orlando Scandrick, Mike Mickens, and Mike Jenkins. Right there, the Eagles already have the advantage.

It’s a nice effort and you can’t really blame them for hoping but after a three mistake season for Mike Jenkins and zero mistake season for Orlando Scandrick it’s a little nuts to point them out as weak spots on this defense. Then again, with such a monster that we have DeMarcus Ware even a good player can be weakness next to him.

Here’s a piece of our side of the debate:

In 2009 we’ve got a healthy team, a much more capable safety than Roy Williams, and were light one pain in the ass receiver – something I know you guys can understand exactly. We’re focused, young, and energetic with enough experience to keep us plowing ahead for another 13-3 season.

The Eagles have too many rookie wide outs to field McNabb’s crooked passes, and they can’t cover the pass much better without the proven leadership ability of departed veteran Brian Dawkins.

Check out the full debate at Bleed Green Forever on Blogspot – The Great Debate: Part 1 and stay tuned to Bleed Green as they continue with parts 2 and 3 against the Redskins and Giants.

Also, don’t forget to check out our feature on MVN for the 2009 Dallas Cowboys Season Preview. Leave a comment over there and show us some love.

Popularity: 2%

I’ve noticed that there are plenty of lists going out lately. Most of which shed no respect to Cowboys players who have rightfully earned it. So to fulfill the appetite of you fans I’ve created a list of the Best Cowboys of the last 15 Years. .. So get ready!

1 Emmitt Smith-The leagues leading rusher. Smith proved to be a “Go to guy” by coupling hard nose, downhill running with incredible durability. With 3 Super Bowl rings, Smith may be the most noticeable player in Dallas Cowboys History.

2 DeMarcus Ware- Perhaps the most naturally talented player to emerge on this defense in years, Ware consistently strikes fears into opposing offensive coordinators. Ware has increased his sack total in each of his 3 seasons ending with 20 last year. There is no signs of slowing down which is good news for this defense!

3 Troy Aikman- Concussion Troy can’t be forgotten for all the marvelous things he did in Dallas. He was a model field general, orchestrating 3 Super Bowl victories and becoming the Cowboys all time leading passer with 32,942 yards.

4 Darren Woodson- The one player that ANY of us would give ANYTHING to have back. Darren Woodson played the secondary perfectly forcing 23 interceptions. He was the backbone in many great defenses and earned a reputation as one of the fiercest safeties in the league.

5 Michael Irvin-A distraction? Sure. However, Michael’s production was unmatched. He averaged over 15 yards per gain and had over 60 touchdowns in his career. He was a consistent target who was reliable and a HOF athlete.

6 Larry Allen- A big strong offensive lineman who was versatile in his play. At 325 lbs he was an immovable force and a good reason for Emmitt’s success.

7 Jason Witten- Witten is a Blue Collar, Smash mouth player who has, in my opinion, defined the future play of tight ends. He blocks well, He’s intelligent, and He’s a bigger threat in the passing game then most receivers, He can shed tackles, and he’s not afraid to throw his body around.

8 Tony Romo- Though under constant scrutiny, he has produced more 300 yard passing games then any quarterback in Dallas history in 3 years. With a 64 percent completion rate, and a ratio or 2 td’s to 1 interception, his regular season play is comparable to some of the greatest quarterbacks of all time (Coming soon: a comparison against Peyton, Aikman, and Young in there first 4 years) I believe that given the opportunity, Romo will thrive in future playoff appearances.

9 Deion Sanders- Prime time, Sanders electrified the field with his wonderful coverage, ability to force interceptions for touchdowns, and punt returning skills. Sanders had abilities that we will forever miss and may not see for years to come.

10 Terrence Newman- Not Deion Sanders, but that doesn’t mean he’s necessarily worse. Terrence doesn’t produce stats like some of the other elite DB’s but that’s because he’s never really tested. He is a shut down corner with speed and game breaking ability. He will be the staple in this defense for years to come.

11 Greg Ellis- A bitter end to this story. Greg has given his all to this team and that has to be respected. He was a feared defensive end, but an even more devastating OLB with the ability to get to the passer; he’s registered 77 career sacks with the Cowboys.

12 Daryl Johnston- The moose led the way for Emmitt throughout his career… Enough said.

13 Dat Nguyen- Nguyen solidified the middle linebacker slot in his second year after leading the team in special teams tackles the first. His run stopping ability and hard hitting made him well known throughout the league. If it weren’t for a disc injury, Dat would be along Bradie James, supporting the same number 1 defense he helped solidify in 2003.

14 Marion Barber- A hardnosed runner this team hasn’t seen since Smith. After going through Troy Hambricks stages and a little flash of Cason, Barber was a breath of fresh air. He has become a “Closer” and has the talent to become a franchise back and league leader.

15 Flozell Adams- Though penalty prone, Flozell has provided stability to the offensive line in Larry Allen’s Absence. He is big, strong, and mobile. He also uses his hands well and is also a talented blocker. An excellent round out to this list.

**Notable Mention** George Teague- For his incredibly memorable hit on Terrell Owens, when Owens was boastfully disrespecting the star.

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The question on everyone’s mind these days is and will continue to be, how and better still can Jason Garrett use the wealth of running backs he has at his disposal?

With the start of training camp rapidly approaching one would think that Jason Garrett is hard at work devising a plan to optimize the abundance of talent he has at the running back position??????

The Cowboys invested #1 money on Marion Barber to be the #1 guy, but we are all aware of the fact that Marion is better suited to be fresh in the fourth quarter!

The Cowboys also used a first round selection last year on Felix Jones, so there is an extremely high need to get him touches as well.

