Post by mexicanjunior on Sept 5, 2008 13:46:08 GMT -6
msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8501832/2008-team-previews:-Dallas-Cowboys
The Cowboys have only one goal in mind in 2008. That's the Super Bowl. After last season's disappointing end -- losing in the first round to the eventual Super Bowl champion Giants after going 13-3 in the regular season -- it's all they can think about.
"Man, we let it slip away," tight end Jason Witten said.
The problem with the Cowboys' Super Bowl or bust mantra is that this is a team that has essentially done nothing substantive. The core players on this team are 0-2 in the playoffs with two one-and-done exits in 2006 and 2007. That trend actually dates back to the last five times the Cowboys were in the playoffs. They were one-and-done in 1998, 1999 and 2003.
Actually the last time the Cowboys won a playoff game was a wild-card victory in 1996 and they have lost six straight playoff games since.
It all has receiver Terrell Owens preaching the mantra of winning a playoff game. Owens said the team needs to worry about winning a playoff game before talking about the Super Bowl.
"Everybody keeps talking about the Super Bowl," Owens said. "We obviously feel we're going to make the playoffs. ... We've got to win a playoff game first before we do anything. Until we get that done, there is no Super Bowl."
Of course, he doesn't deny the team's Super Bowl expectations either. And why not?
The Cowboys brought back 13 Pro Bowlers from last year and actually got better talent-wise with the additions of veteran cornerback Adam Jones and veteran linebacker Zach Thomas.
Owner Jerry Jones hedged his bets even more by re-signing five 2007 Pro Bowlers - left tackle Flozell Adams, cornerback Terence Newman, running back Marion Barber, safety Ken Hamlin and Owens - with signing bonuses totaling $58.9 million.
"There's definitely a sense of urgency to get this done," quarterback Tony Romo said. "If you don't have that after the kind of year we had last year, then you are in the wrong sport."
The Cowboys know Jones is committed.
He is also growing impatient. Jones won three Super Bowls during his first seven years as an owner and hasn't won but one playoff game since.
He expects a special season which is why he paid for one.
The Cowboys' fandom has similar expectations, especially after last season.
"I don't think anybody's saying, 'I hope they make it to the playoffs,'" wide receiver Patrick Crayton said. "They're saying, 'I hope they make it to the Super Bowl.' It's a real good thing when the stakes are high like that."
So even if the Cowboys try to get around the Super Bowl talk with the one game at a time mantra, they know it will always be there.
Again, why not? Thirteen Pro Bowlers are back from last year's 13-3 team. The Super Bowl champion Giants are without their top two pass rushers from last year.
The Green Bay Packers are without legendary quarterback Brett Favre.
If the Cowboys play as they are capable of, then they should be Super Bowl bound.
But will they?
"There's no way we can go under the radar," linebacker Bradie James said. "With all the talent we have, all the high-profile players we've got, it's an all-star team. For me to say there won't be any Super Bowl talk, I'd be naive to say that. ... Now we've got to make that materialize.
"It's tough to talk about last year, but you've got to talk about last year. Last year we learned how to win. But we also learned it's not just about winning. It's about winning at the right time."
COACHING: Wade Phillips, 9th year, 2nd with Cowboys (61-42 overall, 13-4 with Cowboys).
REMEMBERING: 2007 record: 13-3 (1st in NFC East); lost in divisional playoff game to the New York Giants.
PREDICTING: 2008 regular season record 12-4 (1st in NFC East); lose in Super Bowl.
Notes and Quotes
The Cowboys are hoping NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will make a final ruling on the reinstatement of Adam Jones before final cutdown day. The Cowboys plan to include Jones on the final roster. But it would help as they decide on their final numbers. They are confident as they believe Jones has done what was expected of him in order to be reinstated.
Coach Wade Phillips has had to be dragged kicking and screaming but it seems he will finally relent on using rookie Felix Jones on kickoff returns. Jones is only one of the top kickoff returners in NCAA history. Yet out of fear of injury, Phillips was going to use Isaiah Stanback on kickoff returns. But Stanback is hurt and now Phillips said he will probably use Jones.
TE Martellus Bennett is getting a dose of tough love from Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten. Bennett is laid back and doesn't have the get-up-and-go that Witten likes. Witten said he just wants Bennett to figure things out for himself.
