NFC East Preview: Dallas Cowboys
by Jim Schmiedeberg on Jul 7, 2008 7:00 AM EDT
in New York Giants News
Email
Print
As training camp approaches, BBV will preview the NFC East. Today we preview the Dallas Cowboys:
2007 Record: 13-3 Lost to New York Giants in Divisional Playoffs, 21-17
Key Additions:
- CB Adam "Don't call me Pacman" Jones (trade. Titans).
- T/G Cory Lekkerkerker: Not tendered as ERFA by Dolphins; terms unknown.
- LB Zach Thomas: FA Dolphins; $19M/4 yrs, $1M SB; 2008 cap: $1.25M (deal can void after 2008 season).
Key Losses
- LB Akin Ayodele (traded ,Dolphins).
- S Keith Davis: UFA Dolphins; 2 yrs, terms unknown.
- TE Anthony Fasano (traded, Dolphins).
- NT Jason Ferguson (traded, Dolphins).
- FB Oliver Hoyte (released).
- RB Julius Jones: UFA, Seahawks; $12M/4 yrs, SB unknown.
- CB Nate Jones: UFA, Dolphins; 2 yrs, terms unknown.
- CB Jacques Reeves: UFA, Texans; $20M/6 yrs, $4M SB.
On paper, there is no doubt this team is among the best in the league. But as the Giants proved in January, a little "wite-out" can triumph over a paper champion. While solid in talent, this team has many questions to answer in 2008:
1. Can they rebound from 2007 after watching the Giants win a Super Bowl they believed was theirs for the taking?
2. Can Wade Phillips handle all the egos in the locker room?
3. Can Phillips successfully coach this team knowing Jason Garrett is looking over his shoulder?
4. Can Wade and Tony Romo find success in the playoffs?
5. Can Marion Barber handle the load at running back now that Julius Jones is gone?
6. Can Pacman stay out of jail?
7. What will TO's "controversy du jour" be?
Jim's Take:
With all the talent in the locker room, Dallas should contend for the division title and home field all year long; but I get the feeling this team is two bad losses from anarchy.
59 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Dallas
is likely the most talented team in the League. you would think that with the same core for year #3, they would be able to finally put it all together. Romo is too good to not eventually break through in the playoffs. the D is incredibly athletic. TO hasn’t shown his franchise-killing attitude for over two years. Julius Jones was dead weight and they have the right guy taking a majority of the carries now in Barber.
i still think that their major mistake was hiring Wade Phillips. with a better competent head coach, they could’ve been in the middle of a dynasty as we speak. much of the reason why the Yankees went on their 12-year postseason run was because Joe Torre did an outstanding job managing all the egos. i don’t know if Wade is capable of doing that.
anything less than 11-12 wins would be a huge disappointment. i hate Dallas, and i’m not saying that by winning the division they’ll end up winning the NFC (we saw that last year), but you almost have to pick them to repeat in the East.
but i’ll pray that Pac Man hits the police blotter, Roy Williams continues to be the most overrated player in NFL history, TO grabs the kleenex box, Jason Garrett waits til the playoffs to call the worst game of the season, Patrick Crayton inserts foot into mouth, Romo chokes (again), and Terry cries himself to sleep for the 2nd straight year. and it’ll be hilarious watching Zach Thomas try to blitz the quarterback from his wheelchair.
there, now i feel better.
by SBakerTheTouchdownMaker on Jul 7, 2008 9:40 AM EDT reply actions
Dallas
SBakerTheTouchdownMaker:
What is that horrific smell stemming from you? I can tell you, its the stench of jealousy.
You pray to the football gods that the Dallas Cowboys lockerroom implodes with all the different types of ego’s you had just mentioned. Truth to be told, you hope that Cowboys become the next New York Giants. It is the only thing that can possibly distract the media from the already imploding New York Giants. After winning a super bowl, you’d think that players and owners are more happy, but that is certainly not the case with the Giants. You guys have had internal problems starting 3 years ago. Tiki Barber and Coughlin never really got along. After his retirement, we all saw how bitter he was towards his former team. Now with this Jeremy Shockey thing, NY will constantly have issues with their players because they lack that core that the Dallas Cowboys have. You never hear about Dallas’ elite players complaining like you see with the NY Giants. And oh my, how quick are we to forget Eli Mannings horrific regular season play? Here is a reminder, he was tied for first place among QB’s in the NFL for most thrown INT’s last season. I bet what really gets to you guys even more is the fact that Romo has some of his best games against the so-called “tough” NY Giant defense (8 TD’s and one rushing TD in 2 regular season meetings). Our QB is rated among the best in the league while the other remains mediocre at best. Please do not expect Eli to be an elite QB all of a sudden because of one game.