Then let’s not forget about the 2008 unsung hero from Georgia Tech, Tashard Choice! When the Cowboys were decimated by injuries Choice stepped in and performed at an extremely high level.

These are three very different running backs which will allow Jason Garrett a ton of flexibility.

Marion Barber: Marion is the head knocker of the group, while he is not a burner so the big plays you get from him are more of the “just ran over three people on his way to a 20 yard touchdown” variety. However with his hard nosed running style his body wears down much quicker than the elusive style back.

Felix Jones: Felix is the epitome of a “Home run hitter” there is not one spot on the field where he cannot score from. Possessing speed, agility, vision, and great hands. Felix Jones is in the mold of a Reggie Bush type. For all the good qualities he possesses the one concern with him is his ability to stay off the injured list.

Tashard Choice: Tashard is very much so one of the most vocal leaders on this team. He is the most complete back of the group, while he is not the fastest or strongest he can do a lot of good in many areas. He has the ability to give opposing defenses many different looks. The only question with Tashard is, was last year legit or did he catch some teams off guard and worn down?

What is considered by many (including myself) to be the biggest strength of this years team, could possibly be a nightmare for Jason Garrett? If Garrett fails to adequately use this group, the wheels of this season could come flying off!

There has been many people try this off season to predict how many touches each man should receive on a per game basis. While there is no one good way or rule to go by, many claim a sequence such as this:

Marion Barber: 15-20 Touches

Felix Jones: 10-15 Touches

Tashard Choice: 5-10 touches

This appears to be a solid marker to follow, but I am not a big fan of this way of thinking. I just feel that if you set yourself boundaries, you ultimately are setting yourself up for failure.

The amount of touches this unit gets (designed running plays) should be and I believe will be handled on a game by game, scenario by scenario basis.

Jason Garrett needs to know what he has, and to put the player and the team in good situations. Part of knowing what he has is going to be the recognition of what situations the player performs at his peak.

Many people including myself marvel at the closing ability of Marion Barber, while this is a very true statement there is something that must be taken into account. The only time his closing ability will come into affect is if this team is ahead in the fourth quarter and that they can continue to pick up first downs.

Jason Garrett cannot become predictable with his formations or his sub packages, the defenses cannot be given the luxury of simply looking in the backfield to see who is there and know what the play is.

The Cowboys should be able to line up two if not all three on the field in certain situations.

If I was a betting man I would have to say that Felix Jones will spend a lot of time this year lined up out wide and in the slot. Allowing Garrett to give teams a full dose of Marion and Tashard early and often!

The first half of games this year will be crucial to the success of the team. They need to be able to establish the ground game early on. The score at the end of the first half is not the most important thing.

The rest of the league knows what the Cowboys have at the running back position; So Garrett will be forced to make some crucial decisions very early on in games.

Teams will simply overload the line of scrimmage and try to force Garrett to give up on the run. He must be strong willed enough to fight off the urge to open up the air attack! We all saw what happened when this team became so one dimensional last year.

Those 90’s Cowboys teams were the best at simply beating a team into submission by the 3^rd quarter.  This team has something that those teams did not, depth! There is no need for 35 carries a game to one man, this team can run a different guy through the holes in the line like fans through the turnstiles!

If this team and Jason Garrett use what is available to them correctly, there will be nothing that anyone can do about it! That is one big IF though.

Popularity: 1%

As an analogy, you could apply “sifting for gold” to quite a few different aspects of football. Free Agency. The building of the infamous war room draft board. Wittling the training camp roster from 80 to 53. But the one science of football that typically escapes the thoughts of most fans is how teams decide which plays they will keep in their play book and which one’s are dismissed as ineffective and/or are not complementory to the talent available.

That last bit is important to understand because the Cowboy’s playbook from last year and this year should be very different. It’s not so much because of the lack of success experienced with those plays, as it is due to the difference in the talent set and the difference in the coaches comprehension of said talent. Obviously, with T.O. gone, the plays that take a long time to develop very well may be all but extinct. Granted, Austin possesses some ability in stretching the defense, but it’s not likely they will rely on his ability to ultimately win games, as they seemed to do to a fault with T.O..

With the trio of backs and duo of TE’s the Cowboy’s have, a quick strike offense is likely the direction this team is headed in. Furthermore, the Cowboy’s now have a better understanding of what Felix, Choice, and Bennett can offer as weapons. The Cowboy’s will be looking to put together a play book that exercises each of their talents in different ways to keep opposing defenses off balance.

With that, I would like to take a moment to remind those of you who are concerned about every report indicating that Romo and company don’t seem to be insync, to consider that the play’s they are likely running are new to everyone, including the veterans. The idea behind these practices are to familiarize the players with different plays and, more importantly, to slowly acclimate said players conditioning to football ready

Once preseason begins, the process of sifting for gold, so-to-speak, begins, as they determine against viable opposing team defenses what play’s can be effectively ran, which players can execute said plays, and which players don’t fit with the final playbook they are able to construct as a result of the success and failures they experience through trial and error.

Popularity: 1%

When identifying yourself as a Cowboy’s fan for the first time to someone who also is a Cowboy’s fan, the first question that typically come’s up is, “What did you think about them releasing T.O.?”  Beyond being genuinly interested in your perspective, there is an ulterior motive in that question.  The asker want’s to determine what kind of Cowboy’s fan you are.  Are you optimistic, pessimistic, or realistic.

Personally, I try to be realistic about everything in life, but, admittedly, when it comes to my Cowboy’s, the preverbial hope springs eternal.  In all of the forum’s I contribute to, I’m typically regarded as the homer; the guy who always expects the best from this team.  With that in mind, despite the fact that the media and sport’s analyst abroad have already wrote off the 2009 Cowboy season, I will make an attempt to shift the light from the Cowboy’s good side and focus on what could go horribly wrong.

