What Ails the Dalls Cowboys

I am as frustrated as any other true life-long Cowboy fans.  Over the past four decades, starting with Craig Morton and the improbable Superbowl loss to the Baltimore Colts, I have learned to grin and bear it as well as take the Abe Lincoln approach to criticizing—sleep on it first!

Having done the above, I will pose some key issues as follows:

1.  How do you motivate a starting team of mostly multi-millionaires?

2.  Who is the undeniable team leader now (ie, who bears any resemblance to Roger Staubach, Cliff Harris, Randy White, and Michael Irvin—their looks can kill)?

3.  Does this above-average team resemble those of the Danny White era, playoff capable but not champions?

4.  When was the last time the Boys had a talented athletic offensive line, particularly built mostly with draftees?  Are less-then-nimble 330 pounders best suited to protect the QB against today's fleet edge-rushers like a DeMarcus Ware or to react effectively to pass and run blitzes up the middle?

5.  Do the Cowboys still believe a strong running game and a stout defense is the only winning ticket in late-season crunch-time games?  Would a max-protection aerial circus outperform score-wise and psychology-wise?  Time to try?

6.  Does it seem Tony Romo's best years were when he was allowed to scramble and improvise?  Is he looking more and more like Craig Morton?  How many times has he been hit or sacked this year (fumbles down, but interceptions up and surprising/uplifting big-plays way down)?

7.  This team does not have a shut-down secondary, so where is Wade's famous attacking defense?  Any consistent pressure on Rivers last Sunday?

8.  Who is the "Marine Drill Sergeant" that instills discipline and proper on-the-field execution (the Boys certainly need one; cases in point—false starts, 3rd-down catches short of 1st-down yardage, poor tackling, out-flanked kick-off and punt coverages)?

I can go on, but that would be nitpicking.  The above can be succinctly summarized as inadequate leadership and discipline (players and coaches), not challenging the conventional wisdom, and not helping your players succeed by tuning your strategy and plays to your key personnel's skill sets.