SB Nation User Blog: 5Blings

Winnie's Final Four

5Blings — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 01:16:22 -0000

First, let me be sure to throw Tony Romo some love over his outstanding performance against the Giants. He clearly outplayed his counterpart, Eli Manning. He stood tall in the pocket and delivered the ball more accurately than he has in a month. Unfortunately, his team let him down on Defense and Special Teams.

Okay, so now for the post.

This game will remind some of last year’s loss to Baltimore. They’ll say the defense clearly wasn’t up to the task and that they couldn’t cover Steve Smith in the middle of the field OVER and OVER and OVER in the first half. They’ll point to the long catch and run by Brandon Jacobs in the 2nd half. They’ll say those inside runs by Jacobs and bounces to the outside by Bradshaw were our downfall.

I disagree.

This was not the same thing as seeing LeRon McClain running through gaping holes against a tired, run down Dallas defense last year. No, this was just getting outcoached, out-prepared and (no surprise) outplayed.

These New York Giants played a desperate football game in the trenches and Dallas wasn’t able to match their intensity in terms of how they defended the middle of the field with Steve Smith and suffered another abysmal performance by the defensive line in key situations. In basketball, you look for the team who is diving for loose balls. In baseball, you look at who is taking out the 2nd baseman to break up the double play. This defense, and this team, just doesn’t know how to do that. It’s not in their DNA because finesse coaches like the ones on our staff just don’t coach that way.

The Offense, with its key fumble, and the Special Teams with their major flub against Hixon didn’t do the team any favors either. More examples of a fragmented team coached by a fragmented staff.

Let’s face it; we got beaten by a better-coached and better-prepared team. And that, my fellow Cowboys fans, is the reason this team is so limited in terms of what it CAN accomplish.

But for me, there is light at the end of the tunnel…

I believe we are witnessing the final run for Winnie the Coach. The final 4 games of another torturous run of undermined, gutless coaching staffs with absolutely zero cohesiveness. I’ve always been a fan of Wade the Defensive Coordinator, but never of Winnie the Head Coach. This team has been as soft as his oversized belly since the day he held his first training camp practice that involved 1 hour of stretching and 45 minutes of actual drills and game simulation.

I can see a new HC, a new set of coordinators and a new attitude for next year.

I don’t know who our next Head Coach is going to be. It could be another Dave Campo hire. It could be a retread like Gruden or Shanahan. It could be another college coach where Jerry tries to conjure up a Jimmy-esque type of magic one more time. Regardless, I don’t like Winnie. He does not represent the kind of football I want my Cowboys to play and if I have to endure another 9-7 (or worse) ending to see us take the next step, so be it.

So while I am certainly not phoning in the last 4 games of the season, I am realistic about our chances and I think this team’s window is still wide open. Now we need the right leader to help us take advantage of that window and get to the next level where Dallas wins games like these because WE are the better-coached and better-prepared team.

GO COWBOYS

Why a Win is Not a Win

5Blings — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:54:56 -0000

For the sake of full disclosure, I am chuckling as I write this, only because I know how many Cowboys fans think a Win truly IS a Win. Then there’s the rest of us, who came away sick from watching Dallas play like an also-ran. So we played a rivalry game against an overmatched foe and eeked out a win with 7 points. That’s 7 total points.

So, in keeping with my so-called role on BTB, I’ll take a contrarian perspective, partly for the sake of argument and largely for the sake of truth.

But just so I don’t get misinterpreted, let me play the Oreo game of professional feedback. Two positives surrounding the negative.

The defense played an outstanding game yesterday. In fact, it wasn’t since the Tampa Bay game last year that I felt the defense just refused to allow their opponent to win this game. During the game thread, I saw people posting things like “why can’t the D just stop them?” and “the D is putting the offense in terrible positions”. Come on, you know who you are...

The defense gets the game ball (yes, there is only one) for the game.

On the other hand (notice I didn’t say “having said that” for all you ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ fans), the offense had another horrible outing. The argument about coaching, play calling, personnel packages, talent levels and execution rages on, but that’s not the point. The point is that, offensively, they stink like poo.