The first thing that comes to mind for me is conditioning.  Considering the barrage of injuries the Cowboy’s weathered last year and the now infamous December swoon the Cowboy’s are known for (14 – 32 since 2000 in December), questioning the Cowboy’s overall conditioning seems like a logical place to begin.  So far, the picture that has been painted by Cowboy’s staffer’s and the kinder mediots, is that quite a few of the Cowboy’s have been working throughout the offseason to make sure they are properly conditioned for the season.  But isn’t that the standard company line every offseason?  The injury list is already stacked, and training camp doesn’t start until the end of July.  How does that happen?  The broken, bruised, and busted I understand; but strains and pulls typically indicates improper hydration and/or stretching.  In my mind, if a player is getting paid millions of dollars to play this game, he should futher understand that preparation for training is just as important as the actual training.

Coaching.  You really have to wonder about the coaching situation.  Making Wade Phillips the Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator is unprecedented in football.  It sends the message that Wade Phillips and Jason Garrett are sharing the role of Head Coach or, the more accurate way of looking at it, Jerry Jones is the Head Coach.  The thought is scary, but to hear him weigh in on strategy before, during and after games, really makes me wonder how much say he has in getting the ball to certain players.  And if he does have a say in this, it’s not hard to figure out what is truly wrong with this team, despite all of their collective talent.

Aside from the questionable dual role, I feel pretty confident in Wade’s ability to make the Cowboy’s defense rank top 10 this year.  However, Jason Garrett’s ability to make a T.O.less offense work is definitely a big question.  Since the beginning of his tenure as OC, the pass first mentality has been evident.  And, to be honest, to a certain extent, that approach based on previous personnel was justifyable.  However, this year, the Cowboy’s offense, despite the very few modifications to the starting line-up on offense, are now built for balance.   Does Jason recognize this need?  Can he effectively call plays designed to spread the ball over that trio of backs, duo of TE’s, and that potentially clutch WR group?

The Offensive Line.  Despite the catalog of failure that was the 2008 season for this group, very little was done to fortify the line.  Enemy #1 amongst Cowboy’s fan’s is likely between Flozell Adams, notorious for False Starts and struggling with speed rushers,  and Cory Proctor who seems to be physically and mentally inferior to the average defensive lineman.   The Cowboy’s added a few rookies, but it will likely be two to three years before any of them see extended playing time, barring another unlucky barrage of injuries.   Therefore, regardless of the dangerous weapons, if Romo doesn’t have adequate time to identify the open receiver and our running back’s don’t have time to accelerate or a hole to accelarate through, this team’s offensive effectiveness will be marginal, at best.  And, obviously, with a steady dose of 3 and out’s you get an exhausted defense in the 2nd half.

Youth served.  Another huge difference in the 2009 Cowboy’s vs. the 2008 Cowboy’s is average age.   The Cowboy’s lost quite a few starting veterans over the offseason, particularly on defense (Anthony Henry, Roy Williams, Keith Davis, Tank Johnson, Zach Thomas, Kevin Burnett, and Chris Canty).  Add to that the fact that the Cowboy’s drafted 12 rookies, and you have a team exceptionally younger than last year.  With youth, typically comes a marked improvement in overall speed.  But, speed minus experience can often lead to going fast in the wrong direction, ultimately, putting said youngster further from where he needs to be in a given play…and no amount of speed can fix that.

Special Teams.  Special Teams has been quite possibly the softest spot on this team for the last few seasons.  In response to that, Wade Phillips went out and got a Special Teams coach that is considered by many to be the best in the business.  But, if you consider that he’s brand new to this team and quite a few of the player’s he will have to work with are also brand new to this team, if not to the league, how much improvement can we really expect?  It’d be one thing if Decamallis was working with the exact same group of player’s as last year, but the truth is,  10 of those 12 rookies are expected to play significant roles on special teams if they want to make the team.  That could be a disaster in the making, regardless of how good the coaching is.

Romo.  It happened with Jeff Garcia.  Then, many speculated, the same happened with Donovan McNabb.  No more T.O., no more impressive numbers.  In two stops previous to Dallas, T.O. left a huge hole in otherwise pedestrian offenses, which led to the cliched theory  that T.O. makes QB’s better than what they really are.  Will this prove to be true of Romo?  Prior to T.O., Romo was an undrafted Free Agent 4th on the depth chart of a bunch of no-bodies and has-beens.  But in 2007, the Romo to T.O. connection rewrote the franchise record book.  In 2008, opposing defenses took T.O. out of the equation and the Cowboy’s go 9 – 7 and miss the Play Off’s.  Coincidence?  I hope so, but it is something to consider before assuming Romo’s name will eventually find it’s place in the Ring of Honor or Hall of Fame.

Obviously, there are question’s about team-wide depth,  overall wide receiver talent, last year’s rookies stepping into starting roles, and the pandoras box of intangible questions about heart, chemistry and leadership.   The truth is, another barrage of injuries could end this season like last year.  If Roy William’s is not, at least, consistent, the ground game will likely suffer significantly.  And if Scandrick or Jenkins don’t, at least, duplicate their last year’s performance the defense will leak like a sieve.   That is football.  All the moving part’s have to be functional, or the machine will not work.  As for the immeasurable contribution of heart, leadership, and chemistry, this will likely be determined by how the team begins the season.

