Dallas Cowboys Season Preview: Schedule Preview.

Last season the Cowboys were a streaky team, whether it was winning or losing, but their schedule was favorable and they disappointed themselves finishing 9-7.

The Cowboys, in addition to facing their division foes twice, faced the NFC West, AFC North as well as the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Although the Cowboys did lose seven games last season, five of those games were to playoff teams, and only the Washington Redskins and St. Louis Rams didn’t make the playoffs.

This season the Cowboys face NFC South and AFC West as well as Seattle, who they have a recent rivalry with and Green Bay who they’ve beat the past two seasons.

Schedule Overview.

The Cowboys start the season on the road for the against the Buccaneers, who they beat last season with Brad Johnson starting, however it was the defense that won the game for the Cowboys holding the Buccaneers to just nine points.

The Cowboys then have to face the top two NFC teams from last year in the division New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers. The Giants and Cowboys split their two-game series last season and games between these two teams are always exciting.

After that things get a bit easier for the Cowboys as they play two AFC West teams that have new coaches in the Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs finished at 2-14 last season while the Broncos, like the Cowboys missed the playoffs by one game as they finished 8-8.

The Cowboys then have their bye week before hosting two games in a row against the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks. The Cowboys last played both teams in 2006. They beat the Falcons but lost to the Seahawks in the Wild Card round.

The Cowboys then hit the road for their first match-up against the Eagles, where their season ended so abruptly last year, then they head to Green Bay to play the Packers.

The Cowboys finish off November against the Redskins and Oakland before heading into December, a month they have dreaded in recent years as it marks a horrendous losing record.

The Cowboys start December with some old reunions.

First they face the San Diego Chargers; Cowboys Head Coach Wade Phillips former team and the new team for former Cowboys linebacker Kevin Burnett. The Cowboys then head to New Orleans to play the Saints and will see their former Offensive Coordinator Sean Payton, who is the Head Coach for the Saints.

The Cowboys then finish the season against two division foes in the Redskins and Eagles.

 

Observation.

The Cowboys went 9-7 last season amid all the issues they had and the cupcake practices the Wade Phillips held, so the talent is there, now they just have to work hard.

The Cowboys are blessed with playing the AFC West. The Raiders are a running joke, Kansas City have Matt Cassel and new coach Todd Haley but the same parts around that led them to a 2-14 record last season. The Broncos also have a new coach to work with and a new Quarterback in Kyle Orton.

The NFC South presents a harder challenge as it sent two teams to the playoffs in the Falcons and Panthers and along with the NFC East had no team in the division finish under .500. Green Bay should be another win and Tampa Bay isn’t expected to do much with a new coach and most of its known veterans being released by the team.

The Cowboys will have tough division games as the Eagles and Giants have signed good free agents as well as draft picks ready to play immediately. The Redskins have a lot of potential, but the same thing was said last year, and throwing 100 million dollars at one player doesn’t make a team better. 

My prediction is that the Cowboys will go 10-6. They’ll lose at least one game they’re supposed to win but at the same time they’ll turn some heads and surprise the critics that think Romo will not perform as well without T.O.

How Good Are The Cowboys Linebackers Without Ellis?

On Tuesday Greg Ellis’ 11-year run with the Dallas Cowboys ended as the Cowboys cut Ellis instead of continuing to find a trade partner for him. Greg Ellis was drafted inmthe first round of the 1998 Draft, which was a controversial pick as everyone thought the Cowboys were going to take Randy Moss who went to Minnesota.

Greg Ellis had a great eleven years with Dallas, racking up 496 tackles and 77 sacks, which is eighth on the Cowboys all-time list. Ellis had eight sacks last season and is still a good linebacker, he just no long fit into the Cowboys plans.

Last season Ellis was mostly used on second and long and third downs where he could use his pass rushing skills. Ellis couldn’t cover anyone as an Outside Linebacker, and he also wasn’t happy having to stand up off the line.

So the question is now how good is the Cowboys defense without Ellis?  

Anthony Spencer takes the place of Ellis as the starting Outside Linebacker. Last season Spencer played in 12 games collecting 34 tackles and 1.5 sacks, those numbers should increase as not only will he get a lot more snaps this season but he’ll also be playing across from DeMarcus Ware, who had 20 sacks last season. 

Spencer has played well in his two seasons in Dallas, but needs to be consistent this year and stay healthy. He hasn’t exactly earned this job and I have a feeling if he doesn’t perform well you could see Carpenter on the outside instead of Spencer.

With Bradie James still calling the assignments and free agent signee Keith Brooking next to James the starters seem just fine.

Behind them is Bobby Carpenter, who has played every linebacker position since he’s been in Dallas but hasn’t find the field consistently except as a special-teamer.

