NFL Preseason 2010: Dallas Cowboys Top Storylines
As the saying goes, everythingโs bigger in Texas.
Bigger stadium, bigger hype, bigger expectations.ย
Owner Jerry Jones moved the Cowboys into a brand new, $1.25 billion stadium last season. Dallas sold out every home game despite having the leagueโs highest average ticket price, $160, to help offset the costs of their new digs.
The place is magnificent, equipped with the largest video board you have ever seen.
Jones packed Cowboys Stadium last year with football games, boxing cards, the NBA All-Star Game, and other events.
According to a recent Forbes Magazine report, the Cowboys are the NFLโs richest team, increasing their value a league-highย nine percent to $1.8 billion.
With the new stadiumโs influx of revenue, Dallasโ operating income reached $143 million, a record for a U.S. sports franchise according to Forbes.
What does this all mean?
Well, not much other than the fact that thereโs a lot of money in Dallas.
And thatโs the main problem.
When you are โAmericaโs Team,โ you are expected to make the playoffs annually and contend for the Super Bowl.
For a franchise as tradition-rich as Dallas, itโs almost unfathomable that the Cowboys havenโt advanced past the Division round of the playoffs since 1995, the last year they won the Super Bowl.
Is this the year for the Cowboys?
Weโve been wondering that for many years.
As always, Dallas has a nice collection of talent. What they do with it come December and January is a different issue entirely.
Let's take a look at a few of the storylines from camp as Dallas prepares for the 2010 season.
Tony Romo and The Big Playoff Question
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On the surface, Tony Romo is two things:ย A good story and a better quarterback.
Romo was born in San Diego but grew up in Burlington, Wisconsin. He attended Eastern Illinois University and put up stellar numbers for the Panthers.
But it was Eastern Illinois. It was the Ohio-Valley Conference and Division I-AA football. Thatโs not Romoโs fault and it doesnโt diminish his college career, but that affected his draft stock.
Romo attended the NFL combine in 2003 but went undrafted.
The Cowboys signed him as a free agent. Romo spent the next couple of years riding the bench. Fast-forward to 2010, and Romo is in the upper-echelon of quarterbacks in the NFL.
Thatโs the good story part.ย
In three-plus years as the starting quarterback, Romo has made four Pro Bowl teams and posted a career passer rating of 95.6, third-highest of all-time.
Thatโs the better quarterback part.
So, whatโs the problem?
Romo has yet to answer the question of whether or not he is truly an โeliteโ quarterback because he has never gotten over the playoff hump.
Romo has struggled mightily in big games, making it easy to leave his name out of the discussion for best QBs in the league.
Remember in 2006 when the Cowboys were down 21-20 with 1:19 left to go against the Seahawks in the NFC Wild Card game and they had a 19-yard field goal to take the lead?
And then Romo couldnโt secure the snap.ย
Remember in the 2008 Divisional game against the New York Giants when Dallas was down four in the fourth quarter and had the ball?
Romo couldnโt orchestrate a winning drive, instead being forced to throw the ball into the end zone on fourth down and watching it land in the hands of New Yorkโs R.W. McQuarters.
Remember last yearโs Divisional game against Minnesota?
Romo lost two fumbles, threw a pick, was sacked six times, and the Vikings romped the Cowboys 34-3.
Fairly or unfairly, Dallasโ lack of playoff success has been heaved on Romoโs shoulders.
If Romo is going to be a winning quarterback, and not just a Pro Bowl quarterback, he has to respond one of these years.
And the response must come in January.
Miles Austin: One-Hit Wonder or Elite WR?
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Like Romo, Austin came from relatively nowhere to experience some NFL success.
Austin played his college ball at Monmouth University and signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2006.
Nobody knew Austinโs name until Roy Williams got hurt last year.
With Williams down, Austin stepped into the starting lineup against the Kansas City Chiefs and promptly recorded 10 catches for 250 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime.
And then Austin took off.
