2011 Dallas Cowboys Predictions: Midseason Grades

NFL predictions are a dime a dozen, but not many analysts and writers revisit their own predictions and own up to them. If a writer or analyst if worth his salt, he will do just that.

But not only is it respectable to revisit them at the end of the season, a midseason grade seems appropriate as well.

At the beginning of the season, 15 bold predictions were made about the 2011 Dallas Cowboys. Let's examine each one and give it a midseason grade.

1. The Cowboys Will Win the NFC East. Grade : A

Three weeks ago, this might have seemed like a prediction with an F grade. Now it's an A, heading towards an A+. The Cowboys are currently tied for first with the New York Giants with a seemingly easier schedule left for the remaining of the season.

The Giants could forseeably be two games behind Dallas before they even meet in Dallas in Week 14. The Giants play the Saints this week in New Orleans, then have to play the undefeated Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers.

The Cowboys play the Dolphins at home on Thanksgiving, then travel to Arizona to face the Cards. These are two games the Cowboys are definitely favored in and should win.

Even if the Cowboys split the remaining two games with the Giants, the two-game cushion may be enough.

2. Tony Romo Will End the Season in the Top Three in TD Passes. Grade: C

Tony Romo has had a horrendous start in terms of touchdowns and interceptions. On the contrary, Romo is known for playing exceptionally well in the months of November and December.

Case and point: In his last three games, which were all Cowboy victories, he has eight touchdowns and no interceptions. The key to his success has been the emergence of DeMarco Murray and the running game. It gives Romo balance. He gets into trouble when he throws over 30 passes.

Lately, he has averaged just over 20 passes a game and has been more efficient with the re-emergence of the play-action pass. He is currently in fourth behind Drew Brees, Aaron Rogers and Tom Brady. All three of these quarterbacks need to continue to throw a lot of touchdowns for their teams to keep winning. So the likelihood of Romo jumping up to third is slim.

3. The Cowboys Will End the Season in the Top Three in Total Offense. Grade : D

Although the Cowboy offense seems to be hitting its stride right now, it is no secret that it had a very rough start. Injury has had a major toll on the Cowboy production.

First, Dez Bryant was injured. Then, Tony Romo and Miles Austin got hurt. Romo played through his rib injury, but Austin was sidelined due to a hamstring injury. He tried to return, but may have done so prematurely and re-injured it. He has yet to return to the lineup.

Also, the late emergence of the running game, which began the season with Felix Jones as the starting running back and being very ineffective, has had an effect as well. Jones' injury was a blessing in disguise. But the surge of the running game is a bit too late for Dallas to finish that high offensively.

4. The Cowboys Will Hit It Big in Free Agency and Land Nnamdi Asomughua. Grade F

I'm not sure if Nnamdi Asomughua was actually the answer or was ever as good as advertised while in Oakland. Maybe he shined in Oakland while playing against mostly average or poor quarterbacks in the AFC West, but he has not panned out in the manner as expected. The Cowboys missed out on the Nnamdi sweepstakes, but couldn't be more happy about it.

He has shown to be a very poor tackler, almost resembling a quarterback trying to tackle a linebacker after an interception at times. The Cowboys secondary still needs some help, but are glad to say that Nnamdi Asomughua was not the answer.

DeMarcus Ware Will Lead the NFL in Sacks....again. Grade: A

DeMarcus Ware has been the most consistent player on the Cowboys over the last four years. With DeMarcus, you know exactly what you are going to get every season. He is going to relentlessly rush the passer and cause havoc every game he plays. He is also going to give it his all to play through nagging injuries, like he did last year with a neck injury.

He is currently in second in the sack race and only a half a sack behind the current leader Jarrod Allen, the Vikings talented defensive end. As the season winds down, expect DeMarcus to stay on his current pace as the Dallas defense picks up while playing for the division title.

Allen’s production may slow a bit as the Vikings plummet further and further out of playoff contention and players begin to look forward to the offseason.

The Cowboys Will Lead the NFL in Total Rushing Yards. Grade: F

This prediction was based on the Cowboy rushing attack being a three-headed monster like last year. The releases of Marion Barber, now a Chicago Bear, and Tashard Choice, who was just picked up off waivers by the Redskins, and the injury to Felix Jones have all had a major impact on the production of the rushing attack.

