In the wake of all the preseason hype and the convincing performance against Cleveland last weekend, the question begs: just how good are the Dallas Cowboys? The talent is there, it has been there for the past two seasons--it is now a matter of putting the final piece in place and finishing the puzzle that is the Super Bowl. It may be fitting that the roof in Texas Stadium has a hole, because the Cowboy's potential this season has no limits. Let's break down exactly why the Cowboys should be the most feared team in the league:
--The Patriots are done. An obvious help to the 'Boys come Super Bowl time. You never like to wish injury on anyone, but why not let it be the biggest potential threat to a Championship?
--Tony Romo. Romo played a near flawless game in week 1. After the playoff loss to the Giants, as well as the public, tabloid lifestyle he enjoys leading, many people were quick to dismiss him as a legitimate standout QB in the NFL. Criticisms of his work ethic and focus should be put to rest now. Busted chin and all, Tony set the tone for success this year, and undoubtedly has his whole team behind him.
--Donovan McNabb sportingly tried to point out last season that the "NFC East title goes through Philadelpiha" before playing the 'Boys. The response? Dallas clipped the wings of the eagles, 38-17. This year? McNabb has much more to be scared about, and trust that he knows he should be frightened. This week he went on record saying that "there's a reason they [Dallas] won 13 games last season." Hmmm, quite a different approach, wouldn't you say? Seems like sportswriters aren't the only ones who believe in Dallas.
Then, of course, he slipped up, stating that "every time we play it kind of goes to the wire somewhow." Really, Donovan? 38-17. Must be a huge wire.
--Running Backs. Marion "The Barbarian" is going to be great. We know that. Healthy? That may be a different story. But don't fear, Dallas fans, we now have Felix Jones. After Sunday's game, he is already drawing comparisons to Brian Westbrook (courtesy of Tim McMahon). A one-two punch such as this could be lethal.
--Cleveland pulled out all the stops in an attempt to stop (ironic?) the Dallas pass rush. Sometimes leaving 7 men to block, it seemed they had figured out the Cowboys rush. However, this only seemed to be the case in theory. The Defense only registered one sack, but was able to disrupt Anderson enough that he was often hurried. If Dallas continues to get that much pressure against a 7 man front, watch out. A good passing offense last season, the Browns were completely thrown off their game, only completing 11 passes and 114 yards.
--Tony Romo and Terrell Owens couldn't be getting along any better. No, seriously. Earlier this week Romo admitted to reporters that "He [Terrell] bought me dinner a couple of times and so we just went from there. Now we're dating." I wonder what Jessica thinks about this? On a serious note, though, it's nice to see that the two players have a good relationship that is solid off the field as well. That creates the proper chemistry it will take to win a Super Bowl.
--Pacman is confident. In a press conference he was asked about the eagle's performance last week and his response was simply, "They played the Rams, dude." I like it. Call it cocky, or a locker room rally for philly, but Mr. Jones now feels a part of the team, and clearly feels like they will back him up. Trust like that is going to show in his improving play over the next few weeks.
--And finally, ESPN the Mag did a nice comparison of Bill O'Reilly to none other than....Terrell Owens. Hate it or love it, both are on top of their game, and know what it takes to win, per say.
So, folks, I think it is pretty clear that the rest of the League should be quivering at this perfect storm that is quickly becoming the Dallas Cowboys. The only remaining question is, though, can they win the big games? (i.e. playoffs) This year, there should be no disappointment.
--PD
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