During the game thread, I made note of Romo’s footwork and mechanics having broken down and having become Jake Plummer-esque in his inability to get comfortable in the pocket. His arm-only tosses consistently sail high, mainly because it is the QB’s ability to step into a throw and finish with their passing arm fully extended and with their thumb pointed down that keeps the release point where it needs to be on any given pass. Romo has to play better and with more consistency.

I also made mention of the O-line’s trouble with A-gap rushers (again) early in the game, which made Romo even more uncomfortable. In the off season, I wrote a post about Hudson Houck and how he could be Dallas’ hero, returning the O-line’s play to top-5 status in the NFL. Thus far, Hud has been more zero than hero.

Garrett has been roundly criticized for his play calling. Much of it is warranted, IMO. The WR’s have been criticized supposedly for not getting open. Much of it is warranted, IMO. The RB production has tapered off mightily since the first few weeks and Felix Jones looks like the third best back of the famed trio (he, Chris Johnson and Rashard Mendenhall) that came from the draft 2 years ago. Again, warranted IMO.

But here is what gives me some hope…

During the Bye week, Dallas regrouped as a team. They came out of the Bye with a bit more urgency and efficiency. They got to the line more quickly and gave Romo time to identify the gaps in the defense and make his calls at the line. The defense was also improved out of the bye in that the DB’s made fewer mental breakdowns than the ones they had been making (thoughts of the Giants and the Chiefs games come to mind) and reduced the front seven’s silly penalties like lining up in the neutral zone or umpteen consecutive encroachments.

Who is to say they can’t do the same thing when they have a 10-day respite after the Raider game? Every year, Dallas has a chance to reinvent itself during the Bye week and they’ve failed to do so…until this year, where they surged out of the Bye with a 3-game win streak where they beat two solid teams. So again, why not this year?

In the end, the biggest concern going into the December stretch run is the lack of offense. If Dallas can’t control the time of possession, move the ball downfield and score points, the defense will suffer badly as they play high-flying offenses like New Orleans, San Diego and Philadelphia (who likes to score on us in bunches in December).

Dallas can’t allow their season to hinge on more Shaun Suisham missed chip shots in December because Lawrence Tynes won’t miss them. Drew Brees won’t misfire like Jason Campbell. Vincent Jackson won’t drop the ball like Devin Thomas. Andy Reid won’t coach stupid like Jim Zorn.

Would I rather we lost? Of course not. I point that out because, invariably, those comments will come pouring onto this thread if I don’t. So please direct that kind of comment toward someone else’s post about benching this player/that player or someone who posts about our season being over. It’s not over. Anything can happen. But let me be clear, to any fan who has the same aspirations for Dallas that I have, yesterday’s game should have felt like a loss. Outside of a stellar defensive effort, there’s not much to be happy with from that performance. My biggest worry is that the coaching staff approaches the outcome with less than adequate fire in their bellies around what needs to change across the board to get where they need to go (remember Wade’s comments when they had a 1st round Bye?).

And yet, a win is a win if you’re Detroit. I was glad to see the Lions overcome huge adversity and roar back to win an exciting game yesterday. But their win should be placed in a DIFFERENT context than ours because of what their team aspirations are. Any win is big for Detroit right now. They were 0-16 last year! We, on the other hand, have to overcome the historical propensity to fold up in December like a baby stroller. We want, no, we need a Super Bowl win.

To do that, we have to play better. We have to win better.

GO COWBOYS!

Chill Pills Dispensed Here

5Blings — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:54:51 -0000

Okay, brace yourselves, because I am going to chastise some of you. In my opinion, it is well deserved.

Looking at the titles of the posts coming off of the win against the Eagles, it is typical of many Dallas fans to come scurrying out of the woodwork after a big win to write posts about the future being so bright that they have to wear shades.

Here’s a sampling;

A good problem to have: no major draft needs

Playoff Chances: Week 9

Rogers does not survive this game...

We've only begun to fight, and we've got secret weapons

And if you believe the whole Tony Romo is such and such in November, the ‘Miles Austin has arrived’ and all the other garbage that surrounded last week’s win, then you don’t know the Dallas cowboys like I know the Dallas Cowboys. Having watched them now for 4 decades, I spend a lot of time thinking about the mental toughness and sacrifice needed to be a champion at anything and how you can almost see the grit and determination in the teams that won Super Bowls, the Companies that were successful in a competitive marketplace and the individuals who accomplished more than their social station would lead you to believe. It is palpable.