Popularity: unranked

It was about this time two years ago when Lee and I created “A Cowboy Nation”. In the beginning Wow! The posts weren’t so great, but over time we grew and they got better. Then last year I met Bryson at “Cowboys Nation” and together we created the site you see now.

I was born and raised in Arlington, Texas so being a fan of the Cowboys has been in my blood from the beginning, 36 years ago. A Cowboy Nation was started just to have an outlet for my joys and frustrations of being a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, nothing more and nothing less.

In December of 2004 my family and I moved to Houston, Texas to help take care of my wife’s mother after we lost my Father-In-Law to Cancer. Not being in the Dallas area around all my Cowboys friends is really what set these wheels in motion.

During my years of being a Cowboy fan there has been one person whom I have had a lot of admiration for, and just truly enjoyed when it comes to what is happening with the Cowboys. So a couple of months ago I reached out to him about the possibility of him participating in an interview with us.

I really never expected him to actually do the interview, after all he has nothing to gain by helping out a couple of guys he has never met, with a blog! But he gladly accepted the invitation, and now we are very proud to present to you our very first interview! With none other than long time Dallas Cowboy columnist Mickey Spagnola!

DCN:

As a professional sports writer, what is your process for reading the new outlets, such as blogs?

Spagnola:

Depends on their credibility. If they are creditable, I’ll check in, otherwise I don’t even bother, especially when blogs come from bloggers who don’t cover the team on a daily basis. I don’t consider blogs news outlets unless they are from a professional news-gathering outlet.

DCN:

When you write an article or blog post, or even answer Mick’s Mail – what qualities do you really try to convey and emphasize to the fans? For instance, do you aim to be more technical, or freely opinionated? Is there a difference in your goals for your blog vs your newspaper articles?

Spagnola:

Tell the truth. Give people accurate information. No different. Blogs are just faster. More immediate, which you have to be careful of, because sometimes in the effort to be fast with information you do not take care to be as accurate as you should always be. Sometimes being first is not always best, which was one of the better qualities of newspapers in the days gone by because writers had more time to collect information than say the radio or TV.

DCN:

How is DeAngelo Smith developing so far? What do you think he needs to do to succeed at this level?

Spagnola:

Just learn the game. Gain more experience. I really like how athletic he is and how competitive he is. He already seems to be a quick learner, and I’d imagine he’ll be a huge contributor immediately on special teams.

DCN:

Of all the rookies this year, which one for each defense and offense do you believe will make the biggest impact in 2009 and why?

Spagnola:

I really don’t see a rookie making a huge impact on the offense this year, unless you want to count kicker David Buehler if he makes the team as a kick-off specialist. I mean if you don’t count Buehler, then only four of the 11 draft choices were offensive players, and one is competing to become the third quarterback and one is sort of a project offensive lineman. The other two, Jason Phillips and Manual Johnson, would seem headed toward the practice squad. On defense, well, that will depend on opportunity. None figure to be starters. Keep an eye on the outside linebackers, Victor Butler and Brandon Williams, if they have an opportunity to rush in passing situations and the DB’s on special teams.

DCN:

Coverage of the team seems to lead to the denigration of the chemistry of the team and that between Tony Romo and Roy Williams.  From what you see, is the chemistry getting stronger for the team?

Spagnola:

Chemistry always is strong when you win and before you play a game. I can say, though, the coaching staff has to be pleased with how hard these players have competed in the OTA and minicamp practices. When you compete hard, you tend to bond and when you bond chemistry improves and is strong enough for when things go bad, which they will at some point in a season for every team.

DCN:

What do you think would be the best possible rotation for our 3 headed beast of a running game?

Spagnola:

So the running game which gained one yard or less last year on nearly 30 percent of the carries already is a beast is it? That has yet to be proven. You are only a beast running the ball when the other teams know you are going to run it and you do run it successfully. My guess is Marion Barber will open and close and be used in short-yardage and goal line situations. You will see Felix all over the formations and on third downs and Tashard Choice will get a series here and there in the middle quarters. But have seen no evidence to suggest I’m totally accurate.

DCN:

Based on the draft, the free agent acquisitions of Keith Brooking and Gerald Sensabaugh, and the resigning of Miles Austin; which do you believe will impact the organization the most?

Spagnola:

Sensabaugh since that position has the most room for improvement. Remember, Zach Thomas wasn’t a liability out there last year, so if Brooking is at least a push, then that’s good. As for Austin, he can be, but again, how many snaps will he earn and how much do you want to count on from a guy with 19 career catches? But Sensabaugh, with his coverage ability should be a huge improvement over Roy Williams, especially since it doesn’t seem he needs to be substituted for on the nickel defense.

DCN:

There is a perception that you tend to write more fluff when writing about controversial players and issues, what do you say to that?

Spagnola:

Fluff is in the eye of the beholder I guess. My other guess is, if that’s accurate, just because I don’t take out a big hammer and bludgeon the subject away that could be the perception. But I do think I make my point in a more literary way. Plus, I’ve always valued being right more than being tough. Seems to me these days being tough but ultimately wrong is accepted more so than being fair and accurate.

DCN:

Is it difficult to manage calling things as you see them with regards to the coaching staff, players and decision making of the Cowboys, since you are employed by them?

Spagnola:

Not as long as I’m right. Not as long as I have all the facts and don’t buy into perceptions. No one here has ever, ever told me to change a story or take something down, so in my mind there would be no need to feel that way. Sometimes when you are around things and really know what’s going on then calling things as you see them means you see them far differently than the people who don’t really know the truth. Sort of like those stories at the end of the season on why the Cowboys charter flights were routinely taking off late. I was on those charter flights, so I knew that wasn’t accurate and when they did leave late I knew why. Sometimes it’s more difficult when your opinion stands alone. It’s easy to follow the crowd.

