Dez Bryant has been a lightening rod for media discussion over the last year, but very little of this talk has involved his play on the football field. Almost everyone has an opinion on Bryant’s background, upbringing, work ethic, attendance record, and other off-the-field digressions. Most people also have a strong opinion with regard to where Bryant should or should not have been selected in the 2010 NFL draft. This is my opinion of Dez Bryant and what to expect from his rookie campaign in Dallas.

Before I get into my thoughts on Dez, I gotta come clean about something. Even though the World Cup is approaching and we are in the midst of the NBA playoffs, NHL playoffs, and MLB regular season, all I have been thinking about is NFL football. I know that I am not alone. Fortunately for me and all fanatical football fans, NFL training camp’s begin in less than two months.

My beloved Cowboys finally got a few monkey’s off their back in 2009 by winning some big games in December and putting an end to their 12 year playoff drought. The 2010 Cowboys will try to fight another negative trend as they attempt to become the first host city to participate in the Super Bowl.

The NFL network recently aired three documentaries which chronicled the 1977, 1992, and 1993 Dallas Cowboys teams which all won Super Bowls. It has been a decade since the Cowboys were legitimate post season contenders, but the cyclical nature of sports will once again put the Cowboys back in the national spotlight. Whether you like it or not, the Cowboys are stacked and relevant once again.

How about Tony Romo? The Cowboy quarterback recently birdied three of the final four holes at a U.S. Open qualifier to force a three hole playoff (which he proceeded to win). How about that for clutch? There are so many Romo-haters out there, but what does it say about his make-up to be able to focus and execute under that pressure? Don’t you think the ability to make a big putt on that stage can help an NFL QB handle the pressure of playoff football?

Anyway, back to Dez Bryant, the Cowboys first round draft pick. I get at least one call every time I bring up Dez on the radio from someone who thinks he will be a bust. How can anyone possibly came to this conclusion? Dez was a man amongst boys in college football and would have been a top 5 pick had he not been suspended last season. Seriously, Bryant is as close to a sure thing as anyone in the 2010 NFL draft class. However, let’s keep everything in perspective.

The accepted stereotype for receivers is that they take three years to develop into dependable NFL players. Dez will be no different. Just because I think Bryant will eventually become a dynamic Pro-Bowl receiver in the NFL, does not mean I think he will be an overnight sensation. I expect him to flash his potential in the next two years and make some big plays because of his natural athleticism. But, he will not be a focal point in the Cowboy offense for the foreseeable future.

Romo has been working with Miles Austin and Jason Witten for years to build chemistry, trust, and rapport. Austin and Witten are the top options in the Cowboy’s passing game and that isn’t going to change. Jason Garrett is also trying to get the best out of Roy Williams and the talented Martellus Bennett in hopes of expanding their roles. Patrick Crayton is a reliable route runner, and Kevin Ogletree was an emerging rookie who will deserve more playing time.

The real bread and butter of the Cowboys offense is their three headed running attack led by the dynamic, home-run hitting Felix Jones. Marion Barber is healthy and has been a staple in the Cowboy back field, while Tashard Choice will deservingly get more touches in his third year. Choice and Jones both figure to be more prominent this season, and you have to wonder how Garrett will satisfy the appetite of all of these talented weapons.

If you look at the landscape of this Cowboy offense, how many touches could Dez possibly receive? I am predicting 48 receptions, 569 yards, and three touchdowns. However, there is one possibility…and I don’t want to jinx it, but here it is: what if he is just that good that Romo has to get him the ball, even as a rookie?

If Bryant wouldn’t have lied to NCAA officials about his relationship with Deion Sander’s, he would have been picked in the top of the first round, and would be suiting up for the Browns, Bills, Jaguars, etc. Basically, he would have been drafted by a bad team, with a bad quarterback, with the pressure and expectation of performing as a top 10 pick. Bryant would have been double teamed every play on a losing team, and concerns about his attitude and work ethic could have surfaced in this atmosphere.

As a late first round pick, coming to an established team with other weapons and a talented QB, Bryant is in the perfect situation to succeed. Cowboys fans are not looking for him to dominate right away. Fans want him to work hard and earn his opportunity, and two years down the road the expectation will be increased. But, as a rookie, Bryant just needs to stay humble and bust his butt. Period. Any big plays that he can manufacture will be icing on the cake.