Look, I’m not going to make too much of this loss. Dallas was emotionally flat coming off of that game at the Linc last week. But it does confuse me when many of the same people who write and post on BTB (after a win like that) start raving about how we’ll be 9-2 and rolling into the playoffs and how this team is different only to see them then turn around and bitch and whine like wet cats when Dallas does what it has characteristically done in the Winnie era (and really, in the post-Jimmy era).

Teams and organizations emulate their leaders and Dallas still lacks the very businesslike approach to the game of football that is required to make it to the top. Dallas lacks that kind of leader in its head coach and in its GM. Teams that win consistently have a will and determination to never be comfortable, to never drink their own bath water or believe their own press clippings. In fact, they should never believe what gets posted by many fans on here who would have them believe they are better than they are or that they have turned a proverbial corner. Dallas cannot be viewed as one of those teams until they BECOME one of those teams.

This game will either be a wake up call for Dallas or the beginning of a difficult slide through a tough back end of the schedule. Before everyone swings to the other side of the pendulum and says the end is near, let’s all just calm down. Whatever you do, don’t overplay this loss and by the same token, try to refrain from giving out any Lombardi’s or MVP’s until we see more of the season play out.

GO COWBOYS!

Dallas’ "Knockout" Player

5Blings — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:12:11 -0000

There are plenty of “Atta Boy’s” to go around after this win.

Spencer, Sensei, Ratliff, Ware, Jenkins, T-New, Roy Willie (yes, him!), Barber, Romo (and others I’m sure I have missed) all deserve one for the game.

In fact, I attribute the victory more to the play of the defense than anything else. That said, I’m not going to drone on about all of them. It was a good team win where, as I suggested would have to be the case, Dallas needed to show uncommon toughness and grit. They did just that.

But let me make sure we don’t overlook one who might be the real ‘unsung hero’ of this football game, Kevin Ogletree. Maybe it was me, but on two key 3rd and long plays in the game, Ogletree was the guy with the ball in his hands making smart decisions in terms of getting behind blockers and knowing where the marker was.

The first play, a 3rd and 9 at the Philadelphia 23 was a play that would eventually be uber-meaningful as the game wore on. Against another variation of an A-gap blitz, Ogletree caught the ball cleanly on a WR screen, ran toward the hash and then turned it up field. 21 yards later, the Eagles were staring at Dallas, first and goal from the 2. It was the difference between a Nick folk FG attempt and a Tashard Choice TD out of the wildcat formation.

Then, on 3rd and 14 at the Philly 21, there was Ogletree again sprinting up field for 17 yards and a first down and goal at the 4 yard line. While Dallas couldn’t punch it in, the ensuing chip shot from Folk put Dallas up by 4 points at halftime of a 10-6 game.

By the way, the final margin of victory? Those same 4 points. I’m just sayin…

He was targeted 2 times in the game and both came up big for Dallas. One could easily make an argument that he should get more reps with the first string because this is a league that thrives on speed at the edge (heck Philly’s recent success is predicated on it). Last night, under the bright lights in a meaningful game, his speed was evident. The topic came up between Bigrigga and I last week about our oversized small-forwards masquerading as WR’s and how Romo needed some smaller, quicker targets with which to beat the blitz. Who knew Novinger and I were so prophetic?

So, here’s one fan’s vote for more “K-O” (my new nickname for him…I hope it sticks) because as we head into a difficult second half of the season, we’ll need to knock some teams out and I know the guy that can do it.

GO COWBOYS

Why The Eagles Game Is Not About Romo

5Blings — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:07:28 -0000

I know.

He's the bus driver. He's the guy that makes or breaks the team. He's the guy everyone looks to when the chips are down and the game is on the line.

But this upcoming game is not about Tony Romo. I’m not suggesting that Romo won’t lay an egg and cause the team to lose any more than I’m suggesting that he’ll turn in a Joe Montana-esque performance and lead the team to victory. Either or neither could happen.

