NFL Predictions: 10 Reasons This Is the Year for the Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys have made skeptics out of their fans after many consecutive disappointing campaigns. Finally, though, they will get them back on the bandwagon en route to a Super Bowl title.

The 2011 season did not appear promising at its onset with Dallas falling to the New York Jets in its season opener. Moreover, the team had a mediocre 3-4 record entering November.

But the perception of this team has changed during its three-game winning streak.

If the Cowboys (6-4) sustain their recent excellence, expect them to continue winning football games throughout the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs.

Dallas Controls Its Own Destiny

The Dallas Cowboys have not only dug themselves out of a first-half hole: they are in total control of their 2011 season.

Coupled with the New York Giants' loss on Sunday night, the Cowboys' Week 11 overtime victory over the Washington Redskins has put them in a tie for first place in the NFC East with a 6-4 record.

Regardless of what the G-Men, Redskins or Philadelphia Eagles do, Dallas will capture the division title by winning its final six contests, or perhaps taking five of six.

I'll admit that the postseason is far from a guarantee. Still, the Cowboys have the luxury of being able to ignore games that don't concern them. It's much easier to take care of business on the field without having to glance at the out-of-town scoreboard.

Excellence Under Center

There aren't any NFL quarterbacks—outside of the Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers—who have performed better than Tony Romo during the past three weeks.

Romo's stats are beautiful (8 TD, 0 INT, 841 yards, 69.1 Comp %) and the team is undefeated during that stretch, but he's also passing the "eye test" with flying colors.

Romo is visibly making precise throws that lead his receivers towards a first down, bigger gain or touchdown.

In countless cases, he has been forced to step up in the pocket or scramble to extend plays where he is poorly protected. Of late, several of them have resulted in scores.

One criticism of Romo throughout his pro career has concerned his aggressive, "gunslinging" mentality that leads to turnovers at inopportune times. Right now, he's making all the correct decisions.

Outstanding Offensive Options

Quarterback Tony Romo has been distributing the ball evenly to his four best available receivers: Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray, Laurent Robinson and Jason Witten.

They have all contributed three or more catches in each win during the current hot streak.

Most of Murray's value lies in his carries out of the backfield. Since fellow running back Felix Jones has been sidelined, Murray has emerged as an every-down back with incredible strength and burst.

Wideout Laurent Robinson is filling in admirably for an injured Miles Austin. Certain facets of Robinson's game are still very raw, but his breakaway speed allows the Cowboys to threaten their opponents with a huge play at any moment.

Bryant and Witten are total studs. Both possess rare physical gifts and impressive football intelligence. It's no coincidence that they are Romo's two favorite targets or that Dallas ranks sixth in the NFL in total yards per game.

The Dominant DeMarcus Ware

On the other side of the ball, outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware has dominated Dallas' opponents.

In six previous seasons, he has established himself as an elite pass-rusher. His play in 2011, however, is earning him consideration for NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Ware leads the league with 14.0 sacks registered in 10 games, which puts him on track to challenge Michael Strahan's single-season record.

You will be hard-pressed to find an individual with Ware's ability to diagnosis plays in their early stages and the athleticism to defend them properly.

Clutch Kicking

Placekicking has been a surprising strength for the Dallas Cowboys this season. Rookie Dan Bailey should be thanked for that.

He has succeeded on 25-of-26 field goals attempts. No other starting kicker is perfect from outside of 40 yards (Bailey is 9-for-9).

Bailey's accuracy is outstanding, especially when compared to the futility of Cowboys' kickers over the past two years. David Buehler in 2010 and Nick Folk in 2009 were anything but automatic on their attempts.

If Bailey continues to get excellent protection, there's no reason to expect him to miss.

Prevention of Big Plays

The NFL's best defense definitely doesn't belong to Dallas, but the Cowboys have a unit that keeps the team alive each week by making the opposition earn its points.

Unbelievably, this defense hasn't surrendered a single play of more than 50 yards in 2011! In the past two weeks, the Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins were unable to gain even 30 from scrimmage.

With the offense functioning smoothly of late (and not committing turnovers), Cowboys' opponents are rarely in good field position.

It's difficult for anyone to thrive against these defenders because of their fundamental tackling technique and discipline. In total, they allow 328.6 yards per game.

No Worries of Wearing Down

All the key players on this roster are young enough to physically withstand the rigors of a 16-game regular season.

Tony Romo is 31. DeMarcus Ware and Jason Witten—although they have seemingly been around forever—are only 29. Dan Bailey, Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray are 23-year-olds. Miles Austin and Felix Jones are 27 and 24, respectively.