In conclusion, NY Giant fans are jealous that the Cowboys show no signs of an impending implosion while your team is on the brink of one.
“GIANT” good luck from me… all of you will need it.
Oh, Lord!
I waited for the Dallas trolls to find this. Over at the Dallas Morning News Cowboys blog, they are up in arms about this post—http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/07/an-outsiders-view-of-the-cowboys.html.
“The stench of jealousy?”
What is God’s name do Giants fans have to be jealous of when it comes to the Cowboys? We are THE DEFENDING SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS!!! You are a fan of a team that has not won a playoff game since some time last century.
Case closed.
fun with facts and numbers
December 28, 1996 – the last time Dallas won a playoff game.
The #1 album on December 28, 1996 – the Spice Girls (via wikipedia)
Two months after that - – the original Mario Kart for Nintendo 64 is released.
12 – the age of LeBron James the last time Dallas won a playoff game.
$306 million – the amount of money grossed by Independence Day, the top box office smash the last time the Cowboys won a playoff game.
25 – number of NFL teams that have won a playoff game since the Cowboys’ last postseason win (that includes the Arizona Cardinals).
21-17 – score of last year’s Divisional Playoff game in Dallas.
13-3 - Dallas’ record in 2007.
0-1 - Dallas’ playoff record in 2007.
4-1 - Eli’s playoff wins vs. Romo’s fumbled snaps on field goals in the playoffs.
2-0 - Giants Super Bowl appearances vs. Cowboys Super Bowl appearances since the turn of the century.
Jack Shit - what your regular season stats from last year mean to me, and the Super Bowl winning team that I root for.
i’m soooo jealous.
by SBakerTheTouchdownMaker on Jul 7, 2008 7:27 PM EDT up reply actions
That's a lot of trash to talk
You make fun of stats and then try to march them all out. How many playoff wins for Eli the Magnificent before last year? Zero.
We all know that winning is a close run thing every season. The Giants had a great playoff run and deserve the rings, but I’d be careful beating the chest too hard. You and everyone else knows it could have been another team – Dallas, Green Bay, NE, San Diego, Jacksonville. It was all a narrow margin.
And BTW, according to Osi and Strahan, the toughest team they played all year? Yeah, Dallas. It’s going to be a tough year, for everyone in the East.
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
Yes
It will be a tough year. Our point is simple, though. The Giants have been to the mountain top and have NOTHING to prove. The Cowboys have done nothing, so we have nothing to be jealous of. That said, the Cowboys could be great. They could also implode. We’ll see.
by Ed Valentine on Jul 7, 2008 11:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, the jeaousy thin
is not an issue for the Giants. That said, the Cowboys did achieve some things last year – won the division, scored franchise records in points and yards passing, etc. And they beat a very good Giants team twice. So while nothing to be jealous of, it’s also silly to dismiss a rising team as “Jack Shit”. The SB is over and a new season is around the corner and these two teams look to be to be front runners for the NFC, at least at this point.
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
that wasn't directed at you dunkman
you actually had some rational points and came in here without taking a crap the Giants. i was just having some fun with the notion that Giants fans were somehow “jealous” of the Cowboys. don’t take it too much to heart. if it makes you feel better, i’m a Knicks fan, so i really shouldn’t be throwing stones anyway. (and i wasn’t saying that the Cowboys mean ‘jack shit’ i was saying that Romo’s 8-2 TD-INT ratio in the regular season vs. the Giants ended up meaning nothing)
i’m looking forward to another good season, and Dallas is certainly in position to break through and end that drought this year.
by SBakerTheTouchdownMaker on Jul 8, 2008 9:41 AM EDT up reply actions
Cowboys could be great this year
but I think even the most die-hard fan would have to admit they have some potentially volatile situations in the locker room. If Phillips can keep everyone in line, they are absolutely a Super Bowl contender, and probably better than the Giants. But if he can’t, there could be some trouble. I think that was the general point of the post. I actually think the Cowboys will win the division this year, I’ve been a big Romo fan since he first replaced Bledsoe (I just hate the fact he plays for the ‘Boys), and think they are too talented not to win at least 12 games. But then, everyone thought that about the Saints last year too, so who knows.
