Super Expectations Surround 2009 Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys drastically underachieved last year. In what was thought by many to be the most talented Cowboys team since the dynasty years of the 1990’s, the 2008-2009 Dallas Cowboys came into the season with hopes of winning a record sixth Super Bowl. Injuries, off the field distractions and coaching controversy all contributed to the eventual demise of “America’s Team.”

This season, things are different. Things have to be different. The team is healthy. Owner, Jerry Jones, has taken a stern stance on off field distractions, while simultaneously giving the coaching staff his personal vote of confidence. Returning many of the same players as last year, it’s not inconceivable that this year’s version of the Dallas Cowboys can make a deep playoff run and possibly win join the Pittsburgh Steelers atop the record book.

 **Offense**

One of the most talented in the league, the offense looks to be as good as, if not better than last year. The Cowboys return 10 of 11 starters from last year. Without future Hall of Famer, wide receiver Terrell Owens, last year’s in season acquisition, Roy Williams will have an increased role in the offense. With a full offseason to workwith quarterback, Tony Romo, Williams has already begun to develop a rapport withthe young quarterback.

He should be able to capitalize on his exceptional talent to provide the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback with a big target capable of catching anything within reach. He should be one of several Cowboys to go to a Pro Bowl this year.

Veteran Patrick Crayton is as steady of a receiver as they come. Although not as physically gifted as Williams, he is reliable and very savvy on the field. He’s got great hands and runs good routes. He gives the Cowboys a solid option at the number two receiver.

Pushing Crayton will be fourth year speedster, Miles Austin. It has been argued that Owens’s release had something in part to do with Austin’s emerging talent. He will be given a chance to beat out Crayton for the number two slot. Austin can stretch the field with his blazing speed, which should open up the short and intermediate routes underneath for All Pro tight end, Jason Witten, as well as Roy Williams.

Tony Romo should have another Pro Bowl year as well. With the distraction of Owens eliminated, look for him to break out of the “I can’t win late in the season” blues and get his first playoff victory.

What is so special about Romo, and what makes him such a good quarterback, is his ability to extend the play by moving out of the pocket and making throws on the run. It also doesn’t hurt to have Pro Bowl talent at nearly every skill position. If he can stay healthy, he'll have a superb year. Romo will be the key to this offense’s success.

If he does get injured, like last year when he missed four games, the Cowboys have a capable backup in Jon Kitna, whom they acquired from the Detroit Lions in theoffseason for veteran cornerback, Anthony Henry. Kitna spent three years throwing passes to Roy Williams, so there’s already a relationship there. He nearly made the Pro Bowl twice in his career. How many other backup quarterbacks can say that?

The deepest and perhaps most talented position on offense is running back. Marion, “The Barbarian” Barber runs with a ferociousness and tenacity that is rare among NFL running backs. When Barber gets tired or in passing situations, the Cowboys can bring in second year speedster from Arkansas, Felix Jones.

Jones took the NFL by storm during his rookie campaign, averaging 8.9 yards per rush, before his season was cut short because of a hamstring tear after just six games. Every time Jones touches the ball, he is capable of breaking a big run for a touchdown.

Third on the depth chart is Tashard Choice, another rookie out of Georgia Tech. Choice was thrown into the mix after Barber and Jones suffered injuries and proved he’s a solid NFL running back. He really earned his playing time for this upcoming year.

Look for the Cowboys to use all three running backs in their rotation. All three bring something unique to the position. This constant rotation will often change the flow of the game, and it will help the Cowboys keep their running backs fresh and injury free.

The offensive line comes into the season with arguably the most questions. Injury plagued last year, the unit often had trouble protecting Romo. For two straight years, three starters—center, Andre Gurode, guard, Leonard Davis and tackle, Flozell Adams, went to the Pro Bowl. Guard Kyle Kosier and tackle Marc Columbo rounded out the second largest offensive line in the NFL last year.

Columbo had his third productive season for the Cowboys and now that he’s signed through 2012, he’s a solid option protecting Romo’s right side for the foreseeable future. The biggest and most devastating injury last year occurred with Kosier. In the preseason, Kosier went down with a foot injury. He played sparingly during the season, but ultimately went on injured reserve, and things spiraled downhill from there.