It’s not about any of that. At least not in this game. You see, the wounds, my wounds, haven’t healed. The pain is still too fresh in my mind. I remember what it was like to watch every God-forsaken moment of that so-called football game last December when the Dallas Cowboys quit. Dallas didn’t just lose the game 44-6; they lost a whole lot more. It was clear (at least to me) at that time that Winnie the Coach had lost his locker room. It was clear the Cowboys had lost not only the game, but they had lost their way as well.

The post-game and post-season spins were focused on how there were too many divisive forces in the locker room which subsequently led to a housecleaning. As Jerry and Stephen “disinfected” the locker room and added players like Brooking and Olshansky and coaches like DeCamilis, there was the overarching implication that what happened against the Eagles on national TV would NEVER happen again. Not with these guys. Not with this locker room.

Well here we are, nearly a year later, and once again, Dallas goes to Lincoln Financial Field with a lot riding on the game. Once again, national TV. Once again, facing their nemesis, Andy Reid. Once again, into the breach.

So this game isn’t about Tony Romo. He’s the under card, not the main event. This game is a chance for the defense to shut down the Eagles’ explosive deep passing game and stuff LeSean McCoy’s inside runs. It’s a chance for Hudson Houck’s guys to open up some holes and stifle the myriad of blitzes that will surely come. It’s a chance for Special Teams to make a game-changing play or two. This game is a chance for all Cowboys fans to see whether or not the Jones Boys’ strategy paid off. This game is THE litmus test for all of the off season changes. They dumped T.O. and Ellis and Tank and Roy W (the SS). They put their faith in Miles Austin (and Roy). They kept Winnie AND Jason. What did that buy us?

The Eagles’ strategy is the same as every other contender when playing Dallas – punch the Cowboys in the mouth and see if they have the stones to hit you back as hard or harder. I’m not in the business of prognosticating these games, and frankly, I don’t know what to think of this one. I’m scared, I’m hopeful, I’m…excited.

And so, with apologies to those who think the planets revolve around Tony Romo, I won’t be watching him as intently as I usually do. Truly, if we lose this game 13-10 in a slugfest, I won’t be happy, but I’ll be able to rip the bandages off of last year’s deep cuts. This is most likely the first true test of the 2009 Dallas Cowboys’ new locker room. I know you’re supposed to focus on your next game and forget what happened last week, to say nothing of what happened last season. But for me…it still stings, and I bet I’m not alone. The Cowboys just need to go out and execute the game plan and play a solid physical game to make me believe that things have changed.

GO COWBOYS

Maintaining ROMOmentum

5Blings — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:43:07 -0000

People have called this Sunday's game against Seattle anything from a potential blowout to a trap game. But for me, it's not about that at all. No sir, I'm sitting here wondering what is going through Tony Romo's head right now as he gets ready to face the team that represents one of the defining moments in Tony's relatively short career.

Since this will be my first visit to Dallas to see a game in the new stadium (I got great seats, so look for me on TV with my Romo jersey on!), you have to wonder what he'll be thinking as he looks across the field and sees many of the same faces that were there when Romo led Dallas down the field toward a playoff-game-winning chip shot field goal try, only to become a national media goat for mishandling the snap.

Last Sunday's game, by all accounts, was simply one of Romo's best in his career. It came on the heels of a bye week in which Romo suffered more zings from the sports media than at any time prior. But in that game, Romo wasn't just good, he was masterful and he upstaged a QB whose been called the best young QB to come out of college in some time. In so doing, he turned the tables on the national media, if only for the moment, and gave them pause as they were forced to re-think their assessments of him.

This weekend, Romo has another golden opportunity to exorcise some of the demons of his past. Another week of good decisions, accurate throws and field leadership could do wonders for him both emotionally and in terms of whatever legacy he leaves once his playing days are over. Also, don't think that people aren't deriding his lack of consistency and expecting his play to regress to what we saw in the Giants game.

Some would say, "he's already forgotten about that game" or "he's moved on" but I wouldn't be so sure. If you've played sports at high levels before, then you know that there are some psychological associations that are more difficult to break than others. Ask Troy Aikman about his games against Rodney Peete at UCLA (hint: I have).

