Dallas Cowboys' only goal is Super Bowl
The Dallas Morning News
Jul. 20--IRVING -- On a steamy early June day, Jason Witten stood inside the Stadium Club at Texas Stadium for an NFL promotion when it came to him.
It was his first trip to the Cowboys' home since their disheartening loss to the New York Giants in the playoffs in January.
"It just kind of hit me, like, 'Man, we let it slip away,' " Witten said.
This off-season, the Cowboys have dealt with the mental scars of not only losing to the Giants, a team they beat twice in the 2007 regular season, but also seeing them win Super Bowl XLII.
On Thursday, the Cowboys fly to Oxnard, Calif., for the opening of training camp. But their attempt to erase the end of last season actually began in March, when the off-season conditioning program began, and carried through the organized team activities to the mandatory minicamp that ended June 19 with a family cookout.
"The Giants were last year's champs," coach Wade Phillips said. "We're trying to be this year's champs."
The Cowboys carry with them the burden of expectations -- that's what happens when you go 13-3, send 13 players to the Pro Bowl and seemingly bolster the roster with moves in the off-season -- and a motto: finish.
Finish practices. Finish plays. Finish games. Finish the season.
The Cowboys hope they finish in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., for Super Bowl XLIII.
"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."
Owner and general manager Jerry Jones has done his part.
He made offensive coordinator Jason Garrett the highest-paid assistant coach in the NFL. He picked up linebacker Zach Thomas not only for Thomas' presence but also for his playmaking ability. He made a low-money but high-risk move in trading with Tennessee for cornerback Adam Jones. He re-signed five 2007 Pro Bowlers -- left tackle Flozell Adams, cornerback Terence Newman, running back Marion Barber, safety Ken Hamlin and wide receiver Terrell Owens -- with signing bonuses totaling $58.9 million.
"It's kind of bad, actually, because we haven't won that ring in a while and he's dished out this money," Newman said. "Now we've got a little bit of pressure to go out and make it to the Super Bowl and win it."
The Cowboys have not won a Super Bowl since beating Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XXX. They haven't won a playoff game since 1996. So should this team be talking Super Bowl or bust?
They say it's largely unavoidable and they're just answering the questions posed to them, but their thoughts are in line with what fans think, too.
"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. It's back to like when I was young, watching Michael [Irvin], Emmitt [Smith] and Troy [Aikman]. That's what it was, NFC championships and Super Bowls."
In Jerry Jones' first seven seasons as owner and general manager, the Cowboys won three Super Bowls with a team that largely grew together while adding valuable players such as Charles Haley, Ray Donaldson and Deion Sanders through trades and free agency.
The 2008 Cowboys have largely grown together while adding valuable players such as Leonard Davis, Hamlin, Owens, Adam Jones and Thomas through trades and free agency.
"Jerry as an owner is committed, but as a general manager, he's trying to get players," Phillips said. "That's what he's done. My job is to get the players to play well, and it's up to them to play well. Coaching is part of it, and certainly the players have a big part of it."
In 2004, Pittsburgh rolled through the regular season 15-1 but lost the AFC Championship Game to New England. A year later, the Steelers won Super Bowl XL. In 2005, Indianapolis was upset by Pittsburgh as the AFC's top seed but came back the following season to beat Chicago in Super Bowl XLI.
Philadelphia lost as the NFC's top seed in 2002 and '03 before getting to Super Bowl XXXIX, though the Eagles lost to the Patriots.
The Cowboys, last season's top seed in the NFC, are hoping they can finish this time.
"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 na����ve 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."
Taking the next step
The Cowboys were the NFC's top seed last season but were beaten in the divisional round of the playoffs. Of the 19 No. 1 seeds that didn't make it to the Super Bowl in the previous seasons, more failed to reach the playoffs the following season than won the championship:
SAN FRANCISCO Year Rec. Finish1987 13-2 Lost to Minnesota in divisional playoffs, 36-241988 10-6 Won Super Bowl XXIII by beating Cincinnati, 20-16
DENVER Year Rec. Finish1996 13-3 Lost to Jacksonville in divisional playoffs, 30-271997 12-4 Won Super Bowl XXXII by beating Green Bay, 31-24
PITTSBURGH Year Rec. Finish2004 15-1 Lost to New England in AFC Championship Game, 41-272005 11-5 Won Super Bowl XL by beating Seattle, 21-10
INDIANAPOLIS Year Rec. Finish2005 14-2 Lost to Pittsburgh in divisional playoffs, 21-182006 12-4 Won Super Bowl XLI by beating Chicago, 29-17
Jul. 20--IRVING -- On a steamy early June day, Jason Witten stood inside the Stadium Club at Texas Stadium for an NFL promotion when it came to him.
