Bleacher Report - Articles by America's Table

America's Table: Dallas Cowboys Look to "Pounce" Back on Monday Night

America's Table — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:12:42 -0400

Last week was a mixture of excitement and disappointment for the Dallas Cowboys as they opened their new stadium, only to lose in heart breaking fashion to the New York Football Giants.

But it is a new week, and the Cowboys have another big home game on Monday night, where they will host the struggling Carolina Panthers. The ‘Boys are still looking for their first home win in their new stadium, while the Panthers are simply looking for their first win of the season.

The Dallas Cowboys lost in probably the most agonizing possible way you could think of to open a new stadium—a last second field goal against a bitter rival. As the winning Giants field goal sailed through the uprights, however, a small glimmer of hope came fluttering back to the Cowboys faithful in the form of a Wade Phillips timeout, and the Giants were forced to kick the field goal again.

Needless to say, the Giants nailed the second one too, and the outcome remained the same. Still, this sneaky time out has become a popular move among NFL coaches despite the low probability of a payoff. What is your opinion of this time out call: cheap, dangerous, or just plain stupid?

James Williamson: It is a rule. You don't like it when it is used against your team and you love it when it helps your team win. Wade really took a chance on it because what if the kicker missed it on the timeout call? Then he gets a second chance to make a field goal.

I don't know what to think of it to be honest. I just don't know.

Andrew Nuschler: I think it's cheap and stupid.

Am I supposed to believe there's skill involved in calling the timeout at the last minute? I can't see a possible upside to it. Just a bad gimmick at the end of games. Get rid of it.

Robert Allred: It is just plain stupid in my opinion, and I cannot wait until it backfires on someone in a really, really, big game (like say, the Super Bowl?), so that coaches will stop subjecting us to this stupid call.

I could not help but think to myself after watching the second field goal sail through—what if they missed the first one? As sick as I was after watching the final field goal officially put the Cowboys away, I cannot even imagine how I would have felt if the first attempt had been blocked or just missed.

Coaches need to start to see the stupidity in this call. There is way too much risk and very little reward. Don’t get me wrong. Had this benefited the Cowboys, I’d be singing Wade’s praises and I would gladly take the win (no matter how cheap it us), but it doesn’t change how stupid this call is in my opinion.

The Cowboys traded blows against what is widely considered one of the elite teams in the NFL before falling just short to the Giants last Sunday night. This does not necessarily mean, however, that the Cowboys are just one or two small "kinks" away from being an elite team themselves.

Anyone that watched Sundays game saw a Cowboys team that has more than its fair share of problems. What was the most concerning player and/or problem with the Cowboys' performance last week?

James: I have a few big problems. One, I am concerned about letting Felix Jones to kickoff returns when he has gotten minor injuries and even fumbled one which led to a Giants score.

The thing that really hurt the Cowboys last year was the loss of Felix Jones, and I do not want him on the bench anymore. This guy is so deadly as a runner it is unreal.

Another problem I had was not executing better on the last drive by the Giants. The offense, despite its mistakes, got a 31-30 lead in the last minutes of the fourth quarter and the defensive backs could not stop the Giants' receivers.

They stop them there and the Cowboys win. Plain and simple. I'm not concerned about lack of sacks because the 'Boys were going up against a Pro Bowl line. We should get them next time.

The biggest problem I had was when Tony Romo was obviously off after two interceptions, why didn't the Cowboys just try to continue running the football? Tony shouldn't have made those mistakes, but even Joe Montana had an off day, which meant his running back, Roger Craig, was the guy to step up that game.

The Giants couldn't stop the run. The Cowboys have three great running backs. Throw Tashard Choice in there with Barber and Jones and really burn the Giants.

Other than that, I'm fine with our team. The offensive line was great, and Tony Romo will work on his mistakes.

Andrew: Haha, well, I'm guessing the obvious choice will also be the popular one.

Say what you want about the defense—and the lack of a pass rush was disconcerting—the 'Pokes were never meant to contend based on the defense. Furthermore, the turnovers by Tony Romo made a difficult challenge all the more burdensome.

Nope, this one's on Romo.

He's gotta be better when the wattage kicks up a bit on the bright lights or else this team is in rather large trouble. Simply making the playoffs doesn't cut it in Dallas. Not these days when every move is available in larger-than-life imagery, literally.

Robert: The popular answer for this question is going to be Tony Romo, but that is not my biggest concern.

He played terribly last week and should certainly take his fair share of blame for the loss, but I also see this as one bad game for him, and I expect him to bounce back.

The defense, however really scares me. Two weeks into the season, the Cowboys defense has yet to produce either a turnover or a sack. They are the only team that has a big zero in both of those stat categories. Not only that, but despite Tony’s abysmal game, the Cowboys were in position to win it with just one stop from our defense, and we could not get it done.

There is plenty of blame to go around after the loss against the Giants, but I don’t think the defense has gotten their fair share. They need to step up their performance if the Cowboys hope to make this season a truly special one.

The Carolina Panthers are coming to Dallas with an 0-2 record to start the season, and are in desperate need of a win. The Cowboys are playing their second straight nationally televised game in their new home, and also are in need of a win.

Put simply, this game is hugely important to all involved. Who needs this win more, and what will it take for each team to do so?

James: Carolina needs the win more really because an 0-3 start will probably signal buzzards to start hovering. They will need to stop the run of Dallas, and force Romo to make interceptions. They do that and they will win.

Andrew: Although it's not as clear as would normally be the case when a winless team takes on a 1-1 squad, I'm still saying the Carolina Panthers need the win more. Both squads are behind the eight-ball with another loss because of the apparent strength of the NFC East as well as that of the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons.

With only two Wild Card spots available and several rugged contenders already emerging, neither bunch will want to fall too far behind.

But 0-3 looks a lot worse than 1-2 so Carolina's gotta find a way to get it done. The Panthers will have to get a fine game from Jake Delhomme and the once-formidable defense must experience a renaissance.

And quickly.

Dallas?

Well, you know what I'm gonna say. They need a good game from Romo—the rest will follow.

Robert: Make no doubt about it, this is a HUGE game for the Dallas Cowboys…but it is still a bigger game for the Carolina Panthers, not only to get back in the right direction, but also to make a statement to the entire nation about what kind of team they can be this year.

I think the key for both teams is going to be the same: win the turnover battle. These two teams are currently 29th and 30th in the league in turnover differential. Both teams need to get this issue figured out if they hope to turn their season around.

The Dallas Cowboys are the better team, and they have home field advantage on Monday night. If the Panthers hope to pull the upset, they are going to have to force the Cowboys to play some more ugly football, and then take advantage of their mistakes.

On the other side of the coin, the Cowboys need to stop hurting themselves. It can easily be argued that last week, if it weren’t for stupid interceptions, fumbles, and penalties, the Cowboys could have very easily (and perhaps should have) won that game.

Let's hear your predictions. Carolina Panthers at the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night—Who wins and what is the score?

James: I refuse to give an answer there because I jinxed Dallas last week. However, I would like to see a 35-7 win by Dallas (wink, wink).

Andrew: As badly as the Panthers need it, I still don't see the Cowboys starting 0-2 in their new palace. Call it 27-20.

Robert: I just don’t see the Cowboys dropping two in a row at their new stadium. Yes, the Panthers are desperate for a win, and I think they will come to play, but I still think the Cowboys are the stronger team, and they have got the advantage of playing in front of an electric crowd in their new stadium.

Give me the Cowboys, 31-16.

Giants at Cowboys: Week Two Showdown (America's Table)

America's Table — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 15:59:03 -0400

Week Two is upon us, and the 2009 Cowboys have their first opportunity to show the world how good (or bad) they are going to be this season.

Fresh off a Week One win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Cowboys will travel back home to take on the hated New York Giants in the first-ever regular season game at the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium on Sunday Night Football.

If the Cowboys can squeeze past their hated rival, then they could be on the fast track to a great start with the less-then-stellar-looking Carolina Panthers coming to town next Monday night, followed by games at Denver and Kansas City.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet. This week, the Cowboys have got the Giants, and America’s Table has got plenty to say about it!

Q: The NFL miked up Tony Romo for the Week One game at Tampa Bay. For a player whose will to win and leadership have been consistently questioned, Romo seemed to have a fire in him last week—getting on players when they made mistakes, encouraging players when they played well, and all around just enjoying himself. Is this a different Romo than the one the Cowboys suited up last year, or was he simply performing for the camera?

James Williamson: I'm not sure. I think it is a bit of both. I think that he's always been a leader, but he's been silent because he was probably in the habit of staying silent. When you're an undrafted guy on the bench learning plays, you don't talk much because you can't pull any weight to back up the talk.

Now he realizes that he's got to stop being a laid-back guy in the locker room because some players may need someone to kick them in the (you know what) in order for them to get the job done.

It isn't fake though. Tony Romo doesn't have to answer to the fans, contrary to public opinion. He has never called for a press conference or shown any sort of frustration to the NFL fan base at all. He's a straight arrow when it comes to football, and he is being serious about winning.

Andrew Nuschler: I think it's probably a little of both.

Leading the team has to be easier this year without constantly having to worry whether Terrell Owens will use some comment to undermine him or simply wondering how his voice will go over with TO. I know y'all think I'm too harsh on Owens, but I really think his presence was a bigger negative than anyone can appreciate.

Regardless of how it manifested itself, I think Romo had to always consider Owens and that wore on him. Consider how much pressure is on a normal National Football League quarterback WITHOUT the biggest diva in the league constantly looking over his shoulder. I think the combo was a killer.

Now, Romo's gotta be feeling like he has a little breathing room.

Consequently, I do think you'll see a new Tony Romo—much more comfortable with his leadership role because it is a much more comfortable role.

That said, EVERYONE has to ham it up a bit if they know their mic'd.

Shoot, I'd love to pretend I'd be the same dude, but I think I'd be lying.

Can't blame the guy, but I think he was laying it on a little thicker than normal. Human nature.

Robert Allred: I don’t think this is a new Romo, but I also don’t think it is the same Romo we saw last year. This is the Romo we all saw when he took over the reins for Drew Bledsoe a few years ago and instantly became a fan favorite in the city of Dallas.

