Cowboys vs. Raiders: Loaded Arsenals Put Pressure on Tony Romo and Carson Palmer

Tony Romo and Carson Palmer are on the hot seat.

The Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders will face off in each club’s first preseason game of the year on Monday Night Football. Hopefully for their sake, the starting quarterbacks will kick off their 2012 campaigns on a high note. Not that it matters, but it’s always nice to garner as much momentum as possible when you’re job is on the line.

It’s a make-or-break year for both Romo and Palmer. While each passer showed flashes of brilliance last year, both had their fair share of struggles as well—Romo with multiple late-game choke jobs and Palmer with 16 interceptions in 10 games.

The passers are simply surrounded by too much talent not to make significant strides this season.

Romo has a pair of No. 1-caliber wideouts in Dez Bryant and Miles Austin on the outside. Jason Witten is one of the most talented tight ends in the NFL. And thanks to the emergence of DeMarco Murray, Romo will likely be part of the most talented backfield of his career.

Palmer doesn’t have as much talent in Oakland as Romo does in Dallas, but his arsenal is just as much, if not more explosive.

Darren McFadden and Taiwan Jones form the fastest halfback duo in the league. Darrius Heyward-Bey, Denarius Moore and Jacoby Ford form the league’s fastest receiver trio too. If the Raiders aren’t one of the most fun teams to watch in the NFL next season, it’ll likely be Palmer’s fault.

In six years as the Cowboys’ starting quarterback, Romo has won just one playoff game. If he fails to advance in the postseason again this year, Jerry Jones' patience will likely run out.

Oakland GM Reggie McKenzie hasn’t been shy about undoing Al Davis' personnel mistakes. At 32 years old and a shell of his former self, if Palmer doesn’t revert back to his old successful ways even a little bit, McKenzie won’t hesitate to erase Hue Jackson's gaffe either.

The 2012 season could trigger a changing of the guard for both franchises.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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