The offensive linemen have many years ahead of them with the exception of right guard Kyle Kosier who is 32.

Cornerback Terence Newman, 33, is Dallas' second notable graybeard, but this organization should be able to find an adequate heir for him in the 2012 NFL Draft, which is stacked at the position.

In general, though, the Dallas Cowboys are age-appropriate. The same cannot be said of other contenders.

Coaches That Know What They're Doing

It's probably in the franchise's best interest that the majority of its coaches are relatively new to the organization. The culture needed to be changed.

Excluding strength and condition coach Joe Juraszek, everybody has worked outside of Dallas in the past six years.

Wide receivers coach Jimmy Robinson (Green Bay Packers) and quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson (Chicago Bears) came straight from current NFC contenders. A handful of others were imported from the AFC.

Head honcho Jason Garrett is in his fifth season with the Cowboys. He has spent barely a season in charge.

In spite of this, Garrett is an offensive guru who descends from long-time NFL coach and scout, Jim Garrett.

Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has a bit more experience; 25 years on collegiate and professional sidelines, actually.

Ryan also comes from a football family. His father Buddy Ryan spent many seasons as an NFL head coach, while his brother Rex has been in charge of the New York Jets since 2009.

Ryan is in his late 40s, a great age for a coordinator. Younger men are rarely knowledgeable enough to earn the respect of their players and aging coaches may be grounded in outdated philosophies.

This staff keeps it fresh.

Weaknesses of NFC Wild Card Contenders...

Obviously, the Dallas Cowboys will need to clinch a playoff berth to make a run at their sixth Super Bowl.

One means of doing so is to win their division, and at this point, the NFC East is a two-team race.

Their main competitor is the New York Giants, who match up twice with Dallas over the final four weeks of the regular season.

While Eli Manning is having an excellent year, the Cowboys can obstruct their offense by giving him no choice but to throw.

The Giants rank 31st in the league in rushing. If Dallas can consistently force their offense into second-and-long and third-and-long situations, Manning will be inclined to pass and with enough attempts, he'll make mistakes.

Hypothetically, if the Cowboys fall behind New York, then they will be vying for a Wild Card spot instead.

Out of the NFC South, the Atlanta Falcons have been stopping the run effectively all season.

Despite this, they are vulnerable to opposing passing attacks. In addition, their quarterback Matt Ryan is struggling through an uneven campaign.

The Detroit Lions will threaten for a Wild Card spot. They have sufficient talent to do so.

But they are led by Matthew Stafford, who has never finished a season healthy. There are also question marks across their defense.

Lastly, the Chicago Bears were even hotter than Dallas entering the fourth quarter of their Week 11 game. They went on to extend their winning streak to five games after defeating the San Diego Chargers, but lost starting quarterback Jay Cutler to a broken thumb. He's due to undergo immediate surgery in an attempt to save his season.

In the mean time, Caleb Hanie will step in. There isn't a whole lot of optimism in Chi-town considering that Hanie has thrown just 14 passes in the NFL.

...and of the NFC Division Leaders

The following franchises appear to be on their way to the playoffs. Simply put, the Dallas Cowboys will either knock them off to reach Super Bowl XLVI or be eliminated by them and end their season in disappointment yet again.

The high-powered New Orleans Saints score on everybody. They've dropped at least 20 points on every 2011 opponent.

However, Dallas plays disciplined defense that will prevent the Saints from getting downfield with huge gains.

Moreover, New Orleans' defense does not force turnovers (less than one takeaway per game). The Cowboys will have a chance to keep up.

Conversely, the San Francisco 49ers take pride in their defense. Through 10 games, they have an insane plus-17 turnover differential and they don't forfeit much yardage.

On offense, they have stars at several skill positions, including Frank Gore at running back and star tight end Vernon Davis. Wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Braylon Edwards are terrific, too.

The key to a potential matchup between the Cowboys and 49ers would be San Francisco's passer Alex Smith. He has played smart football this season, but his shaky career suggests that he will regress. Can he stay composed will DeMarcus Ware in his face? I doubt it.

The all-mighty Green Bay Packers will be tough to handle. Their list of All-Pros is practically endless: Aaron Rodgers, Greg Jennings, Clay Matthews...

Nonetheless, Dallas can knock them off their pedestal.

The defense is capable of containing James Starks and the Packers' rushers. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo can produce if he settles for 10-20 yards throws instead of all-out, interception-prone bombs. As we know, Dan Bailey is automatic and now that he has legitimized himself over 10 games, Jason Garrett will not shy away from using him.

The Dallas Cowboys aren't assured an NFL championship, but they have the ability to get it done.