DCN:

How did you manage to end up as the top guy for the Cowboys and what is your official title?

Spagnola:

I was hired back when the Cowboys were trying to make their website something more than just a normal PR site as most professional team sites were back in 2000. And they decided they wanted opinions, meaning a columnist.

DCN:

Do you believe that the influx of youth is going to build a team that can contend for years to come?  If not, what is necessary to solidify the future?

Spagnola:

You can’t wait until you’ve grown old to get younger. Must be a constant process, and the Cowboys obviously have made a concerted effort this off-season to prevent growing old. The idea is to sustain goodness over a long period of time and avoid the inevitable down cycles that cripple franchises, as the Cowboys were in the late ‘80s and at the turn of the century.

DCN:

It appears as though the Cowboys are in the middle of making an organizational change in the way they look at players (looking more at their character issues). Do you feel that this is true? Or are they simply trying to relieve some of the scrutiny and will be back to collecting players that require team supplied body guards?

Spagnola:

Chances are the days of running a rehabilitation locker room are over for now. If you build from within, especially continually bringing in good, young players, then you avoid getting into situations where you become so desperate for help you take chances on guys with questionable character. If you already are a successful team, with a strong locker room, then you are better equipped to take chances on guys like Pacman Jones. But a team still seeking success is far too fragile.

Popularity: 2%

Despite the suffering I endured, I learned quite a bit about the little things in football. In a season where your expectations are marginal, you tend to not question all the bad things that can happen in a given season because you expected them. In 2007 my expectations were actually pretty low. Sure we were in the Play Offs the year prior, but we were all aware of our limitations at CB and so I felt are defense was going to get torched every week. My expectations came equipped with knowledge that this team was incomplete and could be exploited.

But in 2008, there wasn’t a weakness to be found, for the exception of behind the QB and, hey, it’s Romo, he doesn’t get sacked. He’s elusive. He’s got a feel for the pocket. He knows how to avoid the defensive rush. Blah, blah, blah. CB was more than fortified with a healthy Newman and the additions of Pacman, Jenkins and Scandrick. Safety was manned by 2 Pro Bowlers. The LB’s and DL had a decent rotation. It was going to be the return of the Dooms Day defense coupled with an offense that outscored every team in the league the year prior. My expectations, needless to say, left no room for any excuses for failure, for the exception of injury.

And then injuries happened, but still…I had questions. And a good many of those questions were answered by my incessant need to feed off all things Dallas Cowboy’s football related in any sports site available. And believe me, despite all that I already knew about this game I love, I learned so much more than all my years combined in this season alone because of this failure to my expectations. What did I learn?

You can’t buy a Super Bowl. My boyhood perception of how the Cowboy’s played other teams was somewhat skewed. I felt, they didn’t simply win. They man-handled their opponents. I’m not sure how I missed it, but in hindsight, those games were hard. Every one of them was a mountain for that team to climb. My memories of Emmitt Smith play out like a highlight reel. But not every run Smith made yielded yards. Not every game was won with Emmitt’s feet. Irvin didn’t make the acrobatic catch to win every game. Aikman, in his time, wasn’t considered a great quarterback with the likes of Dan Marino, Joe Montana, John Elway, Jim Kelly, Phil Simms, Randall Cunningham, Warren Moon and Boomer Esiason playing at that time. They were in fact fallible. And character, well, the undesirables were starters on that roster too. . But everyone played and played hard. They worked together. It wasn’t exactly what you would call a great composition of talent, either. There were players playing above their station, as the Super Bowl MVP of 1995 might have indicated.

I learned about the power of belief. Belief is a strong word in the world of football. I watched the interview of Ray Lewis prior to the Baltimore game assured in my own belief that the Cowboy’s would win having the stronger offense in a game that featured two very stout defenses. But after the interview, I had my doubts. Why? You could see that Ray Lewis believed. And since we all know that he is what makes that defense play beyond their individual reputations, I knew that entire defense believed too. And then, when I saw their offense play with that same sense of entitlement to the win in this game, absolute dread seeped in. And harder still about that game is the Cowboys repeatedly gave me hope in that fourth quarter, only to see those hopes crashed on a shore of missed tackles and missed opportunities.

It reminded of something I remember seeing throughout that successful 2007 season. Remember Romo’s smile? Sure I wrote several articles about the power of his smile and how the offense seemingly played better when he wore that on his face. But I never really delved in, I don’t think, into what that smile meant. But I think we all know that ultimately it meant he believed. He believed in the plays being called, the players that surrounded him, and his ability to do whatever he wanted with that ball without contention. A fumble here, an interception there, but the next time we saw him in the huddle, there was that infectious smile again saying something like “Hey, will get them this time.” And typically he was right. He generally always followed up a bone headed mistake with something to make you forget all about it.

Throughout the offseason following the draft and through the preseason I had a sliver of a doubt about rather or not this collective of talent could play as a team. But that doubt was constantly assuaged away with sports analyst abroad stating with utter confidence this Cowboys team was going to be a force to be reckoned with. Like no team I have heard about in the preseason in years prior, this Cowboys team was the talk of the town with their impressive role call at training camp. This highlighted by the Hard Knocks crews turned the Cowboys into the ultimate Hollywood team. And with that, I wondered what type of effect it would have on these Cowboys. But I wanted to believe what they sold us: That’s part of being a member of the Cowboys. You have to get used to that attention because the Cowboys are America’s team. I learned that no football team is bulletproof to distraction; no body is immune to acting different under the encouragement of the stage lights. These guys, million dollar contract or not, are just like any of us.