Now after all this bickering, watch as the Redskins or Eagles go 6-0 in the NFC East and make us all look like idiots (I keed, I keed)
Likewise
no one counted the Giants as a contender at the start of last season – the locker room was coming apart, noTiki (at least on the field), the coach was on death watch. It’s a long season and lots of stuff happens along the way. Even into December it was all Patriots.
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
what volatile situations are you talkin about?
If you mean Tank, T.O. and Pacman, they all are buddies and get along great, don’t understand what you mean.
In Romo we Trust
I said potentially volatile
and you’re seriously not going to admit that TO, Tank, and Pacman have had some issues in the past and there’s at least a slight possibility that those could flare up again?
This post goes right to Canton
No 5 year waiting period
ETVal, I think you should permanently post this on the homepage
Giants fan from the womb to the tomb
by Jim Schmiedeberg on Jul 8, 2008 12:52 PM EDT up reply actions
Romo didn't choke and you know it
Crayton choked, our OL chocked, but Romo was one of the few players in that playoff game that didn’t choke.
you’ll need more than prayers this season, we’re loaded and nobody’s going to stop us.
In Romo we Trust
that wasn't choking
that was having to throw the ball when nobody was open. The receivers choked if you ask me.
In Romo we Trust
Glad to have you back Terry!
How was Tijuana? I hate to say I told you so(heehee) but your over sized group of behemoths that I’m occasionally envious of just kind of wore down at the end. Make that the bitter tear filled end!
We're only gonna score 17 points?
by big blue wrecking crew on Jul 7, 2008 2:46 PM EDT up reply actions
We have more than prayers....
The G-men will have a new swagger this year and we are greatly improved in a lot of areas.
But I agree that your O-line was missing in action that last game. I do think Romo is a first rate quarterback and I expect him and the rest of the Cowboys to give us all we want. I’m a little skeptical about your coach though. He may not have the stuff to take you as far as your talent justifies.
The NFC East is one damn tough place to play, and it wouldn’t surprise me lif three tieams from it made the playoffs.
by giant fan since 57 on Jul 7, 2008 4:43 PM EDT up reply actions
A voice of reason
And that is one of the things I enjoy about this group. We know which side we’re on, but we’re not morons about it. Good stuff.
That's well put
The egos are no worse this season than last. Pacman is really hard on strippers, but they like him the locker room and Zach is classy. I think the “locker room explosiveness” is as much a red herring for Dallas as it is for NY. Both teams seem to handle their odd personlities just fine.
Dallas’ issues will be a safety (you’ll know if the coaches agree if/when you see Anthony Henry move to FS) and the health of TO. With him, the offense moves. If he is limited or missing in action, they are average.
I agree, the East will be a beast, although hopefully Danny has done enough to hobble the Redskins and it’ll be between NY, Philly and Dallas.
Congrats on the SB and good luck. It’ll be a beyotch.
Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig loves it.
I seem to remember...
a certain pretty boy QB launching a pass from the pocket to the middle of nowhere, an obvious intentional grounding. Choked? Maybe not… Rattled? oh definitely.
"We're only going to score 17 points?" ~ Tom Brady
that wasn't intentional grounding
and the head of officiating confirmed it after the playoff game.
In Romo we Trust
Well said, goes for me too SB
We're only gonna score 17 points?
by big blue wrecking crew on Jul 7, 2008 2:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Jealousy
You are right, we are massively jealous of the Cowboys and their Super Bowl victory last year…
wait…
That was us you say?
Only stat that matters is the championship. But really that was a fantastic, hardhitting, scathing response to a bunch of arguments that SBaker didn’t even make.