In fact, Romo should have a huge chip on his shoulder going into this game. He should hold the Seattle Seahawks partially accountable for him not having reached the top of the proverbial mountain and then take it out on them with a surgical dismemberment of their defense. While he, like any QB, won't ever fully be validated until he leads his team to a Super Bowl victory, this game...THIS GAME should be a personal watershed moment in Tony Romo's career as he leaves all of what happened on that fateful day against the Seahawks in his rear view mirror.

I know we'll all be rooting hard for him.

GO COWBOYS

Making a Statement

5Blings — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:33:05 -0000

It was truly heartwarming for me to watch Dallas defeat the Atlanta falcons in the way they did on Sunday. Not because it is any more meaningful than a win against any other team outside the division, but because of the WAY they won.

First, some players made statements. First and foremost, Keith Brooking made a statement. I’ve never in my years of watching football seen a free agent signee, in their first year on a new team, become THE leader on either offense or defense…until now. Brooking is now the face of the Dallas Cowboys defense (apologies to DeMarcus, Bradie and Rat) and he is exactly the type of fierce competitor and passionate player this defense needed. Miles Austin made a statement. He’s now on the national radar as more than just a one-game wonder. He’s big, fast and strong but has nothing but the best attitude and it is good to see that from a wide receiver. Gerald Sensebaugh made a statement. Immobilized thumb and all, he showed yesterday why the Cowboys signed him. Tony Gonzalez was a no-show in that game, due in large part to him. Even Patrick Crayton, whose star has fallen more so than any other Cowboy in recent memory, made the play that turned the game from contested into a rousing victory. He made a statement. Most of all, Tony Romo made a statement. On a stage in which he was pitted against an opposing QB who had is being mentioned in the same sentences with Peyton, Brady and Big Ben, yesterday was Tony Romo’s day. Despite the O-line’s continued trouble handling the blitz, Romo made good choices with the football, taking sacks and protecting the ball instead of turning the ball over. Romo was more accurate than at any time in his last nine regular season games and, aside from not clicking at all with Roy Williams, he played a terrific game.

It wasn’t just players who made a statement. Jason Garrett made a statement. He rediscovered Martellus Bennett as a receiver. He didn’t abandon the run. He put the running backs into the pattern and he had Romo feeling and looking more comfortable than in quite some time with the play calling. Joe DeCamilis made a statement. Aside from the TD by Crayton, the coverage was solid on punts and kicks. McBriar’s directional kicking was error-free, Buehler’s kicks were deep and Nick Folk was dead center. At the top of the list, though, was Wade Phillips (the DC) who made a statement. The pressure on the QB was the best in 6 games and players seemed to know (except for that TD by Weems) where to be and what to do. Save for the first drive of the game, the defense controlled the tempo of the game and kept Matt Ryan on his heels all day.

The real question…

Did the Dallas Cowboys make a statement to the league that they are a team to be reckoned with going into these ten remaining games? I won’t go that far. We have a tendency as fans to want to see one great game and say, "okay, that’s it, all of our problems are solved". I’m not going to do that, knowing what I already know.

Nonetheless, this was the best Cowboys football I’ve seen played in the Wade Phillips era and it made me remember what it feels like to be a fan of a team that could dominate a highly regarded foe and batter them into submission. The image of this game won’t last forever. We have an underrated Seattle team coming to town next week (note: it will be my first time seeing a game at the new stadium) before a brutal stretch of games against division foes and playoff teams from last year.

Dallas made some kind of statement against Atlanta, and it was a big one on a big stage. The real question is, will we hear it echo down the stretch?

GO COWBOYS

This Team is (still) Mediocre

5Blings — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:51:10 -0000

They just are. I can't say that many of us didn't already think that before the season began, but after 3 games, this is not an elite team, by any stretch of the imagination. It seems the pundits and talking heads at ESPN were right.

Let's start with the Defense, which many (including me) believed the organization was betting the farm on for this season. The shoddy play from Dave Campo's group, coupled with the lack of QB pressure up front, doesn't suggest that the coverage issues over the last several seasons in Dallas were always about the lack of a safety to pair with Pro Bowler Ken Hamlin. The run defense, while much more solid on Monday, has also underperformed. Finally, the off season focus on generating turnovers on the defensive side of the ball has not panned out, at all. The difficult pill to swallow is that Dallas hasn't faced a truly prolific offense like the ones it will see from Philadelphia, New Orleans, San Diego, etc.