For whatever reason, Romo lost his mojo last year. He could be seen sulking, was at times apathetic, and could be easily described as disinterested in the game of football. Whether it was problems at home, problems in the locker room, or just a temporary change in priorities, Romo just didn’t seem right.

For at least one week, Dallas fans have the Tony Romo of old back, and that is very encouraging. Time will tell if this Romo is here to stay.

Now I am not going to be so naïve as to say that none of what is seen in this video is a little bit over-exaggerated for the camera, but I also do think that in the middle of a three hour game, it would be pretty easy to forget about the little microphone on you. I also think that the reactions from teammates tell you more about Romo’s game day actions than what he says and does. If this was a night-and-day different Tony Romo than what they had seen all pre-season, then the cameras would have caught that.

Romo may not be ready to travel the country teaching leadership seminars, but I do believe that he is taking steps in the right direction. Also, it should be noted that without Terrell Owens (and I happen to still like “the player”), Romo is—for the very first time in his career—the alpha-dog in the huddle.

Maybe that really does mean something.

Q: The overall result last week in Tampa was a positive one. Winning on the road in the NFL should never be taken for granted. However, the Cowboys were far from perfect, and early in the game, it looked as if the Bucs might give them a serious run for their money. If you're a Cowboys coach, what did you see from last week’s game that most concerned you?

James: My number one concern is Romo needs to get the timing with the receivers down quicker. A typical Dallas Cowboy game is one half of miscues and then the second half is filled with greatness because all the squeaks have gotten greased.

That has to stop because Dallas may not be able to keep it close for an entire half. Romo and the receivers need to be spot on at every point during the game. When you look back on it, the Cowboys might've been able to score 50 points if they had everything down right.

My number two concern is the lack of pass defense. The defensive backs can tackle them to the ground, but I'd like to see some deflected passes, some interceptions; I want to see this secondary really spark fear into the quarterback.

Now, even though the Cowboys did not have a single sack that game, the beating they gave Byron Leftwich was immense. Leftwich is just a smart veteran who knows how to get the ball away quickly. Eli Manning would've been destroyed under that pressure for sure.

Andrew: Oof.

Talk about a rough question—I didn't see the game (I'm in San Francisco) and I don't know a ton about the technical side of football.

However, I do know the Bucs canned their offensive coordinator 10 days before their season opener. I also know they scored 21 points against the Cowboys and ran up 450 yards of total offense. I also know, if there's a glaring weakness on the 'Pokes, it's on the defensive side of the ball.

Put all that together and it doesn't take a gridiron genius to realize the coaches in Big D must have some big worries about their D. Particularly stopping the New York Giants' rushing attack.

Tampa rushed for over 174 yards last week and, if memory serves me, the G-Men have a pretty ferocious running game.

That prospect can't be lulling the defensive coaches to sleep at night this week.

Robert: My biggest concern in the game was something that I originally had absolutely no concerns about—the Dallas Cowboys’ pass rush.

For whatever reason, the Cowboys’ front seven could not apply any pressure on Byron Leftwich, and ended the game without getting a single sack. And this was a team that led the league in that category last year!

Watching Greg Ellis on Monday night gave me a very troubling concern that perhaps he was more important then we all realized. He may be getting up there in years, and he may be a perennial pain in the butt when it comes to off-season contract talks, but the old boy still has a little left in the tank.

He still had three tackles (all solo), a sack, and a forced fumble, and he was a noticeable part of the Raiders defense that, by all accounts, should have beaten the San Diego Chargers.

Ellis’ replacement, Anthony Spencer, was hardly noticeable on Sunday, and ended the game with only four tackles (two solo, two assisted). Not only that, but Spencer’s ineffectiveness also limited Ware’s production to only four tackles (all solo).

The Cowboys are young, and to a degree weak, at the corner and safety positions. We all knew that coming into the season, but the Cowboys were supposed to boast one of the best front sevens in the league. If the Cowboys cannot do more to apply pressure to the quarterback, then better offenses will have a field day against this defense.

Unless Spencer and others step up and prove to be a real threat, opposing defensive coordinators can just load up on the ‘Boys' best player, Ware, and take him completely out of the game.

Q: What will need to happen in order for the Cowboys to win their home opener against the Giants? What needs to happen for the Giants to beat the 'Boys?

James: The Cowboys are going to win this thing. I don't want to jinx it, but they have to really screw up to lose this game. New York can't outscore Dallas unless the Giants defense really clamps down on Dallas. The one time last year when Tony Romo went up against the Giants, the Cowboys won 20-8.

This is the new opening of the new stadium. There is no way Jerry Jones will allow this game to be lost.

If Tony Romo has another six-turnover game like he had two years ago against the Giants, then the 'Boys will lose, but overall, I do not see them losing this game. No sir-ee Bob.

Andrew: I'll go with the obvious here—Tony Romo has to play almost flawless football.

Even if the 'Pokes improve drastically from last week, you gotta figure they're going to give up some points. Despite a shaky passing attack that has yet to find a permanent replacement for Plaxico Burress (although they made some progress last week), New York will almost certainly find the end zone once or twice.

And, with Osi Umenyiora back at full strength, the Giant pass rush should be even stronger.

Of course, two pieces of the New York secondary are banged up and defensive end Chris Canty won't play, so Romo's challenge will be that much easier.

As for what the Giants must do to win, given my previous few paragraphs, my answer is simple—get to Romo.

Pressure him, force him to hurry his throws, and take advantage of any mistakes he makes. As Tony Romo goes, so go the Dallas Cowboys.

Robert: As I addressed in the previous questions, the Cowboys need to improve their pass rush. Eli Manning is not—as his paycheck indicates—the best quarterback in the league, but he is an upgrade over Leftwich, and he can tear you apart if you cannot apply pressure on him.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Cowboys need to continue to mix it up, using their different personnel groups and formations to catch the Giants defense off guard. One of the most exciting things about last week’s game was all the different ways that the Cowboys offense showed that they can beat you. Popular to contrary belief before the season began, they have plenty of weapons, and if Romo can spread the ball around effectively, this offense can be an amazing one to watch.

For the Giants, they need to jump out to a good start. The atmosphere in the Cowboys Stadium is going to be absolutely electric on Sunday night, and should break attendance records for the NFL. The Cowboys have sold ever single standing-room-only “Party Pass,” and I doubt there will be an empty seat in the house. (Also, I will be there, and I can yell very loud.)

The Giants need to do everything in their power to jump out to an early lead and take the crowd out of the game as quickly as possible.

Q: Sunday night is the first-ever Dallas Cowboys regular season home game in their new digs. What are your predictions?

James: Cowboys win 27-10 maybe? I'm not good with scores, but Dallas will win.

Andrew: Ha, this one isn't quite as easy as the Tampa Bay prediction.

Still, I like the 'Pokes.

I think the adrenaline of the new opening and the hysteria of the crowd will be major assets. I think the injuries on the New York defense will be a serious hindrance. I think Romo has another good game against the football Giants.

And I think Dallas wins 24-20 (ugh, can we get a game where I can pick Dallas to lose?).

Robert: I would love to predict a win, because it just makes me feel good inside. But the defensive struggles last week have got me seriously worried about how this team can match up against the league’s elite teams, of which the New York Giants arguably are a part.

The offense pleasantly surprised me last week, but I still will have to go with the Giants until I see noticeable improvement on the defensive end. Give me the Giants in a nail biter, 28-24.

(Plus, maybe if I pick the Cowboys to lose, I can jinx them into winning? We shall see!)

"America's Table," A Dallas Cowboys Roundtable Discussion: Pre-Training Camp

America's Table — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 23:32:23 -0400

After a couple months of silence, America’s Table is back with another edition of our award winning Dallas Cowboys’ Roundtable.

(We have not in fact won any awards, but that has a nice ring to it.)

With Spring Training just around the corner, football is in the air, and there is plenty to discuss. So without further ado, let’s talk some Cowboys!

There has been a lot of talk from both Cowboys haters and Cowboys fans regarding Tony Romo's future with the Cowboys. Many think that his time may be up with the Cowboys as early as the end of next season if things don't improve. Your thoughts? Is Tony Romo on the hot seat?

James Williamson: I think that a lot of people like to kick people when they are down and since the Dallas Cowboys are hated, mainly because of some bandwagon idiot that a person has met, then people are going to do whatever they can to feel good about themselves and lower Dallas fans.

Most of these people probably can't even name their own offensive linemen or have an intelligent conversation about football because they are wrapped up in their own egos.

Now, on to the idea that Tony is on the hot seat. I doubt it because first off, this guy has been a winner for the Cowboys. Yes, he's shaky in December, but have you seen who he plays in December? Road games in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh? That's not like going out and playing the Detroit Lions and the Pittsburgh game was extremely close while the entire Cowboys team didn't show up at Philly.

His first year as a starter, the Cowboys went 13-3 and had few to no injuries, whereas next season, Romo was injured for three games in which the Cowboys went 1-2 in. So, if one can assume that Romo went 3-0 or 2-1 against those teams, then the Cowboys would have been in playoffs.

They don't realize that the loss of left guard, Kyle Kosier, was so significant. When Kosier was in the lineup against teams like Green Bay, the second time against the Redskins, and San Francisco, the Cowboys won all three games.

Against Green Bay, they had 217 yards rushing, against DC, it was 117 yards rushing, and San Francisco, it was only 74 yards rushing because it was a field day for Terrell Owens who had 213 yards receiving, but who do you think was blocking well for Tony Romo?

Kosier is just one guy though. The Cowboys lost Felix Jones, Roy Williams, Pat Watkins, Marion Barber, Sam Hurd, Miles Austin, Terence Newman, Mat McBriar, and more to injuries one time or another.

These "haters" are these imbeciles that don't realize that football is a team sport and if the slightest thing goes wrong, they blame the quarterback because they don't the names of the surrounding cast.

Another point is people!!! He's only been the starter two years!!! Rome wasn't built in a day you know. If Tony Romo was anywhere but Dallas, people would be giving him a break, but no, it is the Dallas Cowboys, so he is watched the way Brad and Angelina are watched.