Oops look out, Patrick Crayton just dropped a crucial first down pass while I was writing this.
Don't know about you guys...
...but I’m still so jealous of the Bucs! I know we beat them in they playoffs last year and won the Super Bowl and all…but I just can’t get over my irrational jealousy of the team from Tampa. I really hope they implode. Same with New England and Green Bay. The Super Bowl win only intensifies my envy. Other jealousies I can’t seem to get over:
The WWII Axis Powers
The Soviet Union
Betamax
Also, Nadal is totally jealous of Roger Federer today…really, he is…
by drunkUncle on Jul 7, 2008 2:02 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I'm jealous
over the Yugo, New Coke, and Tiki Barbers TV career
Giants fan from the womb to the tomb
by Jim Schmiedeberg on Jul 8, 2008 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Question #5 might be a little misplaced
It seems to me Felix was selected so that MB3 won’t have to “handle the load” all by himself. If Barber gets 80ypg and Felix chips in another 30ypg, that’s a 1,700+ yard two-headed monster we’ll all have to deal with this season. They’ll need those yard though, because I think the best of TO and Glenn are years behind them and I think it’s likely neither of them will play a full season.
Wow
Look what I started
Giants fan from the womb to the tomb
by Jim Schmiedeberg on Jul 8, 2008 11:28 AM EDT reply actions
Yikes!!
Well, you know maybe I should have just left him in your hands. Now, he’s my problem, too. LOL!!
by Ed Valentine on Jul 8, 2008 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions
He may be trouble,
but at the same time the wealth of knowledge (Giants and otherwise), is valuable.
But you already knew that…
Cowboys
Any mention of that team - on this site - is going to stir up all kinds of trouble. I figured you knew that.
by Ed Valentine on Jul 8, 2008 11:41 AM EDT up reply actions
Wow
This is the most we’ve heard out of Cowboy fans since mid-January, I thought they’d all put their Nikes on and were waiting for the Hale-Bopp
Giants fan from the womb to the tomb
by Jim Schmiedeberg on Jul 8, 2008 12:50 PM EDT reply actions
One question
Why do Dallas fans care so much about what we think about their team? I could give a ‘rats you know what’ what they think about us. Well, until they come on this site that is.
I feel that way too, pot, even
when they come to BBV. That’s why I so seldom have anything to say when the bickering begins. Dallas fans seem to be the most willing, nay,eager, to take offense at the slightest suggestion of an affront. It’s as though they all cherish a unique kind of inferiority complex. Oh well, to each his own. They’re really not worth the time I’ve just wasted writing this post.
Couldn't agree more, GC
Dallas fans really seem to be ultra-combative. Hey! Cowboys fans: in 2007, the Boys’ may have won the battle, but the GMen won the war! Move on and accept it.
That team has a million question marks; not the least of which include a coach and a QB with a history of choking in big games. When you combine that with questionable (at best) characters in the locker room (tank, pacman, TO, etc.) I think everyone can safely agree that the Cowboys enter 2008 as one of the more talented teams in the league ON PAPER…but who knows if/when the implosion will occur?
thats hilarious!
I see you’ve been sucked in by the media pundits. I got news for you, Romo is clutch in big games and Tank, Pacman and T.O. are best buds, so where’s the implosion?
You Giants fans are really grasping at straws. You had a nice little run last season but as the saying goes, lightning never strikes twice in the same place.
In Romo we Trust
you would have been a great
member of the Inquisition:
“No, Copernicus, the Earth is the center of the universe, and that’s final. There’s no proof for what I believe, but it’s what I believe, so it’s obviously true. You scientists are really grasping at straws.”
"Romo is clutch in big games"
........and 0-2 in the playoffs.
So let me get this straight: the playoffs don’t count as “big games”?
sure, but so do regular season games
there are many big games in the regular season throughout the year. When the Cowboys faced the Giants at Giants Stadium, I considered that a big game and he smoked you. I considered the Packers game for home field advantage in the NFC a big game and Romo smoked the Pack. To limit big games just to playoff games is ridiculous.
BTW, I don’t know how receivers dropping balls is choking on the qbs part, doesn’t make sense to me.