On Offense, having seen the horrific first half production in these games along with some of what has become suspect play calling, the team has not been able to overcome the lack of an outside game breaker and generate big plays early in games (I am STILL glad he is gone). Romo's play has not been up to snuff, and his accuracy at times has been awful, but some of his poor play could be attributed to the fact that he doesn't have the downfield threat of prior years. One bright spot on offense has been the play of the offensive line. Hudson Houck's group has done a very fine job in both blocking phases of the game. Unfortunately, Marion Barber's injury has forced FJ and TC to pick up blitzers and they haven't been able to consistently neutralize the pressure there.

One thing that really makes me smile is the play of Special Teams. I will be the first to admit that I was unsure of how things might go with Joe D, but so far, so great. Guys are staying disciplined and in their lanes. The returners look like they have a general plan in terms of how to beat the oppoenent's coverage, which suggests they are using film to help them gain an advantage. The tackling on this unit has been better than that displayed on defense (okay, that's not a good thing when you really think about it, but let's celebrate good stuff where we can find it!). What discussion of Specials would be complete without a mention of Ferris? David Buehler has lengthened the field for opposing offenses and they owe him a debt of gratitude. All in all, Joe D has made a huge difference.

My real beef with this team is that they haven't shown a competitive fire and or an identity that can carry them through a long hard slog of a 16 game season. Anecdotally, it 'feels' like they still don't have a common vision or know who they are. I have to point my finger at the Coaching staff. Winnie, Jason and the others have not distinguished themselves in terms of the team's preparation, situational awareness and overall execution in many key areas. It seems that all of the off season and training camp rhetoric around a change in philosophy doesn't seem to have elevated the team's discipline on the field.

Overall, I see this team being too enamored with their 2 wins against teams they should have easily crushed in the first halves, but did not because of poor offense (and in the case of Tampa, defense too). They continue to be an extension of their Head Coach, who really has no business having that title, and I would bet that their next HC (take your pick from the Holmgren, Shanahan, Gruden deck) will be the kind that will take them to the woodshed for such lackluster perfromances.

Sadly, 8-8 or 9-7 and third place in the East seems reasonable, given who and where we are.

Nevertheless, GO COWBOYS.

Quick Hits on the Tampa Game

5Blings — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:52:19 -0000

On the Plus side...

Special Teams coverage was much improved and David Buehler's net worth to this team increased drapatically after seeing him blast a couple off of the tee.

The 12 alignment works! The double TE set is the Wildcat of 2009. I hope we see more running out of it with Choice and wheel routes to Barber and screens to Felix.

Kudos to the offense for connecting on some big plays when the defense made some huge mmistakes in coverage.

No major injuries. We have to feel good about the fact that there were no Tom Brady-like injuries out there. I almost puked when I saw Ware laying on the ground with the burner.

On the Minus side...

The run defense was putrid. How much is scheme versus just being beaten up by a more aggressive opponent is unknown at this point.

Confusion on offense. Totally unacceptable as far as I am concerned. Bennett was in no-man's land and the entire offensive unit was out of sync.

Romo, despite his gaudy numbers, was generally off. His history of slow starts was again the order of the day. I'd like to think it was opening game jitters, but nothing suggests that this isn't a contiuation of what we've already seen and you just can't do that against the better teams in the league.

No pass rush at all. This one surprised me, but they locked Ware down and that was it for our ability to rush one of the more immobile QB's in the NFL. We didn't do anything exotic with the CB's and safeties. To be fair, the Bucs have one of the better young O-Lines in the NFC.

No turnovers forced by the defense. I truly think the secondary is poised to make some big plays, but without the pass rush of last year, it is all for nothing.

Overall...

If not for some key drops by TB receivers and Dallas' MVP of the day, Sabby Piscatelli, this could have been a different outcome. I'm not feeling good about the Giants game, given their physical dominance of the Redskins. I hope we have a week filled with lots of time in the film room, because we need to open Cowboys Stadium with a victory.