I give Jerry Jones more credit than that. He's not that impatient, he wants progress and the Cowboys, whether you believe me or not, have made progress.

So, no. Unless Romo goes Ryan Leaf or breaks his back, then he will remain the starter there.

Andrew Nuschler: It’s hilarious that less than a year ago, I felt it necessary to write articles piercing the myth that Tony Romo was one of the best quarterbacks in the National Football League, and now his seat seems to be growing warm—whether in truth or simply by popular perception. I don’t see what it is about this guy that has everyone lurching from one extreme to the next.

I see no reason why it’d be any hotter than is normal for a QB in Dallas, which is to say, always warmer than most.

If Romo can’t string together a good season with all the obvious talent, if he can’t put a bigger notch on his belt by winning a game he really HAS to have, then I’d say Jerry Jones would start seriously exploring other options.

As it is now, I expect the ‘Pokes to dramatically benefit from the absence of the TO Sideshow as well as some of the other nonsense. Should be as close to business as usual as it gets in Big D and I think that allows Tony Romo to make significant progress—which should end the hot seat talk and open up a whole new wave of Romo, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger talk.

Can’t wait....

Robert Allred: In short, no.

Tony Romo is the Dallas Cowboys quarterback, which means that more than any other quarterback, opinions on him can always be found in the extremes. When he was playing great ball, everyone was quick to bust out the anointing oil, but when he struggled last season, people were screaming for his head to roll.

That’s just how it is in Dallas, particularly when you are the quarterback—and perhaps even more so when you are the “celebrity quarterback”.

If Romo does struggle next season, and the Cowboys fail to win a playoff game, I fully expect more irate fans to come out of the woodwork screaming for his trade or release, and the mainstream media will likely jump on Romo like sharks.

But will he be on the “hot seat”? No.

Like it or love it, Romo is going to be around for a while. The Cowboys cannot release him because of the financial ramifications, and if they were to go the trade route, they wouldn’t get adequate value for him. Instead, we’d have another Jay Cutler for Kyle Orton type of deal, and I don’t imagine the Cowboys faithful would be too pleased with that.

That was a very unique situation, and I do not see something like that playing out in the NFL for some time to come.

Having said all that, I expect Romo to have a bounce back season in 2009. I do not think he will put up the kind of gaudy numbers he put up in 2007—so fantasy owners may be a little disappointed—but I do think that he will be more efficient than he has ever been in his career.

I expect the turnovers to go down, his leadership to go up, and the wins? We’ll see.

The Cowboys have a luxury that not many teams have. They have three solid young running backs. How can the Cowboys most effectively use these three next season?

James: The Cowboys will have their own strategy to use the backs, but I have my own.

I want Choice to start and weaken the defense. He is a great mid-range back. Decent speed and decent power out of the Georgia Tech. I knew this kid was going to be on the team the moment I laid eyes on him. He was hungry, he resented his 4th round draft status and he is easily the right draft "choice" for Dallas.

I was even more sure when he blocked a punt against Denver in a preseason game. That boy wants to play and he should play.

Barber, should definitely be a receiving back and a beat-up back. He can take on the defenses that are wearing down. He is arguably in the top 5 backs in the NFL once you get him past the line of scrimmage. Get him a couple of block and get him past the linemen, and then he just takes on linebackers with his physical style.

Another reason why Kosier's injury was so critical last year is because the running back are supposed to go behind the guards.

Another option is to put Barber in at fullback from time to time. He's such a strong guy and a good blocker from what I've seen so he might be able to spell (replace) Deon Anderson.

Andrew: I think exactly how most teams use their backs when you’ve got one rugged smasher like Marion Barber and one lightning fast, quick guy like Felix Jones—heavy doses of the hard-hitter while using the burner to exploit physical and mental fatigue.

With Jones showing a troubling proclivity for injury, I’d use Tashard Choice to lessen the load on Jones. Of course, Choice seemed like a capable performer so he could be used to ease the erosion of Barber over the full slate of games.

And then there’s that Wildcat thing.

Admittedly, however, X’s and O’s are not my specialty.

Robert: If I have said it once, I have said it a million times. This team is not going to be a pass happy team and win next season, unless every single receiver on the roster plays better than we have ever seen them play.

Possible? Yes. Likely? No.

So long as the Cowboys commit to running the ball next season and utilizing all three backs, I really do not care how they spread the load. That doesn’t mean that I don’t have an opinion on how they can most effectively do so, however.

All three backs have different strengths. Marion Barber is your workhorse and your power back, Felix Jones is the homerun threat who can take it to the house on any given play, and Tashard Choice is probably the most balanced every down back.

With that in mind, I would use Tashard Choice as the starter. He proved in the last quarter of the season that he can be a legitimate starter in this league, and that he can beat the opposition both on the ground and through the air. He isn’t very flashy in anything he does, but he makes very few negative plays.

Marion Barber, if his ego will allow it (and I believe it would), is of the most use to the Cowboys late in the game. I want him on the field when it matters the most—crunch time. As such, and for lack of a better term, Marion Barber should be the Cowboys’ “closer.”

The best stretch of his career thus far was when he was playing behind Julius Jones. He would come in fresh late in the game and absolutely destroy the opposing defenses.

Felix Jones is the kind of guy that can turn the simplest toss play into a highlight reel worthy touchdown dash. He will be used in the Wildcat formation, on special teams as a returner, and throughout the game when the Cowboys are looking for a lift.

Lets talk about a little off-the-field incident including our beloved (unless your Andrew) Cowboys—and no, this has nothing to do with Jessica Simpson. Kansas City Star columnist Jason Whitlock recently ripped into Cowboys' TE Martellus Bennett (and society as a whole) for his "Black Olympics" YouTube video. Did Whitlock blow things out of proportion, or does he have a point?

James: I'm a fan of Jason Whitlock's, even though I wrote an article saying how he jumped the gun when writing about Adam Jones. He is still one of the finest writers around the world.

I think Jason Whitlock hit the nail on the head. If you read the article, he's not offended by Martellus Bennett as he is by how society will rip into a Caucasian like Don Imus and immediately label him a racist and our "Reverend," I use the term very loosely, Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson can drive him into a premature retirement while Martellus Bennett is viewed as a comedian.

Jason Whitlock simply pointed out that if we, as a society, make rules then they must be applied to everyone or they are, ironically, racist rules.

Andrew: No.

Martellus Bennett is a fool, plain and simple. It sounds like he spends way too much time trying to become famous OFF the field than he does trying to become better on it. Maybe that’s an unfair portrayal by Whitlock, but I’m going with the writer on this one.

I think that’s all he was saying about Bennett.

With regard to the other statement about racial relations in America, etc., etc.—yeah, I think he probably blew it out of proportion. There’s at least a 50/50 chance that most civil rights groups, media outlets, and other tempest-in-a-teapotters never knew the video existed until the Kansas City Star ran Whitlock’s column.

Even now, there’s a decent chance nobody who would care has seen the damn thing.

Furthermore, I think it’s kind of odd to be upset about a “grab for controversy” being ignored. Such grabs are exceedingly tedious and I think most reasonable people would agree they need to stop. Operating as if they don’t exist is the best way to achieve that goal, so why be displeased?

Robert: Both. I think that Whitlock does have a point, but in this instance I think that he blew things a little out of proportion.

I will wholeheartedly agree that Bennett’s first controversial video (where he rapped about “Jerry Jones’ money” and consistently used the N-word while wearing the Cowboys’ helmet) went too far and his fine was justified. That would have been a perfect prompt for Jason Whitlock’s article.

But this latest video was just harmless fun, and the only thing wrong with it was that it wasn’t funny. He played on the stereotype that black people like fried chicken, watermelon, and Kool-Aid. None of these three stereotypes are negative though. They are all harmless.

I think the biggest problem with this article—and our society as a whole—is that it is just trying way too hard to get offended. It seems like no matter what you do these days, somebody is going to get their feelings hurt or become offended. It has gotten a little ridiculous, in my opinion.

What young Dallas Cowboys up-and-comer will have a breakout year this season? What Dallas Cowboys veteran will have a fall-off season?

James: I'm hoping every "up-and-comer" has a breakout season, but the two I'm most excited for are Anthony Spencer and Mike Jenkins.

Jenkins will now be starting at cornerback opposite Terence Newman and I want to see him get some interceptions and deflected passes.

Anthony Spencer is the left outside linebacker taking over for Greg Ellis, and I'm eager to see his performance against offensive lines. If he becomes a pure beast on the field, then the offensive lines won't know how to guard him and the best outside linebacker in the league known as DeMarcus Ware.

If I had to choose a rookie, I want to see David Buehler, the placekicker from USC. He has the potential to save the Cowboys on special teams with his powerful leg.

Andrew: The youngster who should make the biggest impact is kind of a softball—it’s gotta be Felix Jones and I can’t imagine anyone said any differently.

The former Arkansas Razorback had already shown flashes of that brilliant impact before going down to a season-ending torn ligament suffered while rehabbing a torn hamstring. Yikes, typing that last sentence made me second-guess myself—that’s a lot of tearing in one year.

Oh well, I’m sticking with him because of his breakaway speed, elusive quicks, and because he was a back-up to Darren McFadden in college. That means, between his aborted rookie year and his college days, he’s gotta have a ton in the tank.

Plus, the Cowboys have an attractive personnel package for the vogue Wildcat.

As for the old-time who might slip, as much as it pains me to say it, I came up with a bagel on this one. And, remember, I do NOT like the Dallas Cowboys.

But check the roster—they only have five guys over the age of 30 and two of those are offensive linemen coming off Pro Bowls. You and I know that a Pro Bowl doesn’t mean all that much, but you’ve still gotta have a good year to get there. And the big uglies don’t tend to fall off a cliff all of a sudden.

Keith Brooking was brought in to play linebacker at the age of 33 so I guess I’d have to go with him. Unfortunately, that dude’s an animal so I don’t expect him to slide into the abyss in his first year with a new team.

Terrance Newman and Patrick Crayton are both 30, but they strike me as guys who keep in pretty good shape so 30 shouldn’t be a problem.

Maybe Flozell Adams, but all those penalties can’t really be held against the Hotel since he’s partially deaf in one ear.

