Three keys to Cowboys success
LOUIS DeLUCA / DMN
Can quarterback Tony Romo click with new offensive coordinator Jason Garrett?
Just how successful will the Cowboys be this season? A lot will depend on three crucial questions – all of which must have positive answers for the Cowboys to be contenders – writes
This is the time of year when my inbox gets flooded with e-mails because people have questions about the Cowboys they want answered.
Optimism reigns and fans want to get some insight on how the Cowboys will fare this season. With that in mind, here are three questions that must be answered positively for the Cowboys to be a legitimate contender this season:
How good will Jason Garrett be in his first season as an offensive coordinator? This is the single-most important question to me because we have no idea. That doesn't mean he'll be great or terrible. It just means we have no idea what Garrett will do. He must perform because the Cowboys let the rest of the league pick apart an offensive staff with a unit that averaged 26.4 points per game. We certainly can't judge him based on the raggedy quarterback play at Miami last year. We know Tony Sparano did a nice job of calling plays last season. We're about to find out if Garrett can match him. Tony Romo's fate rests on it.
Will Roy Williams play close to the line of scrimmage all season? When we look back at his career, maybe Wade Phillips will do for Williams what Norv Turner did for Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin. The Cowboys have been talking about playing Williams near the line of scrimmage for each of the last four seasons and haven't done it. This is the year that changes. Phillips is committed to making Williams a difference-maker, and aligning him near the line of scrimmage will let him do that. Then Williams can make the type of instinctive big plays that made him the eighth player selected in the 2002 draft.
Will T.O. makes fans cheer or boo this season? Call me crazy, but I think T.O. is going to have a huge year. I think he'll benefit from Phillips' approach, a good relationship with receivers coach Ray Sherman and Garrett's emphasis on getting him the ball. T.O. is a rhythm player and there is every indication that he will be the focal point of the offense. T.O. does some silly stuff off the field and he needs to learn the offense and stay awake in meetings, but he has a lot of pride and I don't think he was happy with last season.
Can quarterback Tony Romo click with new offensive coordinator Jason Garrett?
Just how successful will the Cowboys be this season? A lot will depend on three crucial questions – all of which must have positive answers for the Cowboys to be contenders – writes
This is the time of year when my inbox gets flooded with e-mails because people have questions about the Cowboys they want answered.
Optimism reigns and fans want to get some insight on how the Cowboys will fare this season. With that in mind, here are three questions that must be answered positively for the Cowboys to be a legitimate contender this season:
How good will Jason Garrett be in his first season as an offensive coordinator? This is the single-most important question to me because we have no idea. That doesn't mean he'll be great or terrible. It just means we have no idea what Garrett will do. He must perform because the Cowboys let the rest of the league pick apart an offensive staff with a unit that averaged 26.4 points per game. We certainly can't judge him based on the raggedy quarterback play at Miami last year. We know Tony Sparano did a nice job of calling plays last season. We're about to find out if Garrett can match him. Tony Romo's fate rests on it.
Will Roy Williams play close to the line of scrimmage all season? When we look back at his career, maybe Wade Phillips will do for Williams what Norv Turner did for Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin. The Cowboys have been talking about playing Williams near the line of scrimmage for each of the last four seasons and haven't done it. This is the year that changes. Phillips is committed to making Williams a difference-maker, and aligning him near the line of scrimmage will let him do that. Then Williams can make the type of instinctive big plays that made him the eighth player selected in the 2002 draft.
Will T.O. makes fans cheer or boo this season? Call me crazy, but I think T.O. is going to have a huge year. I think he'll benefit from Phillips' approach, a good relationship with receivers coach Ray Sherman and Garrett's emphasis on getting him the ball. T.O. is a rhythm player and there is every indication that he will be the focal point of the offense. T.O. does some silly stuff off the field and he needs to learn the offense and stay awake in meetings, but he has a lot of pride and I don't think he was happy with last season.
posted by The Gryphon at 8:46 PM
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