Carpenter is in his fourth year with the Cowboys and needs to have a great camp to let the Cowboys coaches know that he’s ready to play with the defense, instead of just running down kickoffs. Carpenter could be a versatile backup linebacker who could go in for any of the four starters and play right away and be the lead linebacker in the Nickel and Dime packages. 

Ellis was a great asset to the team, but the Cowboys linebackers will do just fine without him. After all he was only playing passing downs. The core unit for the Cowboys was a success last season and will be this season as well with Wade Phillips calling the plays.

Where Ellis land could hurt the Cowboys however, the Giants are always signing defensive linemen and the Redskins could use a pass rush period, even with Albert Haynesworth there now.

Season Preview: Dallas Cowboys Weaknesses

The Cowboys have solid starters at almost every position, but there are two glaring holes on this team: Wide Receiver and Safety. While there is depth at both positions, youth and inexperience are also huge factors.

Wide Receiver

Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton lead a group that has almost no experience behind them.

Miles Austin has had flashes of brilliance in his three years in the league but still has only 18 career receptions and three touchdowns. Sam Hurd has 21 career receptions and Isiah Stanback spent most of last season injured and is still considered a project at this point.

The Cowboys used only one draft pick at this position, getting Oklahoma’s Manuel Johnson in the seventh round. However, Johnson’s career hasn’t started well, as it was reported that he wasn’t in shape during the Cowboys rookie mini camp.  

The Cowboys are going to go with this group for at least this season, with the mindset that Quarterback Tony Romo can get these guys the ball now that Terrell Owens is no longer with the team and their running game will be successful.

Safety

The Cowboys have one starter, Ken Hamiln, who was a pro-bowler two years ago and was solid last season with 74 tackles, from the Free Safety position. After Hamlin, youth again becomes an issue.

Gerald Sensabaugh is most likely to start opposite Ken Hamlin. Sensabaugh spent the last four years with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and, except for 2007—when he only played two games—Sensabaugh has played in all 16 games in the other three seasons. Last season Sensabaugh racked up 70 tackles and four interceptions from the Strong Safety position.

After Sensabaugh, Pat Watkins has the most experience but missed more than half the season last year with shoulder problems. Watkins has also underachieved in his three seasons with the Cowboys, even getting demoted in his rookie season by former Coach Bill Parcells. Because of this, he needs to have a great training camp to show coaches that he’s ready to play.

Courtney Brown has played in limited action in the past two seasons but has a good chance to make a run at playing time if he can have another good training camp.

The long shots include DeAngelo Smith, who was drafted in the fifth round out of Cincinnati, and Michael Hamlin, who was also drafted in the fifth round, out of Clemson. These two won’t see much time except on special teams but could become a great tandem in the future. 

Hamlin and Sensabaugh will most likely start in the Cowboy’s defensive backfield. They’re both experienced and should do well, but if one of them gets injured, as many of the Cowboy’s safeties did last season, it could be trouble.

Dallas Cowboys Season Preview: Coaching Staff

The Dallas Cowboys haven’t changed their coaching staff much this offseason, and while there won’t be any more changes this season, that doesn’t mean there won’t be a change in the way the Cowboys play. But they better be successful since the coaching staff’s jobs are on the hot seat.

Jerry Jones finally listened to his staff and released Terrell Owens. Now, offensive coordinator Jason Garrett will have the freedom to draw up plays for Roy Williams, Patrick Crayton, and the others.

Tony Romo can finally  throw to the open man—instead of eyeing Owens all day.

Jason Witten will still get a ton of balls thrown to him, but watch out for Martellus Bennett, who caught 20 balls for 283 yards and four touchdowns last season. As the season went on, Garrett gained more confidence in Bennett.  So as this season progresses, and if he can put his off-the-field issues past him, he should be a strong contributor.

However, for the Cowboys to be successful they need to run the ball more—a lot more. The Cowboys were 25th in the NFL in rush attempts per game, and of the top 10 teams in that category, only the Washington Redskins, Oakland Raiders, and New England Patriots failed to make the playoffs.

Granted, the injuries to Felix Jones and Marion Barber didn’t help much, but it did give the Cowboys a chance to see what Tashard Choice can do on the field—and now Garrett has to be thinking about running the ball more, especially with that huge offensive line in front of them.

Garrett will also want to take some of the pressure off of the receivers, and Romo is the perfect way to do it. After being praised for the Cowboys’ explosive offense in 2007 and becoming the highest paid coordinator in the league, the Cowboys faltered in 2008. When Phillips’ job was in jeopardy, Garrett’s name didn’t come up as a possible successor, so now people are wondering if he can run a successful offense—or just a highlight one.

The Cowboys don’t have a defensive coordinator, mostly because the coordinator they had last season, Brian Stewart, wasn’t improving the defense. While Stewart was calling the plays, the Cowboys gave up 25+ points in five of the first nine weeks. After head coach Wade Phillips took over, the Cowboys gave up more than 25 twice—the last two weeks of the season.