Robert: I am looking for Anthony Spencer to have a breakout season, as he moves into the full-time starting role opposite DeMarcus Ware.

He showed flashes of potential brilliance last year, despite his surprisingly lackluster stats, and he seemed to improve all week. If he can start the season healthy, I think he can put together a potentially Pro-Bowl caliber season.

I would love to argue that none of the Cowboys veterans will have a drop-off year, but even in a great team year, at least one individual is going to slump.

Maybe its the homer in me, but I couldn't think of who it would be on this team. The only name that kept coming to mind was Flozell Adams, but I would still take an off year from him over a "great" year from an average lineman.

Short and Sweet: Who will win the NFC East?

James: I believe it will come down to, barring injury, Dallas and Philadelphia. Those teams have Pro-Bowl caliber players at nearly every position.

New York hasn't got a real receiving threat that I have seen and the loss of defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, will be severe in my opinion.

DC has got too much trouble at the quarterback position, so their hopes are riding on defense and the running game. Clinton Portis is the game-changer, but his offensive line is getting up there in age and I doubt they'll be able to stay away from injuries forever.

Andrew: Ugh. I have no idea.

It’s tough to go against the Philadelphia Eagles because I get an inexplicably good feeling from Donovan McNabb and his new set of receivers. Their defense always seems gnarly and the whooping they put on Dallas in that decisive game had to be traumatic—that’s gotta be a tough one to shake off.

The New York Giants seem to do better when nobody sees them coming, which should be the case this year after losing Plaxico Burress to chronic stupidity. There were other factors to be sure, but it can’t be overlooked that the Football Giants struggled against both Philly and Dallas without their brain-dead receiver (especially Philly).

And the Washington Redskins are still fielding a team to my knowledge.

Still, I think the Dallas Cowboys have made all the right moves in the offseasons. They’ve cut the fat and the dumb by getting rid of Pacman Jones and Terrell Owens. Tony Romo’s got the talent to take his organization to the next level and now he’s got the locker room to do it.

With another year of experience on the talented defense and no pieces looking too rickety at this premature moment, the ‘Pokes certainly have every reason to believe themselves one of the favorites for the division.

I’ll go with the Dallas Cowboys in hopes of jinxing them...

Robert: I hate to say it, but if I am going to put money on a team in the NFC East, it is probably on the dirty birds. I would love to pick the Cowboys, and I truly think they can and will compete, but going by what we know today on each team, they are the team to beat.

They were the best team when the season came to an end last year, and they made the most improvements (on paper) in the offseason.

"America's Table," A Dallas Cowboys Roundtable Discussion: Draft Week

America's Table — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:32:47 -0400

It is that time of year again. The MLB baseball season has officially begun, the NBA Playoffs are in full swing, and most importanly, the NFL Draft is just around the corner.

Okay, maybe that is a stretch. Even for some of the most die hard football fans, the NFL draft—like any other draft, for that matter—is largely a snooze fest

Still, it is one more " check-mark" in a long list of off-season activities, and the passing of the NFL draft lets every football fanatic know that the next season is now that much closer.

It is with that happy thought in mind that the writers of America's Table talk a little Dallas Cowboys football.

(Quick Note: Please feel free to suggest discussion topics for future installments of America's Table. Suggestions can be left on the writer's individual bulletins—links below—or on the America's Table bulletin.

Thank you for reading!)

With the draft quickly approaching (April 25th), what do you perceive as the Cowboys' biggest draft need? Second biggest draft need?

James Williamson: The Dallas Cowboys have drafted extremely successfully in the past few years (mainly due to the great Bill Parcells) and have made a lot of success at almost every position.

However, the Dallas Cowboys have only been so successful with offensive linemen. The only starting offensive lineman drafted by Bill Parcells is center Andre Gurode. The other linemen drafted are good lineman, but they aren't guys who would play in the Pro Bowl.

Last year, the biggest injury to the Dallas Cowboys was not losing Tony Romo for three games, but was the loss of starting left guard Kyle Kosier. In fact, every game he played in entirely, the Dallas Cowboys won. That includes a crucial game versus the Green Bay Packers.

Kosier was out for most of the season which led to Cory Proctor filling his shoes only partially. Flozell Adams was constantly having to lend aid to Proctor throughout the season which arguably led to Tony Romo not being protected in the game against Arizona where he broke his finger.

Some would say that the biggest need is in the secondary, but I feel that if Wade Phillips can reproduce what he did last year with the defense, which was a sacking machine, the pressure will be so much on opposing teams that the Cowboys may not need the greatest safety or corner back doing coverage because the quarterback won't have time to throw.

The Cowboys need to make this offense back to its deadly, "we're gonna come in and take you out" self. For that to work, they need an offensive lineman who can, if not rotate, easily come in if one of those men gets hurt.

The second need is definitely in the secondary. The Cowboys should easily be able to use its late picks for corner backs and safeties and pick good players. The two starting corner backs for the 49ers back to back Super Bowls were 3rd and 6th round picks. so the Cowboys can easily get another Orlando Scandrick (6th round pick from last year who has done very well).

The Cowboys are set at linebacker, defensive line, running back, quarterback, tight end, and special teams.

The last need should be receiver. Roy Williams has got to do what is expected of him or Troy Aikman will never let the Cowboys live it down. I would pick a really fast guy who has slipped in the rounds and put him on the practice squad to work on routes.

Andrew Nuschler: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—a team like the Dallas Cowboys has deep enough pockets to acquire high-end pieces once they become available through free agency. They’re like the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox in baseball except that the flow of big name players in the National Football League is much freer.

With that in mind, I’d say it makes the most sense to draft the pieces that other teams are loathe to part with regardless of what the particular weaknesses from the previous year may be.

In the NFL, franchises seem to be slowly coming around to the realization that, outside of a franchise quarterback, they most important guys might just be up on that front line. If your most important single piece is a fragile component like a QB, then it makes sense that the next most important pieces would be the earth movers up front.

If I were the ‘pokes, I’d grab depth up front unless some incredible athlete fell to me. It would allow me to protect Tony Romo even if a starter on the offensive line goes down and then I could pick up shiny pieces to fill holes via the open market.

Robert Allred: I’m going to have to stick with what I originally said in our first roundtable.

The Cowboys are good at quarterback, despite complaints from knee-jerkers around the world. Their running back stable is superb, tight ends are elite, and their wide outs need to be addressed, but in later rounds.

The front seven on defense is one of the best in the league, and their corners are young but talented.

The Cowboys main two weaknesses are in their offensive line and their secondary, particularly the safety positions.

I would probably go with a safety first, and follow that up with an O-lineman.

The Cowboys are about to move into their new stadium. A new stadium is seemingly the perfect time to add a few names to the famed Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor. If you could only pick one past Cowboy to be added to the Ring this year, who would you pick? Also, what current player has the best shot at joining the Ring of honor after their career is over?

James: The Ring of Honor. Ahh. I always loved that thing. what better way for fans to remember the history than to look up in the stadium and see those great names surrounding them.

It also can be used against the Cowboys though. Nick Eatman, a writer for the Dallas Cowboys, stated that he talked to some Hall of Fame voters and one of the things that is being used against certain Cowboys, who are up for Hall of Fame induction, is their exclusion from the Ring of Honor.

As first glance, it can be seen as a biased excuse, but if one thinks about it carefully then they understand the logic.

The Hall of Fame is for the greatest of the greatest of the great right? Well, how can a Dallas Cowboy be deemed the greatest if he hasn't even been found worthy enough to be called the greatest by his own franchise?

Every Cowboy in the Hall of Fame is in the Ring of Honor. That is not a coincidence.

I want Cowboys in Canton, so the one Cowboy I nominate to go in the Ring of Honor right now, so it can help his chances, is Drew Pearson.

Drew Pearson is still eligible for the Hall of Fame and with his credentials, the Ring of Honor could really help in getting him over the top into the finalist list.

The Cowboy most likely to go to Ring of Honor? That is like asking if Oreos go with milk? Its DeMarcus Ware. All he has to do is get ten plus sacks a year for the rest of his career and he'll go into Canton, Ohio and the Ring of Honor as easy as pie.

Andrew: I may be out of my depth here because all I know about the Ring of Honor is that you have to be good and there’s a premium placed on character (which makes Michael Irvin’s selection a little odd).

If I’ve got those main two criteria right, then I’d put Darryl Johnston in there.

His stats aren’t eye-popping, but Moose was a freakin’ fullback—how in the world could his stats be any better? Fullbacks have never been featured in any offense that I’ve ever seen in the NFL so we’re talking about a group that is underrated by definition in the current fantasy-crazed atmosphere.

But—take it from this San Francisco 49er fan—after cursing the obvious targets of those years (the Triplets, Jimmy Johnson, Jerry Jones, etc.), it was Moose Johnston and then Jay Novacek who drew our ire. Again, it was obviously guys like Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin doing most of the damage.

However, Johnston came up with his share of huge plays on crucial third down conversions and was always critical to opening those huge holes into the secondary for No. 22. And, in the event the superb offensive line let someone slip through, getting through Darryl was no cup o’ tea.

As for best chance right now...I don’t know if any of these chumps has a shot. Seems to me that one criterion I didn’t mention was contribution to championships and, until these Dallas Cowboys pull their [expletive] together, none will possess that qualifier.

Maybe DeMarcus Ware if he stays with the Star long enough because he’s got enough talent to have the kind of career worthy of such lofty recognition even if he finishes without a ring. Plus he seems like a good character guy.

Robert: I can probably already tell you to defer to whatever James says for the first part of this question. His Cowboys—and overall NFL—history knowledge is much better than mine will ever be, and I know that when I read his answer, I will agree.

That being said, I think that at some point Jimmy Johnson has got to be in there. I know there is always the Johnson-Jones feud, which might keep this from happening any time real soon, but he is the man that made the Cowboys into the team of the 90’s.

Darren Woodson and Jay Novacek are also names that came to mind, but these are 90’s guys too. Again, please excuse my lack of history, but I am almost certain that James will make up for my shortcomings here!

As far as current players, the only lock for me as of now is Jason Witten. I think that DeMarcus Ware has a shot by the time all is said and done, along with Terence Newman and Tony Romo.

