Dallas Cowboys or Minnesota Vikings: Whose 2010 Is Over After Week 2?
Both the Dallas Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings came into the season with expectations of making the Super Bowl.
Both were playoff teams and both are loaded with all sorts of All-Pro talent. However, we're two weeks into the season and we're wondering what went wrong. Two games have yielded two losses for each team and next week is a must win for each.
I'm going to break down 10 reasons why each team is in trouble and at the end, I'm going to tell you who is in the most trouble going into Week 3.
No. 10: No Sidney Rice
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Rice was Brett Favre's favorite target last year and his loss has created a lot of problems for the Minnesota offense.
Favre's favorite target is gone and now defenses are focusing in on the other wideouts, making it hard for the Vikings to make strides in the passing game. Going without Rice for eight games is a tough task for Minnesota and they've done a poor job of living without him so far.
Vincent Jackson may be a solution if they can trade for him in the next three days.
No. 10: Offensive Line
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Last week, the offensive line was the most infamous star of the show for the Cowboys with Alex Barron leading the way.
This week, Dallas got Marc Colombo and Kyle Kosier back and they did a better job of protecting Tony Romo, not allowing any sacks. The addition of those two will help the line but I'm not sure how long they can protect him if they keep passing the way they do.
Colombo and Kosier aren't 100 percent and another injury to those guys could create big protection issues for Dallas.
No. 9: No Offensive Rhythm
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In two weeks, Minnesota hasn't looked anything like the offense that we saw last year from the Vikings.
Other than Adrian Peterson, nothing has gone right for Minnesota on offense. The Vikings can't get the ball down the field, the receivers just cannot get separation off the line of scrimmage and it shows. Now some of this is on Favre and some bad throws and some horrendous throws, but the wideouts need to help him out.
The fact that Visanthe Shiancoe and Peterson are the team's leading receivers are all you need to know about the state of the Vikings' passing game.
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No. 9: One Dimensional
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That's a photo of Tony Romo throwing downfield. Get used to that image because it's all the Cowboys do.
Dallas has all but abandoned the run in the first two weeks of the season and have put it all on Romo's shoulder to get the job done. It's not that Romo can't handle that, because he can, and he's played well this season considering the circumstances.
However, that's not a way to have continued success as a football team and just helps opposing defenses shut you down.
No. 8: Poorly Coached
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Let's be honest, Brad Childress won't be winning any coach of the year awards any time soon.
Childress isn't a great in-game manager and not only that, he's created a circus around his team this year and just isn't the type of guy you want in the trenches with you when it's time to make a play on Sundays. Childress just always looks overwhelmed on the sidelines and has told his team the past two years that it's on Brett Favre to win them a title.
Now that Favre has led them to 0-2, I think some fingers need to be pointed in Childress' direction.
No. 8: Poorly Coached
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Another coach who sends his team's fans in to such rage that they could pull their hair out is Wade Phillips.
While both coaches stink, Wade manages to do it with the same befuddled look every single time like this epic failure is somehow new to him, like he hasn't choked before. It's kind of endearing in a way, to be honest. Phillips just doesn't look like a guy who can really fire up the troops and rally a team around him.
Either that or the specter of Jerry Jones has just scared all of the will to live right out of him.
No. 7: Down Two Games In The Division
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Starting the season 0-2 is bad enough. Starting it 0-2 with two teams ahead of you in the division at 2-0 is even worse. Throw in the fact that one of them is Green Bay and it's Defcon 1 in Minnesota.
The Vikings will have to do serious work to crawl back into the playoff race. The Packers are here to stay and while you can argue the validity of the Bears' 2-0 record, Chicago's offense looks like somewhat of a force.
A loss this Sunday and it could be all over for the Vikings. It's a must win in every sense of the word.
No. 7: Shaky Secondary
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Dallas is a middle of the road team in terms of stopping the pass and it showed on Sunday.
Jay Cutler did a number on Dallas on Sunday and just picked his spots at will against the Cowboys' secondary. Michael Jenkins was hurt during the game and his status is unknown going forward. Without Jenkins, it could open up more big play opportunities downfield for opposing offenses.
The Cowboys have been able to stop the run with great success, however, their pass defense leaves much to be desired.
No. 6: The Schedule
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Next week the Vikings will play Detroit, somewhat of a break after a rough first two weeks.
Then things get ugly.
After next week, Minnesota plays the Jets on the road, host the Cowboys, go to Green Bay and face the Patriots on the road. It's not going out on a limb to say the Vikings may be 1-6 after that stretch and in a world of hurt. Minnesota needs to get things together, and fast if it wants to save its season.
No. 6: The Schedule
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Things aren't much easier for the Cowboys either, at least in terms of the schedule.
Dallas will travel to Houston before the bye week. The Cowboys will then play Tennessee, host the Vikings, host the Giants and Jacksonville before going to Green Bay. I don't think the schedule is as bad as Minnesota's but there are a few tough tests in there.
The Cowboys have let two winnable games slip away and it could come back to haunt them with the way their schedule lines up.