THINGS EVERY COWBOYS FAN SHOULD FEEL GOOD ABOUT

5Blings — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 16:27:51 -0000

You know me. I’m not one to shy away from controversy in the SB Nation blogosphere. I generally won’t hesitate to challenge your paradigms and force you to ‘man up’ when it comes to why you believe what you believe. I’m also probably more inclined – yes, I’ll admit it - to examine some of the not-so-positive aspects of all things Dallas Cowboys, while others (hey, there’s nothing wrong with being a homer, we need homers too!) tell you the future is bright and filled with nothing but 16-0 seasons and Blings this and every year. However, regardless of how some might characterize my rants, I’m no football Scrooge. In fact, as I do every year, I was only too happy to offer up some of the areas that make me puff out my chest when I think about the upcoming season.

It might surprise some, but there are a good many things that Dallas fans should feel good about coming into the 2009 opener. As someone who prides himself on being balanced, I was not going to miss my opportunity to talk about those things. So come on, grab a cold one and let’s consider the big-ticket items that should make all of our fans happy and our adversaries fearful…

All hail the cleaners! Jerry, Stephen and their minions should be applauded for sanitizing the Cowboys locker room. After all, it was pretty clear that there was some mildew around the showers and some crud along the baseboards. The air has been cleared, the new scent is ‘Autumn Romo Springs’ and everything has been laid out for Tony to ascend to the throne and fill the leadership chasm on this team. Distractions? No more Pac, Tank, Ellis and T.O. Nope, they all go bye-bye. To me, this is the most important philosophical change on this team since Deion Sanders came to Dallas. This team is going with guys who subjugate their own multi-million dollar egos to the overall goals of the team. When you couple this with the constant drama around Brett Favre and the zany goings-on in Denver, lots has happened to make Dallas a less appealing source of media fodder. Regardless of how this new ‘team-first’ dogma pans out on the field, isn’t it just great to finally have a roster chock full of guys that you not only like to see play, but that you actually LIKE?

The return of the Flash. Maybe I am making too much of this, maybe I need to calm down, but with T.O. gone, Felix Jones is the one true offensive game breaker on this team. He adds a dimension of electricity and excitement that no other Cowboys star on the offensive side of the ball brings with them. Not since Herschel Walker was here has a Dallas RB had his kind of long speed. Jones is a big play waiting to happen and his presence on the field will force opposing defenses to think twice about overload blitzes because of the price they’ll pay if he can get to the second level. If Redball can find ways to get the ball to Flash in space, we could see lots of him on Sportscenter and some big W’s against tough teams in December.

The brains behind the brawn. Kyle Kosier is back and, for those fans who derided him for being the smallest and weakest of the group (you all know who you are…but you probably won’t admit it), he is obviously the cerebral link on the Dallas Offensive line. Early returns look like the pass protection will be much improved in 2009 over the ‘jailbreak’ that was the abysmal 2008 performance, and that is critical to the team’s ability to conduct a more controlled, methodical attack. As I’ve said before, 2009 is Hudson Houck’s chance to be our hero, but we should also give credit where it is due and I think Kyle Kosier’s real value to this team has become abundantly clear. Welcome back Kyle!

The WB on Fox…huh? Relax, it’s not Warner Brothers, it’s Witten and Bennett. Dallas has what could be the most devastating one-two punch at TE the game has ever seen. With more NFC teams moving to a 3-4 alignment on defense, Telly’s emergence as a potential bookend stud to (the game’s best TE) Jason Witten could revolutionize how teams attack the 3-4 and force opposing Defensive Coordinators to go back to the drawing board. Both players have displayed tenacious blocking coupled with the ability to catch mid-range passes in the seams. Would it surprise anyone here if we saw the ‘WB’ become a household name by mid-season? This is truly one to watch in ’09.

No more free lunches. Beyond cutting Brad Johnson loose, it was good to see the team make some (long overdue) moves and find replacements for players (Roy Williams 38, Greg Ellis, Zach Thomas, Chris Canty and Isaiah Stanbust) and coaches (Bruce Read) who just were not doing their jobs well enough to warrant keeping them. It will be interesting to see how the new cast of characters like Igor Olshansky and Joe DeCamilis do in their respective roles. Regardless, this looks like a sign from the team that neither draft position nor coaching pedigree is an acceptable crutch for anyone to use for poor performance.