However, if any three of those players were to go down to a career ending injury tomorrow (knock on wood), they have not yet done enough to prove that they deserve that high of an honor.

I think that Jason Witten has already proven to be one of the best all around tight ends to ever play the game.

After having time to reflect on it, has your position on the Cowboys' move to let Terrell Owens go changed? Do the Cowboys need to look for another receiver to compliment Roy Williams, or can they make do with their receiving corps as currently constructed?

James: I've actually written articles on both of those subjects. If the reader wants to go further, then here are the links:

Maybe Cutting Terrell Owens Wasn't the Wrong Move

Roy Williams the Key Element to Dallas' Future Success

But, if you want the simple answers. Yes, my views have changed on Owens, and no I don't think the Cowboys need another receiver for Roy Williams to work with unless Williams does not become the player they need him to be.

Andrew: Has my position changed on getting rid of Terrell Owens? Surely you jest.

I think it would be insane to look for another big name/ego wide receiver to pair with Williams. For a while, everyone was desperate for two big threats to really top off an elite offense. But where/when has that worked well in the modern era?

I can’t think of any since Randy Moss and Chris Carter. There have been effective tandems to be sure, but once the egos start to compete i.e. Chad Ocho Sinko and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, the whole thing seems to come apart at the seams.

Incidentally, that would be my simple assessment of TO—he’s a poison pill because his ego doesn’t allow for any others, but most big talent in the NFL comes with a big ego. So the one thing Owens needs to win a ring is the one thing he can’t coexist with, hence, no ring despite other-worldly ability.

Back to the question—it also seems that part of the reason Dallas deep-sixed Terrible Owens was to make Williams the focal point of the receiving game. Getting another “compliment” would defeat that stated purpose.

Lastly, I think WRs are the most overrated players in the NFL unless you happen to have Larry Fitzgerald. Short of Leapin’ Larry, you’re better off with a little less proven talent and a LOT less sideshow.

Robert: I am okay with the Terrell Owens move now. I still consider myself a T.O. fan, and I’m sure at times I will miss the guy, but I think in the long run this could be the right move.

It is time for this to be Tony Romo’s team, and as much as I like T.O., I am just not sure that could have happened with him here. He had too big of a voice inside of the locker room and inside of the huddle.

I always hear Michael Irvin talk about how, even though he was wild and crazy, Troy Aikman always had his ultimate respect. Whatever Troy said went as far as Irvin was concerned.

I don’t think that Romo had that same relationship with T.O.

Sure, I believe that Owens respected Romo as a player and liked him as a person, but when Romo got started, he was the young gun and Owens was the future Hall of Fame veteran wide receiver.

How was Romo ever supposed to really lead Owens?

I also still really like that the Cowboys are getting rid of the drama that came with Owens. I did not always think the drama was deserved or even necessarily T.O.’s fault, but regardless, it was there. Eliminating Owens gives the media one less negative Cowboys’ storyline to focus on.

Regarding bringing in another receiver, I think we should take a flyer in a low round on a receiver, but I don’t think it needs to be addressed via free agency or trade.

The way the Cowboys offense is shaping up, they are built to run the ball now. This really excites me.

As fun as the air-it-out offense is, I think it is more important to remain balanced. If the Cowboys can make running a real focus, then I think they have plenty of talented pass catchers to carry the load through the air.

The 2009 schedule has recently been released. What are your first impressions of the schedule, and how do you see the Cowboys faring against next years' competition?

James: The Cowboys late season will be the most difficult. They always struggle after Thanksgiving and with three division games, they need to win all of the first 11.

I'm not joking. If they don't, then they face a harder December. Of course, Dallas could show its true potential and defeat their opponents no matter what the circumstances are.

The NFC South will be tough while the AFC West should be cupcakes except for the Chargers.

My hope is playoffs, Super Bowl win, Eagle and Redskin fans shutting their insulting mouths, but I have my doubts unfortunately. The Cowboys have not given any fan any reason to believe they can do it all.

Andrew: My first impression is Dallas’s schedule is cake—outside of the National Football Conference East, which can’t be avoided.

The American Football Conference West should only have one good team, the San Diego Chargers. The Denver Broncos will probably need a year to recover from the Jay Cutler debacle (although, judging from his behavior, I’d say the Broncs are better off in the long run).

The Kansas City Chiefs will be better with Matt Cassel, but I think they’re a year away from really seeing dividends from that move. And the Oakland Raiders will be better as JaMarcus Russell was starting to come around at the end of last year, but they still need a lot more improvement from him before they’re ready to be contenders.

Ultimately, the NFC South benefited from an easy schedule and then beating up on each other at home. I don’t think those clubs were as good as we thought when the dust settled.

In any event, the Cowboys should be pretty rugged next year without the certifiable distraction of guys like Owens and Pacman Jones around so they should be able to handle the hand dealt.

I’d say that first game in Tampa Bay will be a rough one since it’s the first of the year, but the Bucs are a rudderless ship at this point with Jeff Garcia taking his skittish show to Oakland (unless you have faith in Brian Griese).

I wouldn’t be surprised if the only games Dallas lost next year were to division rivals since, on paper, nobody from the AFC West, NFC South, and the Seattle Seahawks should be able to hang with the ‘pokes.

The only possible non-NFC East hiccup I see is that game against the Green Bay Packers and a more experienced Aaron Rodgers...in Green Bay.

Robert: In short, this schedule is tough!

This is particularly true in the final five weeks, which is a part of the season that has been a tough stretch for the Cowboys for several years now.

The final five games (@NYG, San Diego, @ New Orleans, @ Washington, Philly) will make or break the Cowboys’ year.

If they can go 3-2 or 4-1 in that brutal stretch, I see the Cowboys in the playoffs. If they finish 2-3 or worse, they will probably need help to get in.

The good news is that the season starts off fairly easily. Their toughest two opponents before the bye week should be Carolina and New York, both of whom they have at home in their new stadium.

As such, I see no reason the Cowboys cannot head into the bye week at a 5-0 mark and get a little momentum working in their favor.

Do the Cowboys make the playoffs next year? Do they have a shot at a Super Bowl?

James: I've said it before, and I'll say it again. This team has the talent and staff necessary to go 19-0. They just need to stop the inconsistency. One day Romo throws for 300 plus and other times he throws two or three interceptions. Same goes with the defense.

Since they are not consistent, I cannot comment on either of the questions. They could get lucky and win it all or they could stink up the stadium and televisions worse than a sewer. I cannot predict this team and neither can anyone else. 19-0 or 8-8 is possible with this group.

Andrew: Yes and yes—with that kind of money, Jones’ willingness to spend, and the status quo of talent amassed, the Dallas Cowboys should always make the playoffs and always have a shot at the Super Bowl.

That’s why nobody likes them...

Robert: This is really a tough call for me. Naturally, I want to answer yes to both questions, but playoffs are never a guarantee, and the Cowboys have not shown yet that they have what it takes to be a true Super Bowl contender.

I will say this though. The Cowboys do have the talent to contend for both, if they can just put everything together.

If the Cowboys can keep their off-the-field drama to a minimum—something they failed to do last year—and the majority of their key players can stay healthy, then this team stands a chance.

I cannot fathom the injury bug biting them as bad as it did in 2008 next year, and the Cowboys management has taken the appropriate steps to “fix the locker room drama,” so my gut instinct (and heart, of course) tells me that the Cowboys will find a way to squeak into the playoffs, but probably as a Wild Card.

If they can do that, I see no reason that they cannot contend for a chance to play in, or even win, the Super Bowl. Before I get crucified for being a “homer,” I am not predicting this. I am just not ruling it out.

Unlike the AFC, who has only a handful of true contenders, the NFC is wide open for the taking, and has been for several years now. At this time of year, the Cowboys have just as good of a chance as anyone to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Just ask the Cardinals.

Short and Sweet: Who is the most valuable player to the Cowboys' chances next year?

James: I think it all boils down to two guys. Tony Romo and Roy Williams. Roy Williams needs to be the player they need him to be and Tony Romo needs to be the leader they need him to be.

Andrew: Roy Williams.

I know, everyone will say Tony Romo and, in truth, he is the most valuable player for the Cowboys. But I expect him to play well as long as he can stay healthy so I don’t see an ‘if’ there (other than the injury ‘if’ and that’s true for every player).

However, if Roy Williams can’t deliver on his considerable gifts and turn the loss of TO into serious addition by subtraction, Dallas won’t be the team it can and should be.

In other words, Romo will be great and, if Williams can keep up, Dallas should finally become the force experts always expect them to be.

Robert: If I was going to give a most valuable “unit,” it would have to be the offensive line. They, in my opinion, were the weakest link on the offensive side of the ball late in the season last year.

But if I am going to pick one singular player who is most valuable to the Cowboys’ success, it’s got to be No. 9—Tony Romo.

Without Terrell Owens, it is time for Romo to take the next step and make this offense his.

He also has to stay healthy (another reason the O-line is on my $#*^ list) because even though Jon Kitna is an upgrade over Brad Johnson, this team will still not go far without their starting quarterback.

I would keep going, but this answer was supposed to be “Short and Sweet.” Oops.

"America's Table," A Dallas Cowboys Roundtable Discussion: Talkin' T.O.

America's Table — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:07:49 -0500

Welcome to the second installment of America’s Table, Bleacher Report’s newest Dallas Cowboys roundtable.

Unless you have been under a rock for the past week, you have probably already heard the news that lightning-rod receiver Terrell Owens has been released by the Dallas Cowboys.

In the immediate aftermath of the shocking release, one thing has become more abundantly clear than ever.

Whether Owens was or was not a divisive player in the Cowboys’ locker-room, he is most certainly a polarizing player among fans and media members.

Since the move by the Cowboys, there have been tears of sorrow, cheers of joy, and simple indifference from fans and media members across the nation.

Not surprisingly, the members of America’s Table have a few hot sports opinions of their own regarding the situation that the NFL’s most talked about wide receiver currently finds himself in:

What are your overall feelings about the release of TO? Do you like or dislike this move from a personal standpoint, and how do you feel it will impact the Cowboys next season?