No. 5: Peterson's Work Load
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Adrian Peterson was run into the ground this week against Miami. Peterson ran the ball 28 times against the Dolphins and he did it quite well, running for well over 100 yards in the process.
My worry is that the Vikings are going to rely on Peterson to win them every game and it's going to take its toll on his body. Minnesota has to find a way to jump start its passing game so it can take some pressure off of its star running back.
Peterson had some injury issues in the past and they could flare up if they keep running him like that.
No. 5: Jerry Jones
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I'm sure that JJ can't be too happy after all of the hype around his team coming into the season.
The Cowboys were supposed to be the first team to play in a Super Bowl in their own stadium and now things are in a bad way at 0-2. Jerry has come out in the past and ripped his team and caused a bit of a stir when things haven't gone his way. I wouldn't be stunned to see him do it again.
On a related note, is Jerry Jones the most overrated owner in sports? I say yes.
No. 4: No Recievers
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I don't know what happened to Percy Harvin, but he has disappeared off the face of the earth.
Without Sidney Rice to draw attention away, the lack of skill on the Vikings' receiving corps has been exposed. Harvin and Bernard Berrian just are not making plays and Brett Favre has been making bad throws as a result.
I'm not blaming all of the mistakes on his targets, but they need to do a better job out there. It's been downright pitiful to watch.
No. 4: No Running Game
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The Cowboys must think they're the Indianapolis Colts or something because they just flat refuse the ball. Even that comparison isn't so accurate after Peyton Manning let his backs tear up the Giants when they tried to limit the pass.
Last week, Dallas just didn't run. This week, the Cowboys tried to run, couldn't for a little bit and then just plain gave up on it. I'm not sure if the running game is good or not, I just know it doesn't exist and if you can't run the ball, you can't win in the NFL.
The Cowboys have good backs, for the love of all that's holy, use them.
No. 3: Super Bowl Or Bust
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When you're just plays away from the Super Bowl, the expectation is that you're going to get there the next year.
Brett Favre had one of the best seasons, if not the best of his career and you combine that with Adrian Peterson and a relentless pass rushing defense and you really have all of the tools to make another run at the championship.
Now that things have started poorly, that pressure mounts and mounts and mounts and with all of the drama around Favre, I don't believe the Vikings can handle all of it and it's showed out on the field. They look like they're pressing and it's cost them.
No. 3: Super Bowl Or Bust
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For Dallas, I think it's worse in terms of expectations. The Cowboys are "America's Team." They have one of the most prominent owners in all of sports, who cannot tolerate losing, even in small doses.
I think a slow start, combined with all of the media that surrounds the Cowboys could be disastrous. Tony Romo isn't exactly known as the most clutch quarterback of all time and I think it's just a recipe for disaster. Had the Super Bowl been anywhere but in Dallas this year, I'd like their chances better. But for now, I'm holding my breath on the Cowboys.
Another loss and it could all come tumbling down as the pressure builds.
No. 2: No Chemistry
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I know Brett Favre was on the team last year, but is there another team that looks more like a group of strangers than the Vikings? I don't think so.
They just look like they all met in the park and decided to play football together. The timing is all off and Favre is trying to use practice to try and tell his wideouts where to be. It just sounds like and looks like a disaster out on the field.
I'm not sure what Minnesota has to do to figure out it, but they need to do it, and fast.
No. 2: Injuries
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Sunday was a rough day for the Cowboys and their health.
Jason Witten suffered a concussion and his status is unknown going forward. Michael Jenkins bruised his knee and will undergo an MRI to find out the full extent of the damage. Without those two, it leaves pretty big holes in the lineup to fill.
Throw in the fact that offensive linemen Marc Colombo and Kyle Kosier are still dinged up but playing and the Cowboys could be the walking wounded if their fortunes don't turn around.
No. 1: Favre's Ankle
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It was the biggest question mark heading into this season and two weeks in and it doesn't look good.
The footage of Favre limping into the arena was just a bad, and yet, very sad thing to see. Favre is clearly playing hurt and he doesn't have much mobility to make things happen like he used to. With some of the hits he's taking behind his offensive line, I'm not sure how much longer he can hold up.
I'm not sure if there's a way to heal that ankle, but if there is, the Vikings need to use it, and fast.
No. 1: Play Calling
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The biggest problem with Dallas in the early going on has been the playcalling. The Cowboys need to commit to the run and stick with it, even if it isn't working. Throwing it over and over again isn't going to get the job done.
Also, Dallas' red zone playcalling is some of the worst I've seen in some time. The Cowboys try to get fancy down there instead of doing what works and it has cost them numerous touchdowns over the years. Jason Garrett may be a head coach in the making, but he needs to play to the strengths of his players.
Dallas' offense has plenty of talent, the coaches just need to use it better.
Conclusion
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In the end, I think the Vikings are just in a ton of trouble on they're teetering on the edge of having a lost season.
Between a brutal schedule and Brett Favre's ankle they're just in dangerous territory. The Cowboys aren't in a much better situation, but I think Dallas has the tools to get the job done, but when you're missing your best wideout and your quarterback is on one leg, it's just the recipe for a disappointing season.
Minnesota's season is on life support right now.
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