Bryant was not suspended for rape, drugs, guns, or any violent crimes. He simply got scared and lied. Bryant’s suspension was ridiculous and this tainted his draft stock and public perception. Seriously, look at some recent negative sport’s headlines and how Bryant’s mistake pales in comparison.

I can’t wait for training camp and the start of the NFL season. Look out for the team with a star on their helmet.

Woodman – Baltimore’s biggest Cowboys fan

There is always a team every year that turns the corner late in the season and makes a surprising Super Bowl run. The Giants did it in 2007, Arizona did it last year, and my intuition tells me there will be another surprise team in 2009.

Super Bowl and successful playoff teams are built upon steady defensive play and the ability to generate consistent pressure on the quarterback. Teams that play a track meet style of offense and score 30+ Sept. – late November rarely win Super Bowls. I have never embraced the New Orleans Saints as a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The Saints are just not good enough on defense to win it all. I don’t think they have a great offensive line either.

The AFC is supposedly stacked with many good teams and the prevailing sentiment is that anyone making the playoffs will have a chance of making a Super Bowl run. I have thought all year that Peyton Manning was destined for ring #2, but after the debacle this week I am jumping ship on the Colts. Winning breeds more winning. Losing breeds more losing. By pulling Manning, Wayne, and Dallas Clark in the third quarter against the Jets, the Colts have lost their forward momentum. I don’t care what anyone says, the Colts will never regain their swagger this season. If you weigh the fact that the starters will not play much (if at all) this week and will not play the following week because of the bye week, the Colts are not going to get the repetitions they need to stay crisp.

The team that has the eye of the tiger in the AFC is the San Diego Chargers. Everyone just assumes that Norv Turner will choke and ruin the season at some point, but I don’t think so. Phillip Rivers is a beast and puts a lot of pressure on opposing defenses. The Chargers win at Dallas in December was very impressive, and their defense seems to be turning the corner at the most important time of the year. They have running backs who can catch the ball out of the backfield, a pair of TE’s, and two athletic, playmaking wide receivers. If you blitz Rivers and leave your corner backs one on one, he will take a shot down the field every time.

The Jets are terrible, the Pats have no pass rush, Indy has peaked, the Ravens can’t get out of their own way, and Cinci just isn’t playing good football. The AFC is there for the taking for the Chargers and it looks like it may be their time.

In the NFC there is one team that is standing out to me as a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys defense is #1 in the NFC in points allowed giving up only 16.7 points per game. The Cowboys get pressure on the quarterback. The Cowboys (since week 2) do not let anyone march up and down the field. Mike Jenkins and Anthony Spencer are very good football players. DeMarcus Ware and Jay Ratliff are great football players. The Cowboys have depth in their front seven and an emotional leader in veteran LB Keith Brooking. They have the look of a team that is peaking at the right time and is no longer shooting themselves in the foot with penalties, turnovers, and poor coaching. Also, Felix Jones has yet to have a signature game…but he will.

Everyone knows that I am a diehard Cowboys fan. But, I rarely come out and lay down my marker and get it wrong. Philly has dominated the Cowboys for the last decade because they have always been the more physical team with an attacking/playmaking defense. The Eagles have brutalized the Cowboys because they were consistently the better defensive team. But not anymore. Dallas has the better defense and they will show it this Sunday. Bettors will put their house on Philly +3 banking on the Romo/Wade Phillips choke. The Cowboys time is now and they will beat the Eagles by 2 scores this weekend. I guarantee it.

In the NFC playoffs, the Packers, Eagles, and Cowboys will be the best teams. All of the “top” teams are going to find themselves playing golf much earlier than they anticipated. I expect the winner of the Dallas/Philly game this Sunday to march through the NFC and punch their ticket to Miami.

Just like I called the BCS title game in late August, I will be right again with a San Diego vs. Dallas Super Bowl. Just because I would rather watch soccer, don’t sleep on my football instincts. I hope this article kicks up some serious dust so we can end 2009 with some heated discussion!