It was his first trip to the Cowboys' home since their disheartening loss to the New York Giants in the playoffs in January.
"It just kind of hit me, like, 'Man, we let it slip away,' " Witten said.
This off-season, the Cowboys have dealt with the mental scars of not only losing to the Giants, a team they beat twice in the 2007 regular season, but also seeing them win Super Bowl XLII.
On Thursday, the Cowboys fly to Oxnard, Calif., for the opening of training camp. But their attempt to erase the end of last season actually began in March, when the off-season conditioning program began, and carried through the organized team activities to the mandatory minicamp that ended June 19 with a family cookout.
"The Giants were last year's champs," coach Wade Phillips said. "We're trying to be this year's champs."
The Cowboys carry with them the burden of expectations -- that's what happens when you go 13-3, send 13 players to the Pro Bowl and seemingly bolster the roster with moves in the off-season -- and a motto: finish.
Finish practices. Finish plays. Finish games. Finish the season.
The Cowboys hope they finish in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., for Super Bowl XLIII.
"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."
Owner and general manager Jerry Jones has done his part.
He made offensive coordinator Jason Garrett the highest-paid assistant coach in the NFL. He picked up linebacker Zach Thomas not only for Thomas' presence but also for his playmaking ability. He made a low-money but high-risk move in trading with Tennessee for cornerback Adam Jones. He re-signed five 2007 Pro Bowlers -- left tackle Flozell Adams, cornerback Terence Newman, running back Marion Barber, safety Ken Hamlin and wide receiver Terrell Owens -- with signing bonuses totaling $58.9 million.
"It's kind of bad, actually, because we haven't won that ring in a while and he's dished out this money," Newman said. "Now we've got a little bit of pressure to go out and make it to the Super Bowl and win it."
The Cowboys have not won a Super Bowl since beating Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XXX. They haven't won a playoff game since 1996. So should this team be talking Super Bowl or bust?
They say it's largely unavoidable and they're just answering the questions posed to them, but their thoughts are in line with what fans think, too.
"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. It's back to like when I was young, watching Michael [Irvin], Emmitt [Smith] and Troy [Aikman]. That's what it was, NFC championships and Super Bowls."
In Jerry Jones' first seven seasons as owner and general manager, the Cowboys won three Super Bowls with a team that largely grew together while adding valuable players such as Charles Haley, Ray Donaldson and Deion Sanders through trades and free agency.
The 2008 Cowboys have largely grown together while adding valuable players such as Leonard Davis, Hamlin, Owens, Adam Jones and Thomas through trades and free agency.
"Jerry as an owner is committed, but as a general manager, he's trying to get players," Phillips said. "That's what he's done. My job is to get the players to play well, and it's up to them to play well. Coaching is part of it, and certainly the players have a big part of it."
In 2004, Pittsburgh rolled through the regular season 15-1 but lost the AFC Championship Game to New England. A year later, the Steelers won Super Bowl XL. In 2005, Indianapolis was upset by Pittsburgh as the AFC's top seed but came back the following season to beat Chicago in Super Bowl XLI.
Philadelphia lost as the NFC's top seed in 2002 and '03 before getting to Super Bowl XXXIX, though the Eagles lost to the Patriots.
The Cowboys, last season's top seed in the NFC, are hoping they can finish this time.
"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 na����ve 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."
Taking the next step
The Cowboys were the NFC's top seed last season but were beaten in the divisional round of the playoffs. Of the 19 No. 1 seeds that didn't make it to the Super Bowl in the previous seasons, more failed to reach the playoffs the following season than won the championship:
SAN FRANCISCO Year Rec. Finish1987 13-2 Lost to Minnesota in divisional playoffs, 36-241988 10-6 Won Super Bowl XXIII by beating Cincinnati, 20-16
DENVER Year Rec. Finish1996 13-3 Lost to Jacksonville in divisional playoffs, 30-271997 12-4 Won Super Bowl XXXII by beating Green Bay, 31-24
PITTSBURGH Year Rec. Finish2004 15-1 Lost to New England in AFC Championship Game, 41-272005 11-5 Won Super Bowl XL by beating Seattle, 21-10
INDIANAPOLIS Year Rec. Finish2005 14-2 Lost to Pittsburgh in divisional playoffs, 21-182006 12-4 Won Super Bowl XLI by beating Chicago, 29-17
posted by The Gryphon at 10:24 AM
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