Finally! A Sensible addition. Gerald Sensebaugh has the look of a very solid safety in both coverage and run support. For the first time since Brock Marion left town, it’s very possible the Dallas Cowboys won’t be known for ridiculous blown deep coverage against guys like Santana Moss, DeSean Jackson and others. The confidence that comes with having the right help over the top should give Newman and the two sophomore CB’s a big sigh of relief on play action passes and allow them to jump some routes that they shied away from in years past. That should mean more turnovers!

Who’s got his back? He plays on offense but doesn’t start. In fact, if he never sees the field on offense this season, it’s likely good things are happening for our Cowboys. However, if (God forbid) something happens and Tony Romo goes down, we finally have a QB behind him who isn’t over the hill, isn’t playing with a noodle for a right arm and isn’t going to force us to pair down the playbook to accommodate his physical inabilities. Yes, Jon Kitna may not make a single notable play this year, but if he has to, I think most people feel like he can. And that’s a feeling of security that we haven’t had in quite a while.

Chuck Howley would have loved this. Keith Brooking is not in his prime. He’s no longer the sideline-to-sideline force that he was in his mid-20’s. What he is, is nasty, tough and violent – three things not normally associated with Dallas’ defense. Brooking may turn out to be an even bigger addition to the Cowboys defense than Sensebaugh because of what he brings them…an identity. This is a lunch pail guy, the kind that you’d normally see playing in Chicago or Baltimore or Pittsburgh. Brooking doesn’t want to hit opponents, he wants to punish them. He’s a practice hard - play hard kind of player and could quickly become one of the emotional leaders of this defense. Having played for Phillips before and knowing what he wants to accomplish on defense is an added benefit because that familiarity will allow him to assume a more ‘front and center’ vocal role in the locker room. I’m thinking the over/under on concussions he causes in 2009 is three. Any takers?

Buehler? Buehler? Anyone? Buehler? How do you not just get all excited about this kid from USC? He’s an athlete, through and through. While I don’t know if our Special Teams coverage will be markedly improved this year or not, I do know that opponents will have a lot farther to run after kickoffs if they want to start their possession beyond the 25-yard line, which has been the case against Dallas for several years now. This guy could be worth 80 yards of field position per game! I hope this kid turns out to be my draft judgment error of 2009 (2008 was Bennett, assuming he continues to improve physically and mentally). In a pinch, this guy can play gunner, safety, LB, nose tackle and offensive coordinator. One thing: shouldn’t they play the Beatles’ Twist and Shout before every one of his kickoffs?

We must protect this house! Say what you will about the video screen being too low, Cowboys Stadium is the new yardstick by which all other sporting venues in the world will be measured. It is remarkable, both in scope and in grandeur. I’d like to think it can add a new dimension to the term, "home field advantage". D.D. Lewis said "Texas Stadium has a hole in its roof so God can watch his favorite team play." Well, Cowboys Stadium has a hole AND a 60-yard long HD video screen where God can watch instant replays too. Seriously, what better place to call home for America’s team and its fans? Come to think of it, what better place to begin a new Dallas dynasty?

After the sting of a bitter, season-ending blowout loss to an unnamed division foe, after dealing with a long off-season of heartache from last year’s season with ‘Super Bowl or bust’ expectations, we stand on the verge of finally being able to give grace to the past and look toward the future. Indeed, there is plenty to like and feel good about when it comes to the 2009 iteration of the Dallas Cowboys. So, let’s put aside our differences of opinion about whether we should have cut Isaiah Stanbust or whether Tony should be playing ‘hide the sausage’ with his new GF the night before the game. None of that really matters now. What does matter is that we all must unite under a single banner…one that connects us during the fateful journey ahead, a banner of hope for the sixth Cowboys Bling. Yes, it’s time to focus our collective POSITIVE energies and direct them toward our beloved team as they go into battle. They need us right now…let us not falter.

GO COWBOYS!