James Williamson: Personally, I had come to love TO as a player and as a person. In many ways, I identified with him and it just crushed me when I heard he was released. I still am not over it. I personally dislike it and it, to me, will take a lot of fun out of the Cowboys next year.

It will definitely impact the Cowboys because every team had to game plan around Terrell Owens and now he is gone. I felt that the combination of Owens and Williams would be unstoppable this year. I really did. They have that kind of talent.

What really confuses me is why TO was not traded. The Cowboys could have unloaded him somewhere for maybe a first-round pick. They gain nothing from releasing him. It makes no sense.

Andrew Nuschler: Whooo boy, I gotta say even I didn't see this one coming. I'm as hard on Terrell Owens and as down on him as almost anyone you can find, but the news that the Dallas Cowboys cut him struck me as astounding.

Not that I disagree with the sanity of the move.

It's just that Jerry Jones and the 'boys jumped aboard this train wreck with eyes wide open. They can't claim ignorance to TO's rep for being a team-killer. Not when they picked him off the scrap heap where the Philadelphia Eagles had freshly deposited him.

Not when those Iggles unwisely took TO off the hands of the San Francisco 49ers for pennies on the millions of dollars.

So why cut him? Why now? Owens had been a comparable angel in Dallas when his tenure in Big D is assessed next to the stints in Philly and the City. Sure, he threw a couple not-so-subtle barbs at Tony Romo and Jason Garrett.

Those were Hallmark greetings relative to what he did to former versions. This is a guy who once openly questioned Jeff Garcia's sexuality and tried to hang a Super Bowl loss around Donovan McNabb's shoulders.

To me, the move indicates one of two things, possibly both: (A) Jerry Jones sincerely believes in Romo and is going to give the kid every shot to succeed (smart); and/or (B) Jones is almost as whole-heartedly behind Garrett (jury's still out on that one).

People keep pointing out how this means that Romo will have a clear locker room, ready for his divine leadership to blossom. That's definitely true, but I say it's even more significant for the vote of confidence it announces in support of the young (and really expensive) offensive coordinator.

After all, this is a guy who Jerry Jones seemingly hand picked as the eventual head coach of his 'Pokes, paid millions of dollars to keep him around, and—if you're looking for Terrell's serious transgressions—those would seem to be scattered at Garrett's feet.

When you have all that operating budget, it makes no sense to bring in a headache like Owens so ditching one has to make perfect sense.

If you can afford to grab a bunch of it, why compromise harmony when there's plenty of talent on the market without the incidental costs? You can't separate the two—a player's value is the product of the entire package.

And Terrell Owens' ego is simply beyond any physical talent he could ever bring to bear on the field. It always has been. The dude cannot be good enough on the field to offset the carnage he wreaks in the clubhouse, plain and simple.

That's saying somethin' because homeboy could really run down the pigskin in his prime.

But therein lies the other hidden gem to this move—Terrell Owens is 35 and he is playing in the National Football League. This is not Major League Baseball; this is not a game that frequently features excellence aged close to 40 years. Even a workaholic like Owens will start losing a step here, an edge there.

Some say he already has. Jerry Jones is apparently one of them—all the bluster to the contrary.

When that happens, you're best clear of the implosion that will follow because athletes are typically the last to acknowledge such news and the denial is usually a pretty ugly affair. I sincerely doubt the process would have been any different for Terrell Owens.

Now, Dallas has no such worry.

The franchise can go with Patrick Crayton and Roy Williams (who has physical tools approximating Owens' and is only 27) or they can bring in some new talent at the position. I happen to think wide receiver is one of the most highly overrated positions in the NFL.

I know a great receiver can really help your club, but I think there are lots of receivers in the NFL with the capacity to be great if put in the right situation. And a lot of them will probably be intrigued at the situation in Big D.

There's a whole lotta right down there, especially now that TO is history.

Robert Allred: From a personal standpoint, I don’t like this move at all. Like a fungus, T.O. has grown on me. In addition to being a Cowboys fan, I am now also a T.O. fan, and I want to see the guy do well. I think he could have done well here.

Obviously, I am not privy to everything that goes on behind closed doors. It is quite possible—and I dare say probable—that there are things going on behind the scenes that I do not know about, and that T.O. was as bad as the media would like to have us believe.

But for now, I just don’t buy it. I believe that much of the T.O. drama was, and continues to be, overblown.

That being said, it very well could turn out that this release could turn into a blessing in disguise. No matter who is to blame for the T.O. saga, there is no denying that the situation has been a distraction. It seemed as if every week there was a new T.O. story that just had to be talked about.

With T.O. gone, hopefully Dallas can stay out of the news a little, and perhaps even—gasp—fly under the radar next season. It looks as if Jerry Jones finally wants the circus to leave town, and that might not be a bad thing.

Who do you blame for the "TO Experiment" failing in Dallas?

James: ESPN! I hate ESPN right now. I have listened to a half dozen interviews of Terrell Owens. I have read articles about the so-called statements and I have listened to other Cowboy players talk about it.

They all prove that ESPN blew this way out of proportion to make headlines. They had no ethical boundaries about it at all. The constant coverage, rumors, speculation, and flim-flam were enough to drive a person crazy.

Jerry Jones cut TO, in my opinion, to shut up the press really. Think about it. Dallas was always in the news and it rarely had a neutral or positive tone to it.

The negativity gets into the locker room and it messes things up, which is one of the many things, I believe, that messed up Dallas’s season.

Terrell Owens did not ever go to the media. The media took rumors and unnamed sources to the maximum. They never gave him the benefit of the doubt once. Not once.

Andrew: Hey, maybe the real teacher's pet is Jason Witten.

Nah...nobody loves tight ends that much. No, the real culprits here are the usual suspects: Jerry Jones and Terrell Owens. It was the ego-maniacal nature of both that made this scenario a loser from the get-go.

It's Jerry's fault for believing the mystique of Dallas could conquer even the gnarliest self-lover the League has ever seen and it is Owens' fault for being so infatuated with himself, for having his head so far up his own posterior that he couldn't see the tremendous talent/opportunity he was wasting.

And it's been wasted, make no mistake about it. That's why, when the dust settles, I really like the move. A lot.

Robert: I hate to be Switzerland here—or Sweden if you're Jessica Alba—but I am going to take the neutral road with this answer. The blame for things not working out has to be shared.

T.O. has to assume some blame because of his past. The way that he acted in San Francisco, in Philadelphia, and even in Dallas at times, is nobody’s fault but his own. Yes, the majority of his “controversial “ statements were the truth, but he also chose to air dirty laundry at times that probably should have been kept in-house.

Were some of his comments and actions overblown during his stay with Dallas? Absolutely. But a large reason for that is because of the reputation that he has built for himself throughout his career as being a selfish player that puts himself above the team.

Because of this reputation, everything he did was put under a magnifying glass. It is probably not fair, and I don’t believe that makes it right. Unfortunately, however, life is not always fair.

Jerry Jones also has a fair share of the blame. If you want to know who is running the “circus,” look no further than Jones. He has always lived under the credo that any publicity is good publicity. He has brought in guys like Adam “Pacman” Jones, Tank Johnson, and of course, Terrell Owens.

He has always been more than accommodating to media, even giving them offices inside of Valley Ranch. He wanted the media attention, and he got it.

Unfortunately for T.O. and the Cowboys’ organization, much of the media attention they received this year was negative, and there is no denying that it impacted the play on the field.

This brings me of course to the media, who also had their hand in this little failed T.O. experiment in Dallas. They have been waiting and hoping for T.O. to fail, sometimes even trying to help push along the process.

They would take what would be a non-story for any other player in the league, and would make it national news if it involved T.O.

It is not any single person’s fault that this relationship didn’t work out. It took a shared effort to mess up what could have been a beautiful thing.

Some people think that there is still a chance that TO could be in a Cowboys uniform next season. Do you think this is at all a possibility, or just wishful thinking from a handful of fans?

James: I wish for it, but no. He is going to get picked up or retire. Jones is not going to bring him back unless we really need him and I doubt that will be ever.

Andrew: Some Dallas fans are hoping this might just be a restructuring move, that Owens will be re-signed in the near future, I doubt it.

Owens’ ego doesn't allow for that. At least it doesn't allow for such intentions to be kept secret. If he's doing something for the greater good, you better believe we're all gonna know about it.

Nope, I think Terrell Owens will be wearing a new uniform next year and I have no idea which one it will be. If Dallas doesn't want your sideshow, who will? Surely someone, but I don't know and I don't care.

Robert: Not at all. Terrell Owens will never wear a star on his helmet again. Period.

Part of me really wishes he could, but I don’t see any way this happens. For one thing, if the Cowboys were to bring T.O. back, it would make the Dallas Cowboys organization look worse than they already do.

Jerry Jones has made a stand with this move that tells fans, media members, and anyone paying attention, that the circus has left town.

If he were to bring back T.O., not only would a little circus be back in town, it would be freakin’ Cirque du Soleil!

I also don’t think that T.O.’s ego would allow this to happen. Whether he will admit it or not, this has got to hurt. I believe that he loved being a Dallas Cowboy, and that he truly wanted to finish his career with that star on his helmet. He made it known.

To be kicked to the curb the way he was, I just do not see any way that he would be willing to come back. He will move on to another NFL team or he will retire.

Assuming TO is not back with the Cowboys next season, does his absence help or hurt QB Tony Romo's development?

James: Little bit of both. TO is a guy who wants to lead his team to victories, but the one thing that is funny about him is he honestly believes that they cannot make these victories without his help, which leads him to asking for the ball more often.

With him gone, no one will be buzzing in Romo’s ear, but TO is also one of the greatest receivers of all time. He was Jerry Rice’s understudy in San Francisco.

When you lose a guy like that, it is going to hurt unless you have guys that can replace him, and I’m sorry but Roy Williams has not proven himself yet in a Dallas uniform.

Andrew: This is great news for Romo’s development, because the skepticism has never been about Tony’s ability. It is about his leadership and his ineffectiveness at rallying the troops when the job had to get done. Owens wasn’t helping in that regard; he was hurting because he was always rallying the troops to his cause.