He ended up leading the NFC in receiving last season with 1,320 yards.
Austin also tied for third in the NFL in receiving touchdowns with 11 while only starting 11 games.
His second-half of the season was rewarded with a trip to the Pro Bowl.
Austin goes into 2010 listed as the No. 2 receiving option behind Roy Williams, but thatโs just what the depth chart says.ย
Everyone knows Austin is the primary target for Romo. Now it is up to Austin to make sure thereโs no โsophomoreโ slump as he enters his second season (first full) as a starting wide receiver.
When the 2010 season is over, we will remember Austin for one of two things: As one of the NFLโs best receivers or as the latest boyfriend of Kim Kardashian.ย
Lets pray itโs the former.
Where's The Running Game?
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The Cowboys should have one of the best running back combinations in the league with the bruising Marion Barber and the explosive Felix Jones.
But all Dallas has in the backfield is uncertainty.
Barber put up solid numbers last yearโrushing for seven TDs and averaging 4.4 yards per carryโbut has only eight carries for 25 yards this preseason.
For Jones to be effective, he first needs to stay healthy.
Jones played only six games in his rookie season in 2008 and then played 14 games last year.
Jones showed his ability by averaging 5.9 yards per carry, but heโs far from being the consistent threat the Cowboys hoped he would be three years after being drafted in the first round.
Jones has rushed for only 15 yards on six carries so far this preseason.
Tashard Choice has seen the most workโ18 carries for 69 yardsโbut the unit as a whole has averaged 68.3 yards in three preseason games.
I know, I know, itโs the preseason and all, but the Cowboys have zero chance of doing anything this year if they donโt run the ball better than that.
Who knows, maybe Barber and Jones will simply turn it on when the regular season begins.
Yes, they must be healthy, but then Barber and Jones must produce like they are capable of.
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Development of The D-Line
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DeMarcus Ware is a sack machine. We are all aware of this. Despite his regression in 2009, he will most likely put up good numbers in 2010.ย
The bigger story is that it appears Ware is no longer alone on Dallasโ front line.
The Cowboys love what they have seen from Anthony Spencer in training camp.
Spencer started slow last year and didnโt record his first sack until Thanksgiving, He finished with six in the final six games and one in each of Dallasโ two playoff games.
Spencerโs success drew the attention of the opposing offense and took some of the pressure off of Ware.
โI got a lot of one-on-ones,โ Ware said recently. โSometimes a tight end and tackle would stay on Spencer because they had no choice and that would leave me one-on-one with the tackles.
โI have to take advantage of that.โ
If Ware does take advantage of his opportunities, coaches believe he could approach the 20 sacks he recorded in 2008.
With a full year of a new-and-improved Spencer, the Cowboys may have a much nastier look up front.
Super Bowl or Bust?
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Itโs silly to put this type of label on a team like the Cowboys given the fact that they havenโt sniffed the Super Bowl in more than a decade.
But thatโs exactly whatโs on the minds of many Cowboys fans this year for one particular reason: Dallas will host the Super Bowl in February 2011 at their new stadium.
Jerry Jones has never been one to shy away from the spotlight or the opportunity to stroke his ego. Thereโs nothing he would rather do than fill Cowboys Stadium with Cowboys fans for this yearโs big game.
The revenues from the event would be monumental, but lets forget about those numbers for a moment.
The Cowboys want to do it for the city of Dallas first and foremost.
Would it be as epic of a story as, say, the New Orleans Saints winning last yearโs title?
I donโt know about that.
The Saints didnโt have the history of success that the Cowboys do and there was the Hurricane Katrina storyline in play with New Orleans.
A Dallas title this year wouldnโt be as heartwarming as what the Saints did last for Louisiana, but the story itself would be just as big.ย
All that talk about Romo answering his playoff doubters?
This would be one heck of a year to do it.
Follow Teddy Mitrosilis on Twitter. You can reach him at tm4000@yahoo.com.
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