Dallas Cowboys: 10 Reasons 2010 Was Humbling and Will Make Them Better for '11

The 2010 Dallas Cowboys are the sports version of Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde. Their expectations were about the size of the state of Texas as Jerry’s ‘Boys were fore-casted to play the Super Bowl in their home stadium in Dallas.

Unfortunately, things didn’t quite work out that way. The Cowboys started out 1-7 and head coach Wade Phillips was canned. Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett was promoted to head coach as the ‘Boys hoped to turn their season around. Dallas won their first two games under Garrett and now stand at 4-8. While all playoff hopes were tossed when Bum’s son was around, the team still has a lot to look forward to.

Here are 10 reasons the Cowboys will be better in 2011.

Jason Garrett as Head Coach

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ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 21: Head coach Jason Garrett of the Dallas Cowboys leads his team against the Detroit Lions late in the fourth quarter at Cowboys Stadium on November 21, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. The Cowboys beat the Lions 35-19. (Photo by Tom

Yeah, I know Garrett still has the interim tag on his name, but if Jerry wants to keep any type of continuity moving forward, he’ll keep Garrett. Jason is tough, hard-nosed and the Cowboys have really responded to him. Dallas needed someone who would whip them into shape, and Garrett seems to be the guy to do it.

The Loss of Dez Bryant

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 05: Dez Bryant #88 of the Dallas Cowboys is helped off the field after an injury against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 5, 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Cowboys defeated the Colts 38-35 in overtime

Bryant’s rookie season is officially over after fracturing his ankle against the Colts last week, but Dallas has a lot to look forward to in the young talent. Bryant was explosive, and you could move him anywhere on the field. Defenses had to pay attention to him, which opened lanes for Williams and Austin.

The Loss of Tony Romo

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ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 31: Quarterback Tony Romo #9 of the Dallas Cowboys on the sidelines during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Cowboys Stadium on October 31, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Tony Romo is probably the most criticized quarterback in the league—that’s right, I said it. Romo was off the charts good last year and simply tried to do too much this season. Be real though, that first game without him made you miss him as the starter in Big D right? Under Garrett, Romo should flourish, but only if he takes on a more visible leadership role.

The Return of the Cowboys Running

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ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 25: Felix Jones #28 of the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys carries the ball after making a reception against the New Orleans Saints at Cowboys Stadium on November 25, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

For the first nine weeks of the season, the Dallas running game was about as good as a bottle of Bright and Early orange juice. Running backs Marion Barber and Felix Jones were fed the rock about six or seven times a game as neither could ever get anything going. But now under head coach Jason Garrett, the running game is back with Jones as the starter and Choice playing the role of a strong backup singer.

Cowboys Secondary

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MINNEAPOLIS - OCTOBER 17: Corner back Mike Jenkins #21 of the Dallas Cowboys looks on in disbelief after being called for pass interference in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at Mall of America Field on October 17, 2010 in Minneapolis, M

I mean, it can’t get any worse, right? After having two Pro Bowl corners in 2009, the Cowboys secondary in 2010 looked more like a D-III squad. Mike Jenkins looked worse than a rookie, and Terrance Newman just looks old at times. But things…have…to…get…better, I hope.

Jon Kitna

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ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 21: Quarterback Jon Kitna #3 of the Dallas Cowboys scrambles with the ball against defensive end Turk McBride #75 of the Detroit Lions at Cowboys Stadium on November 21, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. The Cowboys beat the Lions 35-19

Kitna is 38-years-old, and he has about 10 seconds left in his NFL career. However, I think Dallas fans will take solace in knowing that Kitna was able to hold down the fort while Romo was away. We still have no clue what Stephen McGee can do, but we should have confidence in Kitna’s abilities.

Special Teams

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ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 25: Kicker David Buehler #18 of the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys reacts after missing a field goal to tie the game in the final seconds of the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Cowboys Stadium on November 25, 2010 in A

David Buehler has one of the strongest legs in the league, but he’s about as accurate as Mr. Magoo. The Cowboys special teams isn’t much better as they’ve given up their share of big plays as well. But the Cowboys let go of kickers Billy Cundiff and Nick Folk too early, so maybe they’ll give Buehler another shot next season. Maybe.

Offensive Line

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CHICAGO - SEPTEMBER 23: Quarterback Tony Romo #9 of the Dallas Cowboys steps up to the line of scrimmage for an offensive play against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on September 23, 2007 in Chicago, Illinois. The Cowboys won 34-10. (Photo by Jonatha

Be honest, after watching the playoff game in Minnesota last season you thought the Cowboys were dunzo. No way in the world they could win a Super Bowl with that line. Romo was just about murdered on that Minnesota field, and he was taken out of the game early this season too. But the line has really responded under Garrett and maybe, just maybe, we’ll see the same type of play in 2011.

2011 Draft

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BATON ROUGE, LA - NOVEMBER 20: Patrick Peterson #7 of the Louisiana State University Tigers nearly intercepts a pass in the final seconds against Markeith Summers #16 and Korvic Neat #28 of the Ole Miss Rebels as time expired at Tiger Stadium on November

Dallas will more than likely end up with a pretty decent first-round pick next year, and with so many needs to be addressed, they should have plenty of players to choose from. The offensive line and secondary need to be addressed and who knows, maybe Jerry will go after another running back to replace a soon-to-be-gone Marion Barber.

2011 Super Bowl Will NOT Be Played in Dallas

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ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 04: A general view of play between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the Big 12 Championship at Cowboys Stadium on December 4, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

A lot of the pressure the Cowboys faced this season was due to the Super Bowl being played on their home field. Jerry wanted it and so did the Dallas faithful. But with the Cowboys stumbling out of the gate at 1-7, that dream quickly turned into a nightmare. Next year, the City of Indianapolis has the honor of hosting the Super Bowl, and Dallas is far enough away from Indy for the pressure to fall squarely on the shoulders of Peyton Manning.