Stewart expected the Cowboys’ front three to generate pressure themselves, and normally played zone defense behind it, which resulted in no pressure and big pass plays for the opposition. That all changed when Phillips took over the team, who brought the house constantly on third downs, resulting in a ton of sacks and DeMarcus Ware leading the NFL with 20.

Now that Phillips has taken over the main defensive responsibilities, expect the pressure to keep coming. Phillips is a very good defensive coach and has improved the unit of every team he’s been a part of—you can expect him to make the Cowboys better. 

Speaking of Phillips, this is probably his last strike with the Cowboys. Owner Jerry Jones kept Phillips after the December debacle and after the Eagles ran them over, knocking them out of playoff contention. In Phillips’ first two years with the Cowboys they’ve seen the highest of highs and lowest of lows, but Jones wants consistency and winning to go hand in hand.

Phillips’ player-friendly attitude hasn’t led to much of either.

Phillips has promised to be harder on his players this season, but he’s no Bill Parcells, so yelling and screaming isn’t going to work for him. Holding his players accountable and playing those who are performing instead of those with the bigger contract is the right course for Phillips. He needs to get the Cowboys to the playoffs and win this season—just getting there isn’t enough anymore. Anything less, especially another December meltdown, will result in Phillips sitting in a pregame studio.

Season Preview: Dallas Cowboys

Last season the Cowboys had the world in front of them. They had a team stacked with talent, a favorable schedule, and analysts across the country thinking it was going to be their year. Instead the Cowboys were a media circus as crippling injuries,  arrests and suspensions as well as players complaining about opportunities and heartbreaking losses in December left them at a mediocre 9-7 and missing the playoffs. Can the Cowboys put it all together this season after getting rid of all their distractions?

Offense:

Last year the Cowboys finished 13th in the NFL in total offense which isn’t bad when you consider that Tony Romo went down for four weeks, Running Back Felix Jones missed the last 10 weeks of the season and Terrell Owens spent the second half of the season crying for the ball while not getting open. This season with T.O. gone and Jones healthy the Cowboys should be better on offense.

Romo can now throw to whoever is open between Roy Williams, Patrick Crayton, Miles Austin, Sam Hurd, and his favorite target, Tight End Jason Witten without having to worry about what will be said after the game. The three headed running attack of Jones, Marion Barber and Tashard Choice will take the pressure off the passing game provided Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett doesn’t get pass happy. Backup Jon Kitna should provide stability as Romo’s backup and he’ll have an offensive line that will actually protect him. The Cowboys should be excited as they play the AFC West where each team’s defense was ranked 25th or worse in defensive yards per game, as well as Green Bay, Atlanta, and New Orleans – all who were at the bottom of the pack in total defense last season. 

The Cowboys might run the ball more this year to protect Romo and the young receivers; they ran the ball a ton before Jones got hurt using him as a speed compliment to Barber and going back to that could be successful. Romo’s interceptions are a small concern, but like the Packers with Brett Favre, you take the bad with the good.

Defense:

The Cowboys defense finished the season ranked eighth in the NFL and took off once Wade Phillips became active in the play calling and took the duties from Brian Stewart, who was fired after the season ended. The Cowboys were a lot more aggressive in the second half of the season and finished first in the NFL in sacks with 59. Their rushing defense was 12th and their passing defense was 5th. The good news is the Cowboys didn’t lose much on defense; Roy L. Williams has left for the Cincinnati Bengals but was falling out of favor for getting burnt on deep passes. Chris Canty went to the division rival New York Giants but the Cowboys signed Igor Olshansky who is basically the same player.

Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick will fight to play opposite Terrence Newman at Cornerback because of Anthony Henry being traded to Detroit. Kevin Burnett has signed with San Diego Chargers and that leaves room for Bobby Carpenter who’s had a rough three years in a Cowboys uniform but now has his chance to prove he belongs here. Tank Johnson also left for the Bengals but was expendable with Jay Ratliff starting for the last two years.

The Cowboys should have no problem finishing in the top 10 in defense once again barring injuries. Phillips will make sure that the Cowboys are still aggressive in going after the quarterback and forcing turnovers. They should also be better against the run this season because of their aggressiveness. The biggest concern is scoring defense which the cowboys finished 20th giving up 22.8 ppg, however some of their losses were huge blowouts so the number is inflated a bit.

Special Teams:

The return teams were good even with Jones’ injury but the Cowboys were one of the worst coverage teams on kickoffs and punts. However the Cowboys hired new Coach Joe DeCamillis and most of their 2009 draft picks have experience playing on coverage units. 

Overall:

The Cowboys can go as far but in recent years they’ve lost games they should’ve won and have been horrible in the month of December, they’ll need to exercise those demons in order to be successful but the fact that so much went wrong last season and they still won nine games is encouraging to optimists. If they put it all together and get some luck they can be 13-3 again. The question is will they?

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