The Texans in years past with David Carr under center taught us about how important the Offensive Line is, regardless of the other talent present on the field. But once again I made the mistake of believing irresponsible sports analyst who stated that the Cowboys OL are only second to the Browns, in terms of strength. Then, as the season progressed, I learned how he came to that determination; not through observation, but pure stats and a popularity contest known as the Pro Bowl. How effective were the passing and running games in the year prior? How often did the QB get sacked? Of these players, who went to the Pro Bowl? The first two questions could be answered naming one player: Tony Romo. He made both Jason Garrett and the Offensive Line look great in 2007! I was there; I saw it.

The last question answered itself over time. The Pro Bowl, unfortunately, take’s 1/3 of fans votes. And let’s face it, how many fans vote for players outside of their team? A huge bias is in place in the voting, and well, it pretty much has rendered the game to serving as an ability for a ‘popular’ player to petition for more money on his contract. But because some sport’s analyst from a credible source said my OL was great and I wanted to believe it, my questions of this assessment initially didn’t go very far…not until their performance demanded I do so. And to be honest, I was disgusted. Because I watched these players in the offseason and I saw that they thought very highly of themselves for all the recognition getting poured on them when any Cowboy faithful who watched the 2007 season should know these accolades were completely undeserved.

And so it is in the game football. Fans and analyst alike are not impervious to misleading concepts. As a fan I don’t watch every game and can’t expect a sport analyst to watch every game of the previous season for every team he decides to write an opinion on. But the ultimate lesson here, regardless of whose formula it is that measures performance, they are all based on stats which doesn’t always tell the whole story.

This leads me to my next lesson learned. The media is a monster; the worse kind of monster. Remember Aliens with Sigourney Weaver? The media is that kind of monster. You see, their pretty dangerous in their own right, but then their articles act like those spider-looking creatures with tails (or tales if you prefer) that plant little eggs in you which hatch and create more monsters. See the parallel? Then we get all these disciples regurgitating what was said by a previous reporter with an anonymous source and the epidemic spreads.

Which brings me to the last lesson.

In the wanning moments of that dreadful season, everyone had an opinion of who should be fired, who should be released, and who should change as a player or coach. I’ve offered my opinion on these drastic changes a few times myself. Some have even suggested the Cowboys owner Jerry Jones should fire the Cowboys GM Jerry Jones and have started a fund raiser requesting donations of $5 or more to put said request on billboards throughout the city.

Word? You think that might work? Sorry, I sense an epic fail in the making. Maybe if it was just a strange coincidence that both these individuals had the same name, just maybe, that would work. But we are talking about a wealthy man who made his money in oil. I’m sure he saw plenty of billboards suggesting he fire himself to save the environment and we all see how well he took that suggestion. He bought a football team with his earnings. He didn’t spend it repairing the environment or donating it all to some note worthy cause, though I’m sure he’s made a few contributions here and there that is not a drop in the bucket to his accumulative wealth; he purchased a football franchise to live out the ultimate Fantasy Football League and has been doing so now for twenty years.

So, write your letters. Sing your songs. Make your jokes. But know your role. As a fan, you are static. Your opinion does not effect change even if you have a plane with a huge banner circle Jerry Jones mansion. I have said it before: That is the rub of being a fan of anything in general; you share in the success and failures of outcomes you have nothing to do with as a spectator. It is a frustrating existence when your team loses. But the human condition forces us to believe that we can control all things, which is why we argue, debate, fight, and go to war. This concept in life is bigger than just the game of football. It affects everyone and everything around us. And when you broaden your view to see the big picture and all that it encompasses, such as the war, the suffering that surrounds us, the news filled with inhumanity in a world dominated by humans (irony intended), things like a losing season of your favorite football team seems so small. And that is the biggest lesson of them all…

Popularity: unranked

Dallas Cowboys Football; was there ever a better hobby or pastime? Not for me, aside from family of course, and as we near the midway point in June, and these OTAs wrap up before the minicamp starts, I’ve still got a ways to go before my next Cowboys football fix.

It’s nothing to fret over though, not when we have such brilliant “expert” analysis and coverage as we do from the likes of Fox no less. More specifically, let’s talk about Peter Schrager and his list of the “Top 99 players for ’09” – moreover his brown nose special, as I call it.

I’m betting that most of you have heard of it already from the DMN where we learned that only four Cowboys made the list at all. I know many commenters over there were hung up more on where each of those four players were ranked, but there is something to be said for those that didn’t rank at all.

I mean you’ve got Jay “The Rat” Ratliff first and foremost who wasn’t selected to the list. I guess it’s a fair assumption to say that these types of lists usually are directed more at the offensive guys since it’s offense that’s counted on to score touchdowns, but it’s defense that wins games. There are always exceptions to that rule, such as last year in the first match up between the Cowboys and Eagles with a total score of 78 points during that game. But rarely does a pro football game turn out to be a homerun derby anymore.

But let’s take a guy like Albert Haynesworth and put him up against Ratliff for a moment here, and I’m only talking about 2008 regular season stats here. Haynesworth got a top rating of 14 while Ratliff didn’t even make the list. Both are defensive tackles, both have several years of experience. We could go into the vitals here, but size doesn’t always matter if there is solid production, and both guys obviously perform each week.

• Haynesworth hasn’t played more than 14 games in a season since 2002 while Ratliff hasn’t played less than 15 games in a season since his rookie year.
• Haynesworth had 51 total tackles in 2008; Ratliff also had 51 total tackles.
• Haynesworth registered 8.5 sacks to Ratliff’s 7.5 sacks.
• Ratliff’s sacks netted him 56.5 negative yards while Haynesworth only managed 52.5 with an extra sack.
• The only real benefit I see that Haynesworth has over Ratliff is having forced 3 fumbles to Ratliff’s zero, no forced fumbles.
• Ratliff deflected 5 passes and Haynesworth deflected 2 passes.
• They both recovered 1 fumble each.