"He says it all the time: 'Jason doesn't like me,'" Witten said of Bennett. "It's not that I don't like him. It's just that I'm letting him figure it out. He's got to figure it out first, and once he does, obviously that's where I come along.
"He's got a good position coach that pushes him, obviously. When he's ready for it, I'll definitely be able to talk to him and push his buttons. But you've got to figure it out first, and he's well on his way to doing that."
BY THE NUMBERS: 1 -- The number of games LG Kyle Kosier missed in his first six NFL seasons. He will likely be sidelined for the next month with a sprained foot.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "We can't focus on the stuff from the past because it will haunt us. We want to win a playoff game." -- S Roy Williams.
Strategy and Personnel
PLAYER TO WATCH: CB Adam Jones - Jones was suspended for the 2007 season for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. He is expected to be reinstated before the season opener, culminating a return to grace that began in earnest when the Cowboys acquired him from the Titans via a draft-day trade. Jones has done all the right things off field. On it, he looks to be shedding the rust from the year-long layoff. He will start the season as the third cornerback. But look for his biggest impact to come on special teams where he will be the primary kickoff and punt returner. The Cowboys think he can have a Devin Hester-like impact.
DRAFT PICKS TO STICK
Rd. 1/22, RB Felix Jones, Arkansas -- Jones is indeed the perfect fit to play behind starter Marion Barber. His quick and elusive style is a nice complement to Barber's barbaric charges. He will also return kickoffs.
Rd. 1/25, CB Mike Jenkins, South Florida -- He has been as advertised for the Cowboys. He will play a role in the nickel and dime defenses and be a big contributor on special teams.
Rd. 2/61, TE Martellus Bennett, Texas A&M -- Needs more get-up-and-go but definitely has skills and will definitely play a role with the Cowboys. Good blocker and good pass receiver.
Rd. 4/122, RB Tashard Choice, Georgia Tech -- Wasn't flashy in college. He is not flashy now. But he is a good football player. Will serve as every-down backup to running back Felix Jones. Also an active and willing participant on special teams.
Rd. 5/143, CB Orlando Scandrick, Boise State -- Cowboys consider him a steal. They believe he has second- or third-round talent. Has been very impressive in the preseason. Active, feisty and fearless. Game is not too big for him.
Rd. 6/157, LB Eric Walden, Middle Tennessee State -- Still has a ways to go. More of a project. Will likely be cut and signed to practice squad.
UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS
QUARTERBACKS: Starter - Tony Romo. Backup - Brad Johnson.
Tony Romo's legend will take a turn in 2008. All glitz and glamour but lacking in substance, Romo needs to prove he's more than a fantasy superstar and celebrity quarterback. He can do that by finally winning when it matters most - in the postseason. Romo is 4-7 in December and January with 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He is 0-2 in the playoffs. Brad Johnson is the primary backup though the Cowboys could add another veteran on cutdown day, possibly Chris Simms or John Beck.
RUNNING BACKS: Starters - RB Marion Barber, FB Deon Anderson. Backups - RB Felix Jones, RB Tashard Choice.
Barber is the featured back. It's his first time carrying the load dating back to high school. He is more than ready and hoping to build on his breakout 2007 campaign when he rushed for 975 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was great in his role as the closer. He could be special as a starter. The speedy Felix Jones is the perfect complement.
He can take it the distance on any play. Deon Anderson has proven to be a tough blocker and special teams maven at fullback.
WIDE RECEIVERS: Starters - Terrell Owens, Patrick Crayton. Backups - Miles Austin, Sam Hurd, Isaiah Stanback, Danny Amendola.
There are no problems at the top. Though Owens turns 35 in December, the Cowboys have no concerns about him. He is in great shape and seemingly looking to have another great season. He showed last season that he's still a game-breaker. He had 81 catches for 1,355 yards and 15 touchdowns. It was the eighth 1,000-yard receiving season in his career.
But an already precarious receiver position behind Owens took a hit in the final two weeks. Crayton is not special, but he is a solid No. 2, while Hurd is a reliable fill-in. Austin made huge strides in camp and looked to finally be ready to give the Cowboys another big play option to go along with Owens. However, he is out four to six weeks after suffering a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee. He will likely miss the first two games of the season. Then Stanback suffered a dislocated shoulder and could be out for the season-opener. The unproven Amendola, an undrafted free agent, might be the fourth receiver against the Browns in the opener or the Cowboys could opt to sign a receiver off the waiver wire.