Cory Procter had a sub par season filling in for Kosier. Montrae Holland did a nice job filling in, but suffered a season ending injury himself. Nobody was able to fill the large void left when Kosier got hurt.

The Cowboys ran the ball well last year. Pass blocking was the key area of concern. Often times, Romo found himself pressured, especially late in the season. This led to bad throws and eventual turnovers.

**Defense**

This Cowboys defense is loaded with potential. It starts with the coaching staff. Head coach, Wade Phillips, took over play calling duties from then defensive coordinator, Brian Stewart, mid-way through the season last year, and the defense got remarkably better.

Phillips will continue calling plays for the defense this year. Phillips’s defenses have a reputation for being able get after opposing quarterbacks. This should hold true for the Cowboys this year. Last year, they led the league in sacks; this year, they will be near the top again.

Speaking of sacks, the Cowboys had the league’s individual leader in sacks last year. All Pro linebacker, DeMarcus Ware, crept within two and a half sacks of Michael Strahan’s single season sack record of 22.5. He’ll have another impressive season this year and will likely make his fourth straight Pro Bowl.

The rest of the front seven has lots of talent as well. Jay Ratliff, the undersized defensive end turned nose tackle, is coming off his best season in which he made his first Pro Bowl. He can collapse the pocket by getting a strong push up front, which makes it harder for quarterbacks to escape. Nose tackle remains a position in which the Cowboys need to add some more depth, but Ratliff is very good, despite being undersized.

Marcus Spears, the fifth year defensive end, went into last year with some questioning whether he was worth a first round draft pick. He responded with a solid year. He should improve from last season. A key addition for the front seven will be defensive end, Igor Olshansky, whom the Cowboys acquired from the San Diego Chargers in the offseason.

Olshansky is considered one of the league’s best defensive ends for the 3-4 scheme. He replaces Chris Canty, who signed as a free agent with the division rival, the New York Giants. This is a slight upgrade at this position.

Thirteen-year veteran, outside linebacker, Greg Ellis, has been a highly productive player over his career. An inspirational leader in the locker room, he is the glue that holds the front seven together. He looks like he may be on his way out though. If he leaves, his presence will certainly be missed.

If Ellis does in fact leave, third year linebacker, Anthony Spencer, will get a chance to prove that he’s worth a first round selection. He seemed to have trouble adjusting to the NFL in his first two seasons. This season may be a breakout year for him.

Bradie James and Keith Brooking will be the two inside linebackers on this 3-4 defense. Both are savvy veterans who have an extensive knowledge of the 3-4. Bothare proven leaders on the field and in the locker room.

Brooking came over from Atlanta this offseason, and will make an immediate impact on the defense. He’s recorded over 100 tackles in each of the last eight seasons. He also played under Phillips in Atlanta, so he’s familiar with his system.

The front seven is the anchor that holds this defense together. It is one of the best in football. It will be among the NFL’s leaders in sacks again this year.

If this defense has a weakness, it would be in the secondary. It’s really not as much of a weakness as it is a lack proven depth. The Cowboys have two Pro Bowl talents incornerback, Terrence Newman, and safety, Ken Hamlin.

With the loss of cornerbacks Adam Jones and Anthony Henry, depth at the position is somewhat of a concern. The Cowboys do return their first round draft pick from 2008, Mike Jenkins. He had a solid rookie campaign, but needs to do more to be a startingcornerback in the NFL. He showed moments of greatness, but often made rookie mistakes. He should have a better sophomore year.

Orlando Scandrick was a nice surprise for the Cowboys last year. He did a good job covering slot receivers in nickel coverage. He can cover the slot well, but the jury is still out on him when it comes to lining up against another team’s starting receivers. He will push Jenkins for the starting job opposite Terrence Newman.

The Cowboys released five time Pro Bowl safety, Roy Williams, this offseason. They filled the void with Gerald Sensabaugh, who will compete with Pat Watkins for the starting strong safety job in camp this year. If one position was the weakest of this secondary, it would be this one. Neither is known for his coverage abilities, so this is an area of concern for the Cowboys.