I look at the numbers, the actual production of each man, and to me it seems more than just a little one-sided for Haynesworth to make any top X list when Ratliff doesn’t. It’s not a bias on my part, it’s just simple math. You have one guy that is great against the run and in getting pressure, and another guy who good against the run, great at getting pressure, and even gets into the passing game.

It’s only worse for picking Haynesworth since his numbers are significantly higher from last year than in years prior. It was a contract year, and as we all know, he has his $100 million dollars now. Ratliff has been playing like he has and hasn’t faced a contract situation yet. Anyone else really interested to see what he does in a contract year?

But the farce goes on though. DeMarcus Ware headlined the Cowboys’ effort on this list making it in at 6, with Tony Romo following behind him in a distant second at 28’th place. Now Ware, well no one for any team would argue that he deserves at least that high of a ranking. Not only are his numbers great, his attitude positive, and his ability tremendous – but his character is high as well. Being the overall sack leader since being drafted helps too.

Romo is another story. It’s a positive of this list in my mind because while there are a lot of bad things to be said for Romo from last season, there are many good things as well. I actually would have expected a much lower rating given the abundant criticism of him lately. He’s a quarterback though, so he would rank higher overall even though he only ranked 9th among quarterbacks. Putting him behind McNabb and Carson Palmer though? Seriously?

I know the guy seems to tank in the final stretch, but surely he’s worth a better ranking than Carson Palmer.

Marion Barber and Jason Witten also made the list, and that’s where my next point starts – Jason Witten ranked 96th of 99 by this fruitcake of a journalist/expert/assclown as one commenter stated it.

He was the third tight end to appear on the list behind Antonia Gates and Tony Gonzales. I’ll agree that Gonzales is good, and has been good for many years, but to say that Witten in his early age isn’t as good as the old fogy Gonzales just isn’t practical.

So yet again this year we are seeing how the rest of the NFL nation is rooting against the Cowboys in 2009, and that’s a great thing to see and hear. This time last season the Cowboys were being hyped as the Super Bowl winners, a mightily premature assumption to say the least.

But this year, while we have been favored at one point to win the Super Bowl in certain betting circles, once Owens was cut, the outlook went downhill. Our draft was rated like a D I think by the experts; the experts say we have huge problems facing us in our passing game and call it for both the QB and WR positions.

Yet all the while Roy Williams is still a top caliber receiver who had a bad year. Tony Romo had the same – a bad year that featured a finger injury that sidelined him for three weeks, and limited him for another three after that. He also had the task of dealing with Owens and his unwarranted and loud requests for more touches.

I think Owens, a 13 year veteran at the time, should be quite well aware of how it works in the NFL – if you produce at a high level, then you get more opportunity to produce, and if you continue to produce with the extra opportunities, then you keep getting them.

He just never seemed to understand that past success does not warrant current and future security. He started dropping balls, he started bailing on routes too early, he did get older and therefore slower, and he did forget to adjust his own way of thinking to fit his age and the new limitations that came with it.

Do I think a team can win games with Owens running routes? I sure do – do I think it can happen on any team currently in the NFL? I really don’t. He simply fails to account for the other 10 guys on the field with him at any given point, and that is why he became expendable for unproven and in some cases rarely tested youth in Dallas. He simply overstayed his welcome, and his vocal complaints and inability to really be a team player are to blame.

So in 2009 Romo gets to actually follow the rules of being a top quarterback again. He can go through his reads, he can release quickly, and he can find the open man – whether it is Witten, Barber, Jones, Williams, Crayton, Austin, or Bennett – he can return to being a quarterback again, instead of simply a TO placeholder.

Maybe Williams won’t be as good as Owens was in 2007, it won’t be because he isn’t producing, but rather because other guys will be producing too. There are only so many balls in a game.

But hey it’s June; we are silly and desperate fans who have no clue what’s what, right? We need to be spoon fed just enough crap to sell the papers and attract visitors. I got to admit that it’s a good theory, write enough bad crap and people will go there simply to see if the rumors are true – someone really is that moronic.

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Summer is in full bloom, and that means we are getting ever so close to the beginning of training camp. It is this time of year that has every football fan tied in knots, and I am no different.

While the Cowboys have yet to don anything but shorts and helmets the style of this team is beginning to take focus.

Every team in the NFL is good enough to win the Super Bowl! Or at least that is what they want us to believe. This years Dallas Cowboys are no different, at this moment many of us have very legitimate concerns about the receiver, quarterback, and O-line positions and basically the overall play of the offense.

Jerry Jones and Wade Phillips can tell us all day long that they have faith in the young receivers and that the offense is working hard and coming together, and blah, blah blah! We all know that the majority of that is just a bunch of crap to make us feel warm and fuzzy about the upcoming year!

Let me be clear about something, the offense in my opinion should be as good as and possibly better than last year’s team. I honestly feel and believe that Romo will be a better QB this year, and that Roy Williams can and will do a more than adequate job as the teams #1 receiver, and with the running game that the Boys have this should be enough to carry that side of the ball.

The offensive unit will always be the most glorified, it has all the stars, and scores all the TD’s, but I am here to tell you that if you are an offensive person, and like to see scores in the 40’s each week you are in for a rude awakening.