TIGHT ENDS: Starter - Jason Witten. Backups - Tony Curtis, Martellus Bennett.
Witten caught 96 passes last year and was quarterback Tony Romo's favorite target. His perennial Pro Bowl status eases concerns about the need for a No. 2 receiver behind Terrell Owens. Witten is the real deal. Bennett, a rookie second round pick, was inconsistent in college and has already experienced growing pains in training camp. He has the size and athletic ability to be special. Tony Curtis will see a lot of time and will be a solid alternative in two tight end sets.
OFFENSIVE LINE: Starters - LT Flozell Adams, LG Kyle Kosier, C Andre Gurode, RG Leonard Davis, LT Marc Colombo. Backups - T Pat McQuistan, T Doug Free, T James Marten, G Corey Proctor, G Joe Berger.
This group is anchored by three Pro Bowlers in center Andre Gurode, tackle Flozell Adams and guard Leonard Davis. Adams is key to protecting quarterback Tony Romo's blindside. Davis looks like he's ready to live up to his enormous potential, while Gurode is as sturdy as they come up the middle. The line suffered a huge blow in the third preseason game when Kosier suffered a sprained left foot. He will be out up to six weeks and could miss the first month of the season. McQuistan will be his likely replacement, moving back from tackle. However, this will be a challenge to the line's cohesiveness.
DEFENSIVE LINE: Starters - LE Marcus Spears, NT Jay Ratliff, RE Chris Canty. Backups - E Jason Hatcher, NT Terry Johnson, E Stephen Bowen.
The all-star numbers say the Cowboys are stacked with a Pro Bowler at ever spot on the team except defensive line. But it would wrong to assume this group is weak. There is no dominant performer,
but the defensive line is active, deep and versatile.
Ratliff is the epitome of the unit's strength, as he may end up seeing more time at end this season than nose tackle because of Tank Johnson's emergence. Canty is poised for a breakout season and Spears is solid against the run if not spectacular. He will also rotate between nose tackle and end.
LINEBACKERS: Starters - ROLB DeMarcus Ware, LOLB Greg Ellis, ILB Bradie James, ILB Zach Thomas. Backups -- Anthony Spencer, Kevin Burnett, Bobby Carpenter, Erik Walden, Justin Rogers.
Ware is the headliner for this group. He is a defensive player of the year candidate. But this unit is deep and compatible. Ellis and Ware combined for 23.5 sacks last year. While Ware is the star, Ellis is simply a professional pass rusher. Spencer will miss the first two games of the season with a sprained knee. But when he returns
He'll give the Cowboys three bona fide rushers.
Owner Jerry Jones said Thomas will have the biggest impact of all the newcomers. He has certainly done it in the past, making seven Pro Bowls in 12 years with the Dolphins. If he stays away from the head injuries that sidelined him in Miami last year, he could make another Pro Bowl run for the Cowboys. He is smart and knows where to be at all times. He fits well with the bruiser James. Both will compete for the team tackle lead.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: Starters - CB Terence Newman, CB Anthony Henry, SS Roy Williams, FS Ken Hamlin. Backups - CB Adam Jones, CB Mike Jenkins, CB Orlando Scandrick, CB Evan Oglesby, CB Alan Ball, S Pat Watkins, S Courtney Brown.
This unit is anchored by three Pro Bowlers in Williams, Newman and Hamlin and has a solid pro in Henry. The strength of the defense is in the secondary with the addition of Adam Jones, Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick to go with starters Newman and Henry. Now a position
that was a liability in 2007 with Jacques Reeves and Nate Jones as the third and fourth corners, is a team strength. The Cowboys are so deep they can hide Williams' coverage liabilities by using him only on first and second down. Henry will replace him on obvious passing downs with Jones going in at corner.
SPECIAL TEAMS: K Nick Folk, P Matt McBriar, LS L.P. Ladouceur, KR Felix Jones, PR Adam Jones.
This unit has a chance to finally be special in all areas. Folk and McBriar will just pick up where they left off. Folk didn't miss much as a rookie last year, setting a team scoring record and making the Pro Bowl. McBriar is widely considered one of the league's best punters. The Cowboys now have the potential for a special return game with Adam Jones handling punts and Felix Jones handling kickoffs. Remember Adam Jones led the league in punt return yardage and touchdowns in 2006 when he was with the Titans. Felix Jones is one of the top kickoff returns in NCAA history.