The secondary as a whole is the weakest link of the defense. Its weaknesses will be masked somewhat by the amount of pressure the front seven will create on the quarterback. If the quarterback is rushed, the secondary won’t have to cover as long. Also, if the quarterback reads a blitz, he and his receivers will often audible to a short route. Dallas’s defensive backs will be able to read this and jump some of those routes, causing breakups and turnovers. The defense as a whole will be much better with Wade Phillips calling the plays.

**Special Teams**

The special teams for the Dallas Cowboys were off and on last year. The Cowboys have arguably the best tandem of kicker and punter in the NFL. Nick Folk is one of the elite kickers in the NFL, and Mat McBriar was one of the best in the league last year before he broke his foot against Arizona. 

It doesn’t matter how many points you score or how far you can punt the ball if you can’t cover kicks. This is an area in which Dallas traditionally has struggled. It’s no coincidence that Dallas’s defense was ranked eighth in yards allowed, but thirteenth in points allowed. Too many times, opponents were given a short field, which put the defense in a bad position to try and stop the opposition.

Veteran safety, Keith Davis, is known around the league as one of the best special teams players, but he isn’t with the team anymore. Bobby Carpenter was once a highly touted first round draft pick. He hasn’t lived up to his hype and has been relegated to special teams for most of his career. He has performed solidly in that role, but he must do for the special teams coverage to improve.

Dallas went into the NFL draft this year with a “special teams first” mentality. The draft class is extremely athletic. Since most of the positions on offense and defense are filled many of the draft picks will be relegated to playing special teams.

Felix Jones should be the primary kick returner this year. He showed flashes of greatness last year, with his most explosive play coming at home against the Philadelphia Eagles when he raced 98 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. There’s no reason he can’t be one of the elite return men in the NFL. He just needs to stay healthy.

Although the kick return game seems solid, there are still questions for this team when it comes to returning punts. In the recent past, Wade Phillips has used several players to fill the role, from Terrence Newman, to Patrick Crayton and Adam Jones. 

Jones is no longer with the team. Crayton is a solid punt returner. He averaged 9.5 yards per return, which ranked 16th in the league last year. But, despite being consistent, Crayton isn’t much of a home run threat. 

Newman is the answer here at punt returner. He’s done the job before, both in college at Kansas State University, and for the Cowboys. He’s got exceptional athletic talent and can break a return for a touchdown anytime he touches the ball. If Newman and Jones are the primary return men, the Cowboys will win the field position battles most of the time this year.

**Coaching Staff**

The coaching staff comes into the season with many questions concerning their ability. Wade Phillips can never seem to win the big game or win in the playoffs. Jason Garrett got a reputation last year as being a predictable play caller. The special teams under achieved, which was in part due to a lack of discipline and poor coaching.

The offense was very pass-heavy last year. This was in part due to injuries at running back, but this year, with all three running backs healthy, the offense will be more balanced. The Cowboys will likely be more of a run first team, which will help set up the pass.

The defense really took off last year when Wade Phillips took over play calling duties. His attack first mentality will create all kinds of opportunities for the defense, which will lead to short fields on offense and more points.

To fix the special teams, the Cowboys hired a new special teams coach, JoeDeCamillis. He has a long history of success in New York, Atlanta and Jacksonville. His specialty seems to be return coverage. It’s no coincidence that many of his teams were among the league’s best in kick and punt coverage. He will be the most important factor in the special teams play next year.

All of the position coaches will be vital to the team’s overall success too, as several key players are new additions to the team and need to utilize their position coaches to help them understand their systems.

Wade Phillips does have a history of losing big games. However, with the amount of talent he’s got on this team, and with all of the key problem areas addressed, he will likely shake his reputation of coming up short when it matters most.

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This year could be the year that Dallas realizes its potential. This team is immensely talented. The distractions are gone, and many position and coaching questions have been answered.

It’s now time to go and play football. If the Cowboys can stay healthy and keep further distractions from happening, they could join the Pittsburgh Steelers as the only teams to win six Super Bowls.