2009 Cowboy Expectations
by Ryan Metcalf
The Dallas Cowboys have certainly made some moves this offseason; many are because of salary dumps, and others were made in order to play team football.
It appears the Cowboys have finally agreed to go along with history. More teams win Super Bowls because of team players and not star power. That change of philosophy means expectations are high, once again, heading into the 2009 season.
I could go on and on about the Cowboys defense, since the Cowboys lost a good amount of their players due to free agency. The truth is that the defense should still be equally as good because the stronger players are still in Dallas.
The Cowboys are still going to get the sacks led by DeMarcus Ware. They led the league in sacks last year with a total of 59, that’s an average of at least three sacks a game. The nearest team with that many sacks was the Steelers with 51. The Cowboys will most likely lead the league again by a good amount.
The secondary may appear to be a little weak, but in reality it’s probably average. Last year, the Cowboys had various injury problems to deal with. Terrence Newman was only able to play in 10 games last year. Now that Roy Williams is gone, the Cowboys have some options. Williams has been struggling playing in a new version of the NFL where safeties have to cover receivers and he is really a big hitter anyway. The NFL even made a rule in response to Williams’s horse collar techniques.
Even with an average secondary the defense will be a force in the NFL. It will be among the best in the league because the linebackers and lineman will make up for the average secondary. It’s because of the defense why expectations remain high in Big D.
The real unknown will be with the offense.
Quarterback Tony Romo will have to spread the ball around to make the offense work. Terrell Owens was a huge part of the offense in Dallas, but he’s now gone.
Owens moved the ball a lot himself. He even drew double teams making other receivers open. Romo also threw the ball to Owens a majority of the time. It’s not reflected in most statistics because Owens didn’t catch all the passes. The Cowboys will have to adapt their strategy.
A question mark remains about Roy Williams who the Cowboys acquired for a 2009 first round draft pick. All the Cowboys got in return was a player who recorded one touchdown and under 200 yards receiving. Williams is capable of putting up Owens like numbers, but he has not shown it yet.
After Williams and Jason Witten, the Cowboys receiving core is a little above average. The difference is that the Cowboys have more of those slightly above average receivers than most teams. Patrick Crayton, Miles Austin, and Martellus Bennett are all capable of big games, but not every week. The majority of the time they will be covered.
The Cowboys believe Romo will be able to spread the ball around and Williams will make Cowboy fans forget about Owens. If Romo and Williams fail, those high expectations will turn into a playoff run at best. There will be no Super Bowl yet again for America’s team.
The Dallas Cowboys have certainly made some moves this offseason; many are because of salary dumps, and others were made in order to play team football.
It appears the Cowboys have finally agreed to go along with history. More teams win Super Bowls because of team players and not star power. That change of philosophy means expectations are high, once again, heading into the 2009 season.
I could go on and on about the Cowboys defense, since the Cowboys lost a good amount of their players due to free agency. The truth is that the defense should still be equally as good because the stronger players are still in Dallas.
The Cowboys are still going to get the sacks led by DeMarcus Ware. They led the league in sacks last year with a total of 59, that’s an average of at least three sacks a game. The nearest team with that many sacks was the Steelers with 51. The Cowboys will most likely lead the league again by a good amount.
The secondary may appear to be a little weak, but in reality it’s probably average. Last year, the Cowboys had various injury problems to deal with. Terrence Newman was only able to play in 10 games last year. Now that Roy Williams is gone, the Cowboys have some options. Williams has been struggling playing in a new version of the NFL where safeties have to cover receivers and he is really a big hitter anyway. The NFL even made a rule in response to Williams’s horse collar techniques.
Even with an average secondary the defense will be a force in the NFL. It will be among the best in the league because the linebackers and lineman will make up for the average secondary. It’s because of the defense why expectations remain high in Big D.
The real unknown will be with the offense.
Quarterback Tony Romo will have to spread the ball around to make the offense work. Terrell Owens was a huge part of the offense in Dallas, but he’s now gone.
Owens moved the ball a lot himself. He even drew double teams making other receivers open. Romo also threw the ball to Owens a majority of the time. It’s not reflected in most statistics because Owens didn’t catch all the passes. The Cowboys will have to adapt their strategy.
A question mark remains about Roy Williams who the Cowboys acquired for a 2009 first round draft pick. All the Cowboys got in return was a player who recorded one touchdown and under 200 yards receiving. Williams is capable of putting up Owens like numbers, but he has not shown it yet.
After Williams and Jason Witten, the Cowboys receiving core is a little above average. The difference is that the Cowboys have more of those slightly above average receivers than most teams. Patrick Crayton, Miles Austin, and Martellus Bennett are all capable of big games, but not every week. The majority of the time they will be covered.
The Cowboys believe Romo will be able to spread the ball around and Williams will make Cowboy fans forget about Owens. If Romo and Williams fail, those high expectations will turn into a playoff run at best. There will be no Super Bowl yet again for America’s team.
posted by The Gryphon at 8:20 PM
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