This is now a control and time of possession unit, we should no longer see play after play of three receivers all running 40 yard triple move routes (not saying we are not going to see these still, just not as many), instead we will see a lot of two tight end sets, short hooks, out routes, slants, and fades, but primarily large amounts of MBIII, Felix, and T-Choice.

There is something taking place on this team that everyone should start paying attention to, THE DEFENSE!!

Granted there has been very minimal contact so far so we cannot quite see the full picture yet, but all the early reports talk about how attacking, and pressure filled this unit is. Mickey Spagnola at DC.com had a great article up on Tuesday about this very thing. Here is my rookie attempt at designing a graphic that shows the alignment!

In his article he went into pretty in depth detail about how the defense was lined up at one point in the day, and I must tell you this type of scenario is going to cause major headaches for opposing offenses.

Everyday it seems I hear about the competitions taking place on the defensive side of the ball, and each and every one of these guys are pushing each other to be the best. This unit already has there competitive juices boiling over, and its FREAKING JUNE!

This unit is priming itself to have a major impact not only within the team, but they are looking to, in the immortal words of Ebby Calvin ‘Nuke” LaLoosh “Announce their presence with authority!”

We have all heard the old saying “where there is smoke there is usually fire!” all I can say is that the defense of the Dallas Cowboys has had a ton of smoke emitting from its smoke stack!

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The 2009 version of the Dallas Cowboys defense will look and feel like a completely new unit. With an influx of young energetic, athletic players and a full season with Wade Phillips as the Coordinator will certainly change things.

There is one person however who holds the key to what this team can be, and it might not be who most of us would have thought either!

Now we could come up with at least a handful of names that at the very least could drastically change what this defense will be able to accomplish this year, Demarcus Ware, Terrence Newman, Bradie James, Mike Jenkins, Orlando Scandrick… just to name a few.

None of those guys can do for this unit what one Gerald Sensabaugh can though! I realize it sounds ridiculous to think that a guy who many of us did not even know who he was could suddenly be the main component in elevating this average defense to a top flight unit.

Gerald has already made a profound impression upon Wade Phillips during OTA’s, saying

“Sensabaugh looks outstanding” Phillips said last week. “He’s really got a lot of ability, good work ethic, but he can really cover a lot of ground. We can cover in man to man with him…he has great speed along with cover ability.”

I may not agree with a lot of the things that Wade Phillips does or does not do, but when that guy speaks about what he see’s in a defensive player, I do not question it!

When Wade tells us “He can really cover a lot of ground. We can cover in man to man with him...” He is speaking volumes about what Gerald means to this unit! Everyone wanted an Ed Reed type of safety, well guess what, Wade just told us that we now have one.

In Baltimore’s system Ed Reed is allowed to roam around in the defensive backfield and to just “go after the ball.” They will play some zone coverage, but primarily they stay in a man to man scheme. Ed Reed thrives in this type of system for two reasons.

First, Reed is very fast, and secondly he has excellent cover ability. Now I am in by no means saying that Gerald Sensabaugh is about to become the second coming of Ed Reed (although I certainly believe it is a possibility) I am simply comparing the two systems and how safeties with these abilities can change the culture of those systems.

Gerald Sensabaugh will allow the likes of Demarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer, Keith Brooking, Bradie James, Jay Ratliff, and the rookies to pin their ears back and send blitz packages at the opposing offense that they simply cannot plan for.

Wade Phillips has been dreaming about this type of safety since he became the Head Coach here, and his players know it!

Wade is ready, and so are his troops, thanks to one Gerald Sensabaugh.

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Well, it looks like the Dallas Morning News Cowboys Insider Blog has a new author, and face, now that Kevin Burnett has departed for San Diego. Can’t really say that it’s a surprise though since the new author has been making blogging headlines for a while now either due to his updates on Twitter or his, at times, controversial videos on YouTube.

Yep, Marty B TV is coming into the blogosphere and if his first post is any indication of what we can expect … good lord.

Check out Martellus Bennett’s first entry here.

In other news though, it appears that Jay Cutler has finally gotten his wish and is now being shopped around. It’s not really a surprise to me that Denver is trying to trade him, but it is concerning that so many people are still thinking that Washington is a good destination for him.

It’s similar to what happens to Tony Romo a lot being another NFC East quarterback … these guys consistently play some of the toughest defenses in the league. Anytime you have a team that plays against the likes of the Chiefs, Chargers, and Raiders for six weeks of every season, the quarterback on that team is going to look good more often than not.

But when you have a guy like Jason Campbell from the Redskins who plays six games against the Giants, Eagles, and Cowboys, he’s bound to look bad and play bad more often. It’s not a direct relation to the guys skill or talent or ability in any way, it simply means that he is playing better defenses in a division that is pass rush happy.

So the talks of the Redskins trading Campbell for Cutler are a little retarded. Some media folks have said that it would be a problem if the ‘Skins acquired Cutler because he is seen as one of the most promising young quarterbacks in the league, and that he would give the Cowboys fits, but really a guy like Cutler just makes our secondary look even better by throwing more interceptions than Campbell.

That’s really the trade-off between the two, Cutler throws more loosely, and Campbell takes more sacks. I say it’d be a plus for us if the Redskins picked up Cutler, not only because of those stats, but because Cutler is on the verge of becoming a full on diva in the league after he so adolescently threw a tantrum when he thought trade offers were being entertained for him early this off-season.

Guess what? Now he will be traded and what he has to look forward to is landing on a team that probably has less going for it than the Broncos. The only real contenders mentioned thus far as possible trade partners for Cutler have been the Redskins and Titans. Other teams being mentioned are the Vikings, Lions, Browns, and the Jets … careful what you wish for is coming to mind right now.

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