That wasn’t always the team’s cause. Now, that hurdle is no longer in front of Romo.

Robert: I was really torn on this question. T.O. has been a large catalyst in Romo’s success during his short career, but I also think that in the long run, this could be the change that the Cowboys offense needs.

Let’s face it; the Cowboys had too many weapons on offense last year. Now in a video game or in fantasy world, that would be a ridiculous statement to make, but in the real world, it might just be true.

They had T.O., Jason Witten, Roy E. Williams, Marion Barber, Patrick Crayton, Martellus Bennett, Felix Jones, Tashard Choice, Miles Austin, and Sam Hurd. There is absolutely no way to get all of those playmakers the ball, and when that happens, egos will come into play.

By removing T.O., the Cowboys can now do what they are probably best equipped to do—run the football. They have three running backs, and with less fire power in the passing game, they now have more incentive to actually use them, and use them a lot.

This brings us back to Romo.

With a stronger rushing game, Romo’s job becomes much easier. Defenses have to play more honest, the receivers can get open faster, and there will be one less receiver (ego) demanding the ball.

Romo might not have the same kind of gaudy numbers that he has had in years past (or he might), but he will no longer be asked to carry the offense. As a result, turnovers should go down, and he will become a more efficient quarterback that still has the ability to make the big play from time to time.

What uniform will TO be wearing next year, or will he even be in the league?

James: Most likely Minnesota, Jacksonville, Oakland, or maybe New England. Those are teams that could use him. Maybe San Francisco might take him back. That is a question that I cannot answer since usually Dallas is the last stop for players like TO. He may retire.

Andrew: See No. 3. I don't care because Terrell Owens is many things, but not a winner. You simply can't make that argument—he's been on talented teams and driven them to despair, not to the Promised Land. Whoever picks him up is screwed.

Robert: I don’t think there is any way that Terrell Owens is sitting on the couch when the season rolls around. Someone will pick him up.

It might be tonight, could be tomorrow, or he might have to wait until training camp or later, but a team will take a flyer on him. That being said, placing him is a harder task.

The best fit would probably be Miami, although I am not sure how interested Bill Parcells is in reuniting with “the player.”

There has also been the always predictable talk of shipping him to Oakland, where NFL rejects often land when they are out of work. And we have all heard speculation about T.O. landing on yet another NFC East squad in New York or Washington.

I don’t think any of those happen, however. My gut tells me he will end up in Denver, but I have absolutely nothing to back this gut feeling up with. Also, it should be noted that my gut told me he would never get cut, so take that for what its worth.

Short and sweet: Can the Cowboys win a Super Bowl without TO in the lineup next year? Could they have won one with him?

James: I think the Cowboys still have enough talent to win a Super Bowl, but it will be more difficult in my opinion.

I definitely think they could have won the Super Bowl last year. To me, I thought what hurt the Cowboys last year was injuries. Big injuries kept us out of the playoffs.

Andrew: Dallas is better off without him, but I’m not sure it makes them automatically a Super Bowl pick. Tony Romo is much better off without him, that’s for sure. And Jason Garrett has a chance now that Terrell will be someone else's problem.

It's Tony Romo's team and Jason Garrett will have a firmer hold on the situation without Owens yanking at the reins in every way, at every chance.

The Dallas Cowboys seem to be a Super Bowl favorite every year. With no more Terrell Owens in the picture for 2009-2010, that hype will have a much better chance of coming to fruition although I still think they have some work to do.

One thing’s for sure—it wasn’t happening with him.

This is Addition by Subtraction 101.

Robert: Yes, and yes.

This team is talented, with or without T.O., and they certainly still have the pieces in place that could take this team all the way to the Promised Land.

That being said, I was not predicting a Super Bowl win a week ago, and I am still not predicting one today. This team had many more problems than simply T.O., and they still do today.

Until I see improved line play, a change in offensive philosophy (i.e. run the ball!!), and a more consistent defense, this team is not going anywhere.

Can they win a Super Bowl? They could before and they still can now. Now they just have to go out there and get it done.

"America's Table," A Dallas Cowboys Roundtable Discussion: Offseason Edition

America's Table — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 16:43:49 -0500

Welcome to the first installment of the new Dallas Cowboys’ Roundtable, America’s Table.

Our goal with this roundtable is to be different; to stand out. We are looking for real honest and intelligent debate over Cowboys related topics, not just a bunch of homers vomiting their love of their team all over your computer screen.

In effort to accomplish this goal, we have taken a different approach in choosing the panel of writers for this table. Of the three writers, we have two Cowboy fans and one Cowboy hater. For more information on the individual writers, or to check out their other work, please check out their profiles (linked below).

As this is a roundtable that welcomes healthy debate and disagreement, we welcome comments with your own opinions on the conversation topics, as well as suggestions for future discussions.

And now, let’s get this roundtable started:

Bob Hayes is the lone Dallas Cowboy of this year's 17 Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists. Do you believe that he belongs in the Hall, and if so, should he be inducted this year?

James Williamson: Bob Hayes has really been long overdue for the Hall of Fame. He changed the way the game was played on defense because of his speed. They need to do zone defense because that speed was impossible to keep up with man to man.

However, he is not just a game changer. He had 371 receptions, yes, but he also holds the Dallas Cowboys receiving touchdown record with 71. So, he averaged a touchdown every five catches and with 7,414 yards, he had a 20 yards per reception average that is still a record to my knowledge.

Incredible. If Tom Landry had used him more instead of the running game, Jerry Rice would not have the touchdown record.

Andrew Nuschler: Yes and yes. Remember, I'm no fan of the Dallas Cowboys. They are—without a doubt—my least favorite team in the National Football League. But Bullet Bob deserves the NFL's highest honor and it seems looooong overdue.

As with any hall of fame, the selection criteria are vague—a bunch of stuff that usually amounts to an outstanding contribution to whatever sport. The wording may be different, but the bottom-line is that the player must have been very good and in a unique or spectacular way.

So let's see....

Bullet Bob entered the 1964 NFL Draft fresh off Olympic gold in the '64 Games (incidentally, I'd vote for him because of this clip alone). The 'pokes took a flier on him in the seventh round and he proceeded to become the first Dallas player to ever surpass 1000 receiving yards. Hayes did it in his rookie year.

In his 11-year career, the man amassed 371 receptions for 7,414 yards and 71 touchdowns. That's no typo; Hayes averaged 20.0 yards per catch for his career. He wasn't a bad return man either—23 kickoff returns for 581 yards and 104 punts for 1158 yards (and three TDs).

In 1968, he was actually the best punt returner in the NFL with a 20.8 yard per return average and two touchdowns, including a 90-yarder.

Bullet Bob enjoyed great individual and team success. He garnered three Pro Bowls (something I don't put much stock in) and four All-Pro team inclusions (something I put a great deal of stock in). His Dallas teams won five National Football Conference East titles, two NFC crowns, and the first Super Bowl in franchise history.

Still not unique and/or spectacular enough for you?

OK, how about this: Many respected historians of the game credit Bob Hayes with the invention of the zone defense.

The Bullet was so fast that defenses were forced to abandon the traditional man coverage because no single individual could keep up with him. He revolutionized the game and, in the process, opened the field for the rest of his teammates. As the defense was perfected on the fly, teams (focused on Hayes' every move) were vulnerable to the other receivers and rushing attack.

Bob Hayes is the only NFL player to have a Super Bowl ring and Olympic gold. He put up dazzling numbers until the entire League adapted to stop him (and future echoes of him) and still finished with some impressive totals. Hayes made his teams better and helped them reach great heights.

His list of personal accolades is long and should get one longer with enshrinement this year.
Robert Allred: I absolutely believe that Bob Hayes belongs in the Hall of Fame, and if I had a vote, he would be inducted this year.

While his numbers are not phenomenal by today’s standards, you also have to remember that he was playing in a time when “airing it out” was not a common offensive strategy. Football teams ran the ball more back in the ‘60s and ‘70s than they do today.

If Hayes was playing in a modern offense, his numbers would rival any receiver to every play the game.

That being said, he still finished in the top 10 in receiving yards in six of his 11 seasons, top five in receiving touchdowns in six of 11 seasons (including No. 1 twice), was a three-time Pro-Bowler, two-time first team All-American, and was a part of the Cowboys’ first Super Bowl. Those are Hall of Fame credentials.

Oh yea, and he also has an Olympic gold medal to go with that Super Bowl ring of his. Yes, this belongs in the Hall of Fame, no doubt.

The Cowboys enter the offseason after finishing one of the most, if not the most, disappointing seasons in franchise history. It would probably be naive to think that there is one sole reason for their failures this past season, but if you had to identify the Cowboys' biggest problem-area, what would you say that is?

James: The press has been trying to analyze why the Cowboys have failed this year, and I have to agree on leadership with them. This team has more talent than any team in the NFC. It lacks discipline, it lacks a true leader.

They have emotional leaders, but as for one guy that you would follow into a pit of lava like Roger Staubach? No. This team needs discipline in the form of a leader.

Andrew: Easy, it's the locker-room.

There's no way there's anything wrong with the talent or effort. I don't believe either of those can get much better. Sure, the offensive line under-performed and there were other frailties that came to light on the field. But I just don't buy that it was a problem with the talent side of personnel.

Maybe I'm naive, but I truly believe that talent—even supreme talent—cannot get the job done in a team sport when brought to bear in an individual way i.e. because it's your job and you want to do it well for your own pride.

Since football is the ultimate team sport, it stands to reason that this statement is truest in football.

And I think there was so much nonsense going on that the only way guys could show up for work was to put their heads down and just do their jobs. That's fine except your opposition is coming to work as if it's showing up for battle—all for one and one for all (or at least much closer to that than Dallas).

I'm not advocating the removal of Terrell Owens from the picture (as much as I'd like to). What I am advocating is the removal of all the cheaper imitations of Owens e.g. Pacman Jones (check), Tank Johnson (check), and Jerry Jones (just kidding). I'm also suggesting that Tony Romo needs to take Troy Aikman's surprisingly profound words to heart.

I'm paraphrasing, but he said that perception doesn't matter except when you need to rely on it to get through the hard times that are sure to come in Dallas. That was amazingly concise and eloquent for a guy who made a career out of blunt force head trauma.

