2012 Dallas Cowboys Preview

2012 Dallas Cowboys

Welcome to the NFC! The Dallas Cowboys are another team who is loaded with talent every year, but are just incapable of finding ways to win and getting to the postseason. The Cowboys play in Jerry Jones’ “billion dollar playpen”, and for as much hype, fame, and criticism as the Dallas franchise gets (much of which because of the owner’s big mouth), you can’t forget that the Cowboys have not sniffed the Super Bowl since they last won in 1995. The team has been successful with Tony Romo as quarterback, but that success has not carried over into the postseason. Romo, as the quarterback, gets most of the blame for that, but he has played very well over his career. People remember the fourth quarter screw-ups, which he cannot be excused for, but Romo’s play has been the least of Dallas’s worries. The lack of a consistent running game, and the great lack of a dominant defense along with inferior coaching have been the real troubling factors that have contributed to the long winning drought in big D. They underachieved last year again, finishing at 8-8 and missing the playoffs altogether. There is a sense of urgency hovering around this season, and there is the feeling that if the Cowboys can’t pull it together and make a playoff run this year, then they will turn over the team. Jason Garrett would presumably be out as coach, and Tony Romo might be out as quarterback also. Who knows what the notoriously impatient Jerry Jones will do?

Offense

This offense has the potential to be lethal. Of course, potential can only go so far, and at some point, you gotta prove it on the field. Tony Romo is coming off possibly the best season of his career and looks ready to continue to improve. He has a couple of big time weapons on the outside in Miles Austin and Dez Bryant and the warrior in the middle Jason Witten is always a threat at tight end. Of course, with his spleen injury he might miss the opener against the Giants, and if he re-injures himself and misses any period of time, then this team could be in trouble. The running game could be dynamic, but that depends on the health of DeMarco Murray. Unfortunately, Murray seems to be in the same sweepstakes as McFadden and Mathews, which is the “who can get injured fastest?” contest. He has enormous ability and a great combination of strength and speed, but if he doesn’t take over this rushing attack, the Cowboys don’t have another option. Felix Jones has shown that he can’t be the number one guy. The fate of this offense depends on how little they can spend in the hospital.

Defense

The Dallas Cowboys defense, specifically the secondary, was ripped all of last season for not being able to cover anybody, and the criticism was justified. Opposing offenses lit up the defense with the passing game last season and therefore, the defense gave up way too many yards and points last year, and couldn’t get off the field. This led to Dallas trading up in this year’s draft to select Morris Claiborne, the cornerback out of LSU, and sign free agent corner Brandon Carr. With these additions, the Cowboys should be better in the secondary but they will still have holes and will need to work hard to clamp down against the pass this year. The front seven for Dallas is already solid, with defensive leaders all over the field in Anthony Spencer, Jay Ratliff, Sean Lee, and, of course, the terrorizer DeMarcus Ware. This means that the run defense should be formidable, as well as the pass rush. Overall, this defense could make huge strides in 2012, but the most important thing for Dallas is to sure up that pass defense. Especially when you play in a division with Michael Vick, Eli Manning, and now RGIII.

Schedule

After an 8-8 season, Dallas will absolutely be looking to take a step up from last year and hope to make a playoff spot this time around. Unfortunately, the first half of the Cowboys’s schedule is absolutely brutal, and if they fall behind early then they won’t be able to recover in a competitive division to get into the postseason. From weeks 6-10, Big D plays four games on the road against potential playoff teams, and the other game is the home game against the Giants, who own them in their own house. So, in essence, Dallas plays virtually five road games all against playoff teams, and can easily lose all five games. This stretch will be critical, obviously, to see if the Cowboys can survive and make it to the promised land that has eluded them for so long.

Week 1: L at NYG (no hope in the opener)

Week 2: L at SEA (tough place to play, Witten possibly not himself)

Week 3: W vs TB

Week 4: L vs CHI

Week 5: Bye

Week 6: L at BAL

Week 7: W at CAR

Week 8: L vs NYG

Week 9: L at ATL

Week 10: L at PHI (who are they going to beat in this stretch?)

Week 11: W vs CLE

Week 12: W vs WAS

Week 13: W vs PHI

Week 14: L at CIN

Week 15: L vs PIT

Week 16: W vs NO

Week 17: L at WAS (given up hope)

I have the 2012 Dallas Cowboys going 6-10 this year, and I kind of feel bad about it, but not really. I hate the Cowboys. This year is going to be the last straw for Jerry Jones, I’m expecting some major changes. This year, I don’t think they are going to be awful like a 6-10 mark would indicate. I just think they are going to run into a huge wall against some better teams, especially on the road, and they’re going to lose some close games late. It’s just going to be one of those seasons where a team with talent who keeps underachieving, gets frustrated after a dreadful start, and simply implodes on itself. Remind you of anyone, Boston Red Sox fans? Here comes the bold prediction, followed by the preview for the New York Giants.

Bold Prediction: The Cowboys finish at 6-10 and turn over the franchise. Tony Romo will be a top 10 quarterback but will get all the blame. Dez Bryant will either have 6 touchdowns or 12. Don’t know if he’ll go big or go home.