Everyone knows the story of this year's Dallas Cowboys. A team with perhaps the highest of expectations across the league, which included the possibility of playing in the Super Bowl on their home field in Arlington, in front of their own fans. The story was as well written as a script from a big Hollywood movie. It would go down as an action-packed, feel good thriller with an ending like those found in a Disney film. And this story had all the major stars to make it a Blockbuster, from Tony Romo, Miles Austin, Jason Witten, and Dez Bryant on offense, to DeMarcus Ware, Mike Jenkins, Jay Ratliff, and Keith Brooking on defense. But after 6 weeks of the season, the Cowboys are changing the script and writing their own story...a drama, filled with heartbreak and disappointment. Their 1-4 start has made almost every game from this point forward a must-win, just in hopes of saving their season and making a full turnaround. Of course, maybe that's the way their personal script was written.
Coming off of another loss to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings, it seemed as though all hope would be loss on such a promising season. That would have seemed to be the case, but the NFC has proven to be a bit disappointing to this point, as there is no team that has stepped up and proven themselves to be the top dog in the yard. There is only one team in the conference with 5 wins (Atlanta Falcons), the defending champs (New Orleans Saints) are underacheiving at 4-3, and Favre and the Vikings are a dismal 2-4. Even the NFC East, the league's toughest division for the past few seasons, has proven to be anyone's division at this point. The Redskins and Eagles both sit at 4-3, while the Giants are 4-2, heading into their Monday night battle with the 'Boys in Arlington. A win on Monday would keep the Cowboys within 2 games of first place and resurrect hope for what seemed to be a lost season through 5 games. It could also be the beginning of a run back to prominance, as their schedule has turned out to be a bit easier than previously perceived. If they can beat the Giants, the then have the Jaguars, who sit at the basement of the AFC South. From there, they have a Sunday night game with the Packers, who are losing players left and right to injuries, and only sit at 4-3, overall. They would then get the Giants again, followed by the Lions, and the struggling Saints at home on Thanksgiving. But in order to make a run over the next few weeks, a few things will have to be established.
First and foremost, this team must be more disciplined. To this point in the season, the Cowboys are the second most penalized team in the league, with 62 overall. This has been the main reason for their putrid start to this season, and will continue to plague them unless they can cut down on the mistakes and give themselves a better chance to win the close games they have lost. Dallas has been outgaining their opponents all year on offense, which has helped them secure the third rated offense in the league. And their defense is currently ranked fourth, keeping their opponents from racking up big yards and preventing big plays. But their penalities aren't just costing them yards, but also points on the board on both offense and defense, which has been the main reason for their 4 losses. As a prime example, let's look at their loss to Minnesota a week ago. The Cowboys outgained the Vikings 314-188, but made that a moot point, due to their 11 penalties, on top of Tony Romo's 2 interceptions (which led to 10 points for the Vikings). If they can become a more disciplined team that uses their heads and cuts down on their mistakes, their talent will win them games moving forward.
Next, the defense has to begin putting more pressure on the quarterback and force more turnovers. Their sack total is much lower than what was expected, knowing that they have one of the best outside linebacker duos in the game, in DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer. Not to mention that they have perhaps the best defensive tackle in the league today, Jay Ratliff. In the first quarter against Chicago, they put Jay Cutler into a living nightmare, forcing him into countless mistakes and sacking him multiple times. But after Mike Martz made the needed adjustments on offense that assisted in getting around the pressure on Cutler, the Bears were able to turn their slow start into a big win. The only game where the defense has truly dominated was in their lone win against the Texans in the third week of the season. Their secondary is no better. Mike Jenkins has seemed to have lost much of his confidence from a year ago, and quarterbacks are continuing to target him on the field, due to the fact that he has been beaten on numerous plays and has turned himself into a penalty machine. This doesn't even take into account the safeties, who have barely even been mentioned at this point in the season, because they have yet to make a real impact. Through 5 games, the Cowboys have only forced 4 turnovers, and only 1 in their 4 losses. This has to change, or the Dallas offense will be forced to outscore every opponent just to get a win. And with their offense averaging only 20 points a game, the losses will continue to pile up, unless the defense can lend a hand and keep their opponents off the field and out of the end zone.
Finally, in order to help both the defense stay fresh and Tony Romo from throwing 50 passes a game, Jason Garrett and Wade Phillips are going to have to implement a more consistent running game. Going into Monday's game against the Giants, the Cowboys pass-to-run ratio is the highest in the league. Their leading rusher is Felix Jones, which was expected, but he has only carried the ball 51 times, totaling 229 yards, and zero (yes, ZERO) touchdowns. Between Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice, the Cowboys should be able to run the ball down their opponents' throats on a weekly basis. Yet for some unknown reason, their numbers aren't called upon nearly enough. Jones has the abilitiy to make any run into a huge gain. Barber is perfect in tough-yardage downs and goal line situations. And Choice can be thrown into any package and turn himself into a valuable weapon. If they would run the ball more frequently, it would keep pressure off of Romo, which would help cut down on interceptions. It would also help drain the clock and keep the opposing offense off the field, which in turn keeps the defense healthier and more energized. And a more energized defense will keep the opposition from putting points on the board. Until Garrett and Phillips decide to run the ball more often, their unbalanced offense will continue to sputter and points will come at a minimum. It has become too simple for the opponents to realize that if they shut down the Cowboys' passing attack, they will win the game. This has to change, starting tonight against New York, in what is the most important game of the season.
Their Monday night battle with the G-Men will be the biggest test of this young season for Dallas. A win keeps them within 2 games of first place and revives a lost season. But a loss will virtually end their season before the half-way point, and leave the fans begging for answers. It could even cost Wade Phillips his job. The Giants are coming off of a season where they swept the Cowboys for the first time since 2004. New York enters on a 3 game winning streak and boasts the best defense in the NFC, allowing only 264.8 yards per game. A win tonight would make them NFC favorites and give them sole possession of the East. The Cowboys look to save their season and prevent their worst start in 21 seasons (1989). That season saw them start 0-8, and ended with a 1-15 record. Although this season won't end with that same horrid record, it could go down as the most disapponting and wasted year in franchise history. Tonight has to be the night where the season begins it's turnaround. But maybe this season's script has a few surprises in store. What appears to be a heartbreaking story could turn into a story for the ages. But in order to make that a reality, the cast will be forced to make the necessary changes and adjustments to prove the early season expectations correct. Their season is on the brink...we can only hope that when the clock strikes zero tonight, it won't be doing the same on their entire season.
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