The attack is on track now with the emergence of DeMarco Murray, but the Cowboys are currently 10th in the league and have just too much ground to make up.

Michael Vick's Worst Game Will Be Against the Cowboys. Grade: D+

Based on the first meeting with the Eagles, which turned out to be a great game for everyone in an Eagle uniform, one might think this is a automatic grade of F. Since that game, the Eagles have just about played themselves out of the playoff race and have to basically run the table to have a shot.

By the time they play each other for the second time in Week 15, the Cowboys will be steamrolling toward a division title and will be in search of sweet revenge.

It is unlikely that this will be his worst game of the season, as Vick's game versus the Bills will be hard to top. In Week 5, although Vick was 26-for-40 and threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns, he also threw a career-high four interceptions in a 31-24 loss.

Tony Romo Will Once Again Be Voted to the Pro-Bowl. Grade C+

Although Tony Romo started the 2011 season very interception friendly, voters are always about “what have you done lately.” Romo has hit his stride over the last three games, throwing eight touchdowns and no interceptions.

Although he had a slow start to the Dolphin game, he is traditionally great in November and December, so expect him to make a serious push to be the last quarterback voted into the Pro Bowl.

Roy Williams Will Not Be a Dallas Cowboy by the End of 2011. Grade: A+

This was the best prediction. Roy Williams is now a Chicago Bear, along with Marion Barber. He was released in July, and thankfully so. His departure gave way for Dez Bryant and Miles Austin to be the outright top receivers on the team.

When Austin first injured his hamstring, Laurent Robinson was picked up and has filled in nicely. He has scored a touchdown in five straight games. If Roy Williams was still a Cowboy, the two touchdowns Robinson caught versus the Buffalo Bills might have ended in two touchdowns dropped.

Jason Garrett Will Win the NFL Coach of the Year. Grade: B-

At the end of the season, the Cowboys will be the NFC East division champs, and Jason Garrett will be praised for his efforts in righting the ship.

But the turnaround of the Lions and 49ers will no doubt deserve recognition. Coach Harbaugh will undoubtedly be coach of the year for the season the 49ers are having.

Dez Bryant Will Be an All-Pro Receiver. (C-)

There is no doubt Dez Bryant has the talent of any receiver in the league. This year has not been exactly his breakout year as a top-tier receiver. His catches are always dynamic and touchdowns usually after a spectacular run, but he does not get the constant touches to mass the amount of catches and yards as Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald or Andre Johnson.

The problem is, Dallas has a very capable catching tight end in Jason Witten and another Pro Bowl-caliber receiver in Miles Austin. Add to that the emergence of Laurent Robinson, and Bryant has to share the wealth with each of them.

Cassie Trammell Will Be in Playboy. (B+)

Although it hasn’t happen as of yet, the chances are still high. When the Cowboys played the Buffalo Bills, fellow cheerleader Kelsi Reich received extra air time and media coverage when her boyfriend, who happens to be a receiver for the Bills, ran over to her after scoring a touchdown and gave her the ball. Mass internet and news coverage gobbled this story up.

Trammell cannot let this upstage her. The only way to regain her Cowboy cheerleader popularity: Playboy!

Cowboys Will Defeat the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game. Grade: C-

The Cowboys will indeed beat the Eagles in the second meeting between the two, but it won’t be for the NFC title. By that time, the Eagles will have played themselves numerically out of contention, and the game will have no bearing on their season.

Dallas Cowboys Will Defeat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. Grade C+

There is still a possibility that the Cowboys and Patriots will both make the Super Bowl. The first step is for both to make the playoffs, which they both are very capable of and in position to do. The AFC does not have a clear-cut favorite, so the Patriots' chances to make it through are as good as any.

The favorite in the NFC are the champs. The Green Bay Packers are still undefeated and playing like Super Bowl champs. But if they haven’t lost before the playoffs start, the pressure may be just a little too big, as the media coverage will be extensive, and somewhere, some time, they will fold, leaving the door open for a Cowboys/Patriots rematch.

In the game between the two earlier this year, it came down to a last-minute Tom Brady drive to give New England the win.