The Cabo trip was a perfect example—of course it wasn't the reason Dallas lost the subsequent game, but it did lose and Romo was in Mexico with his sexpot. That's a rough time and Tony couldn't rely on the perception that he did everything he needed to do.

With only Owens as a distraction and Romo playing the good general, the Cowboys are just fine.

Robert: It would be easy to make the injury excuse, but I am not a fan of excuses. It would also be easy to peg the entire season on one player or one coach, and say that if that one person was gone, the Cowboys would have won the Super Bowl.

But again, I don’t believe in that philosophy, so I am going to talk about the play on the field.

The weakest link for the Cowboys this past season was their offensive line. Whether it was false starts, holding, or just letting the pass-rush get by, the offensive line was a major disappointment the entire year.

They did not give up as many sacks as some other O-lines in the league, but Romo was constantly under pressure, and his elusiveness made them look better than they really were. A good offensive line doesn’t let their quarterback suffer three separate injuries in a single season.

If the Cowboys are going to be a contender in 2009, the offensive line needs to be addressed.

What are your thoughts on the Cowboys draft? What is their biggest need, and will they need a first round pick in order to get it? If so, what should they be willing to give up for the first round pick?

James: I think the Dallas Cowboys are pretty much covered in the draft. I can't think of a real need except maybe nose tackle and offensive linemen. We could use another playmaker nose tackle to help out Jay Ratliff, and we need an offensive lineman that can do a better job than Cory Proctor.

Our line is set, but we need to be prepared if, like this past season, one of those guys falls to injury.

Unless Dallas craves Andre Smith, they won't need to move up to draft a player in the first round. First round picks cost a lot of money, and I don't see Jerry Jones drafting a guy with a big contract, if we can't put him in now. It’s free money to the player.

I suspect the second-round pick to be used on a tackle or guard, but Jerry Jones is a horse of a different color. He could trade someone, move up in the draft, or a multitude of things. So, expect the unexpected.

Andrew: Since baseball is my area of expertise (in my opinion), I'll go there for this one. The Dallas Cowboys are like the New York Yankees: the draft is really just a bonus since they can go out and buy whatever they want anyway.

With that in mind, I'd say Dallas should always be drafting for highest immediate upside regardless of how slim it is or more offensive linemen since those are like pitchers—you can never have too many good ones because they always go down to injury.

Of course, I have a non-sexual-male-crush on Nate Davis from Ball State. If I were Dallas (depending on who were available when my pick came), I'd snag Davis as a two-year project in case Romo's bout with big-game jitters doesn't end as well as I expect it to.

My ultimate answer—the best offensive lineman available, then the best athlete available, and I'd take Nate Davis a little early (within reason).

Robert: I do not think they need a first-round pick. If this were the NBA, I would argue that they do, but in the NFL there are countless first-round draft picks that turn out to be busts, and there are countless stories of late round picks turning into stars (cough Tom Brady).

Depending on what is out there, the Cowboys’ first pick needs to be an offensive lineman or a safety. The Cowboys are pretty well set at skill position players. Yes, they need a backup quarterback, but I would prefer that they fill that need in day two of the draft or acquire one through free-agency.

The Cowboys do not need wide receivers, halfbacks, or cornerbacks, and their front seven on defense is pretty solid.

This leaves the O-line, which I already mentioned was the weak link last year, and the safety, which has been a weakness for the past several years. Both of these areas need to be addressed in the draft.

In the early weeks of the Cowboys' offseason, we have seen both Bruce Reed and Brian Stewart collect their pink-slips. Many experts and fans alike still maintain that the Cowboys will not get any better until Wade Phillips, Jason Garrett, or even both are shown the door. What are your thoughts on the Cowboys' coaching staff?

James: Wade Phillips's failures are all the people who watch ESPN focus on. They do not know that the Dallas Cowboys led the league in sacks. They do not know that it was his playcalling that made DeMarcus Ware do even better. Wade Phillips has had bad luck in his coaching career, but that does not mean he is incompetent.

Furthermore, Jerry Jones is smart to keep him, because when you get a new head coach, you get a new system. How many coaches have won a Super Bowl in their first year of coaching that team? The answer is one. Just because you get rid of a coach does not guarantee success. Sometimes it can guarantee failure.

Jason Garrett has been a topic in my mind for weeks. He's young, and was predictable last year. I personally, like him, but he needs to get help, do it right, or get out of Texas. If he did leave, I would suggest getting Mike Martz, offensive coordinator for the Greatest Show on Turf, but I think his playbook is the norm in Dallas now, and another training camp should get the players back in the groove.

Andrew: This goes back to the locker-room being the biggest problem. Personally, I don't see how Garrett goes from illuminati one year to a moron the next. I put the offensive problems on the players so this question boils down to Wade Phillips, should he stay or should he go?

I say he's gotta go unless you can bring in a player (a la Ray Lewis) that can take over the team and move it in a positive direction (i.e. the anti-TO). I don't see Lewis coming to Dallas and I don't see Romo becoming that guy, so I say Phillips must walk the plank.

Too bad since he seems like a good dude, but a tiger's not gonna change his stripes this late in the day.

Robert: At this point, I prefer that the Cowboys just stand pat. If they were going to make a coaching change, then in my opinion, it should have already been made.

Wade Phillips is still an excellent defensive coach, and I would like to see him back for at least one more year to see if he can finally get this defense to a championship level. They were starting to move in that direction late in the season.

In a dream world, I would love to have him as a defensive coordinator and get another head coach in here, but that is not going to happen.

Jason Garrett frustrated me this year, but I still think he has the potential to be a great coach one day. We saw him have a brilliant year as offensive coordinator last year. We saw him has a dismal year this year. Let’s see what an offseason of evaluation and adjustments (and hopefully reconciliation!!) will do for the young coach.

If the Cowboys are sitting in this same position next year, then it will be time for a change. But for now, let’s play wait and see.

The Cowboys have made the news again this week. It has been announced that the Cowboys will have their own reality show similar to American Idol, hosted by none other than ex-Cowboy, Michael Irvin. In this show, six defensive backs and six wide receivers will compete for a roster spot in the Cowboys' training camp this summer. Does this move help or hurt the Cowboys?

James: I love the idea of this reality show really. It makes us more of America's Team, because we give anyone in America a chance. Also, Bill Bates walked on for Dallas and was the Special Teams Captain for years.

It is a long shot to really get a great player, but what does Dallas have to lose? The winners could easily get cut from the training team if they are not up to par.

Andrew: This is ridiculous. Absolutely freakin' ridiculous.

And it makes me thing that the core problem in Dallas is Jerry Jones and his ego. I'm honestly beginning to think the man lusts after attention and publicity more so than victory (which he's already had).

Seriously, the consensus around the NFL is that your team had more talent than just about anyone else and yet you missed the playoffs because of all the off-field bullsh*t.

So what do you do? Pledge not to change coaches, cut a little of the distraction, and then sign-up for what could turn into an even bigger one than Dallas ever saw in 2008.

You'll have a reality show where the winner actually gets to try-out for Dallas. Hmmm. Think that'll drum up interest in Dallas Cowboy training camp? Think that's gonna make it feel like getting down to basics or an episode of whatever that tripe on HBO is called?

Bring in the clowns and prop up the tent. Jerry Jones is bringing the circus back to town. Idiot.

Robert: I have mixed emotions. As someone who loves anything Cowboys’ related, I will definitely tune in to watch this. However, I think that this is yet another unneeded distraction.

It gives the media yet another reason to talk badly about the Cowboys organization, and believe me, we will hear about this show all season long, especially if the Cowboys are doing poorly.

After a season where there was media distraction after media distraction, you would think that Jerry and Co. would try flying under the radar a little bit. Of course, that has never been, and will never be, Jerry’s way of doing things, so shame on me for being surprised by this.

Plain and simple: How will the Cowboys do next year?

James: It is hard to predict the Cowboys because of their inconsistency, but if these changes do happen, then anything is possible. Optimistically, we take back the NFC East for sure.

Andrew: Why bother? This is the most unpredictable team in the entire League. I was convinced they would make the playoffs until the very last day. I thought the talent would finally get the wakeup call in time to face the Philadelphia Eagles. Guess not.

I'd say they'll compete for the NFC East crown since they figure to at least run in place while the other East teams are taking on water. That puts them in the playoffs and, from there, I'd figure the talent has to show up.

I say they finally win their first playoff game next year with an inspired Tony Romo putting the kibosh on Owens' attempt to derail yet another Super Bowl contender.

No Super Bowl title though; I say they bow out in the NFC Championship game. Gotta walk before you run.

Of course, I wouldn't mind seeing them miss the postseason again ;-)

Robert: I believe the Cowboys will improve next year. I do not think that they will win the Super Bowl, but I think that we will see them in the playoffs, and I think that they will win one or two once they get there.

I mentioned earlier that I hate making excuses, but I do think that injuries played a factor in the disappointing season this year. Had Romo not injured his hand, it is easy to argue that they would have beaten St. Louis, maybe even New York, and then who knows what happens with this team.

I do not think they will be a favorite next year, but they should certainly be a contender. And really, in today’s NFL, that is all you can ask for.

Short and sweet: Super Bowl Prediction?

James: I think the Cardinals have an excellent chance to win, but I don't want to pick them because I've been off in my picks.

Andrew: Hmmm, my head says Pittsburgh Steelers and that defense finally puts the clamps on the Arizona Cardinals. But I'm going with my heart and gut, which lie in the NFC. I say Kurt Warner gets another shot of divine inspiration and keeps throwing it up to Larry Fitzgerald, who nobody can stop.

If a secondary were going to blanket Leapin' Larry, it would've been Philly's.

Arizona Cardinals 27, Pittsburgh Steelers 24

Robert: This is tough for me. Pittsburgh has been a consistent favorite all year, and the Cardinals are the surprise team of the season. I have picked against the Cardinals in every playoff game thus-far and they have obviously proven me wrong.

In a game that truly could go either way, I am going to pick against the Cards one last time in hopes that my trend of being wrong continues. Give me Pittsburgh 21-17.

Regardless, this should be a great game.