In Romo we Trust
knocking Favre out of the game
actually helped the Packers as Rodgers played much better. If Favre stays in the game, we blow them out by 40 points easily.
In Romo we Trust
Hang on a second here -
Whoa, whoa – I never said that Romo is a choke artist. I merely disagreed with your opinion that “Romo is clutch in big games” – case in point:
1) fumbles the snap on a game winning FG attempt vs. Seattle (sorry Terry, but that loss is all on Romo’s shoulders) in 2006
2) loses a home playoff game as the #1 NFC seed in 2007 (Crayton’s bobble aside, the QB is the field general and the reality is that Dallas lost that game, pushing Romo’s playoff career record to 0-2)
Sooooo….in truly big games that matter (and I think ANYONE will agree that the regular season is just that, “the regular season”), and considering Romo’s two most important games (see points above re: playoff losses to Seattle and the NYG) you would be have to be delusional (at best) to say that “Romo is clutch in big games” – if he’s Mr. Regular Season, than that sounds a lot more like Dan Marino than Joe Montana to me.
Clutch in the playoffs, on the other hand (when it actually matters) is a different thing.
And as far as Romo’s “big game” when he “smoked” the G-Men in 2007…..Terry, I would gladly go 0-2 in the regular season against the ‘Boys if it meant winning the Super Bowl
disagree
1) that loss wasn’t all on Romo because there is no guarantee Gramaticca makes the FG or the defense holds Hasselbeck and the Seahawks offense from going down the field in 2 minutes and kick a FG to win the game. Too many unknowns to put the blame on Romo. Also, the play was as a holder, not a qb, I’ve yet to see manning, Brady or Montana hold for kicks.
2) Explain to me how being a field general and qb makes you responsible for catching your own thrown ball. Depsite being harassed by the GMen’s DL , he put the ball where it supposed to be, the WRs either didn’t run correct routes or dropped the ball. Not Romo’s fault.
When his teammates play up to his level in the playoffs, then you’ll see what I’m talking about.
In Romo we Trust
1111
1)Terry, well Romo has to hold onto the ball in order for Gramatica to kick it. If the kick was missed, then it would have been on Gramaticas shoulders. Hence, Romo fumbled the hold and the kick could not happen. Romo is def. at fault on this one, Cowboys fan or not. There are no unknowns, you either hold onto the ball or don’t, thats it. Cut and dry. If the ball was held, then you can elaborate more on the subject. This is the only known factor.
I see you love your QB, but man, he isn’t a God. He is human like all of us and makes mistakes. You dust it off and get back up and learn from it. Its not soo bad to admit mistakes….
but how does dropping a ball
AS A FG HOLDER, NOT A QB, label him as a choker, that makes no sense to me. As the starting QB, he should have never been holding for FGs. The last starting QB I can remember holding for FGs was Joe Theismann in the ‘80s.
If he fumbles a QB, I could understand, but as a holder? give me a break.
In Romo we Trust
Just as the holder
Yes, as a FG holder. I’m not labeling anybody anything. He was holding the ball because he started to be a starter when Bledsoe got pulled towards the second half of the season. Romo was the primary holder at the beginning and to not mess up the continunity, Parcells just kept it that way. Your right, he should have not been the holder, but I guess Parcells saw things differently.
So you have to admit, he did… choke…Its ok, we all know. Hey, if that was Manning, I would admit to it.
no guarentee
Grammatica makes a 13 yard field goal? Cmon. to be fair Romo would have been carted around as hero if Grammatica had made even a wide-receiver-level attempt at a block.
I got news for you Cody
every single regular season game is big because you need to win them to make the playoffs. You’re not going to have a chance to play in a playoff game if you don’t win enough regular season games.
And this isn’t baseball or basketball where every team plays games almost every day for 6 months. 16 isn’t a lot and each one is very important in the NFL.
True, playoff games are bigger obviously because you’re out if you lose, but saying regular season games aren’t important is asinine.
In Romo we Trust
would "big" games include the playoffs
because last time i checked, Romo is winless in those contests.
by SBakerTheTouchdownMaker on Jul 10, 2008 7:01 AM EDT up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Community Guidelines
Related FanPosts on Big Blue View
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
Get Your Giants' Gear
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