Everyone have a Happy New Year.

Woodman

The positive or negative result of a Cowboys game is unfortunately the biggest factor in determining my demeanor and attitude for the entire subsequent week. Winning is everything for my psyche and the days/weeks between Cowboy losses are absolutely brutal. However, this week I am ready for the agony and misery that will surely result from a predictable Eagles beatdown. In fact, I am hopeful for a Cowboys loss.

There is no way the Dallas Cowboys can handle the prosperity of winning on the road in Philadelphia this weekend. There is no way they can handle being 6-2 on the heels of a huge road victory against a hated division rival. There is no way the Cowboys can handle a four game winning streak. There is no way that anyone will be able to handle the way the media will sensationalize them with a victory. The most anticipated game of Week 9 will be featured on Sunday Night Football as the 5-2 Cowboys battle the 5-2 Eagles for sole possession of first place in the NFC East.

The memories of the 44-6 thrashing (at the Linc) last January that ended the Cowboys season are still fresh. The reality of not making the playoffs after a 6-2 start in 2008 is still fresh. The memories of the hype that was built up for a 13-3 team, returning a dozen Pro Bowl players that failed to make the playoffs, is still fresh.

Despite the fact that the Cowboys used to be America’s Team. Despite the unveiling of a new 1.1 billion dollar stadium. And, the reality that the ‘Boys still have Jerry Jones as their owner, they have somehow found a way to fly under the radar so far in 2009. But all that could change in one game. Can you imagine the hype-machine that would start building steam if the Cowboys were to win this Sunday? I can’t handle it. Tom Jackson, Deion Sanders, Ron Jaworski, and all of the Cowboys haters who have shortchanged this team all year will all start back tracking. You won’t be able to turn on the TV without hearing about the 2009 edition of the Dallas Cowboys.

“Tony Romo has shown his maturation and has become a game manager. “Romo doesn’t hurt his team with turnovers like he used too.” “Tony Romo has shown that he can be a leader for the Cowboys.” “Wade Phillips has gotten the defense to turn the corner and the team has rallied around him.” “Without T.O., Romo is able to play more comfortably and simply find the open receiver.” “We thought the Dallas offense would lack a big play threat without T.O., but they have unleashed Miles Austin, Felix Jones & Co.” “The special teams are the best in the league.” “Maybe Wade and Tony can get over the hump together and silence all of their critics.”

Are you sick to your stomach yet? There is nothing worse (for non-Cowboys fans) than hearing about the Cowboys. There is nothing more annoying than idiot, bandwagon Cowboy fans running their mouth. Especially when they win every November, just to fall off a cliff in December and January. I don’t want you, the average Raven and NFL fan, to be subjected to any Cowboys hype. Me, the Cowboys fan, doesn’t want to hear about how it is all window dressing, and that we suck and haven’t won a post season game since 1996.

I want my beloved Cowboys to stay off the hype radar and keep the bandwagon empty. With that being said, I hope the Eagles hand us a devastating loss. This result would lead the media to say, “the Eagles and Giants are still the cream of the NFC East.” “Wade Phillips and Tony Romo can’t win a big game.” “The Cowboys will probably miss the playoffs because nothing has changed to lead any of us to believe they can win in January.”

This would keep the Cowboys working hard. This would make sure they have a chip on their shoulder. This would keep the #1 intangible of spite in good standing. This would lull all of our enemies to sleep. As any good Italian would know, revenge is a dish best served cold. The Cowboys play Philly at home the final week of the 2009 season. How ironic would it be if only one playoff berth is available (similar to the Week 17 scenario last year when the same two teams played with the exact same spoils at stake with Philly trouncing the Boys), and Dallas finally takes advantage of the opportunity to flip the script on the hated Eagles?

Heck, even if Dallas won next Sunday, they would surely drop a game at home to Washington or Oakland in the coming weeks. Such is the emotional roller coaster of life as a diehard NFL fan.

Woodman – Baltimore’s most emotional Dallas Cowboy fan

There are three common perceptions of the Dallas Cowboys and none of them are good: Wade Phillips is not a leader of men, Tony Romo cannot win a big game, and (similar to my beloved Orioles) they fall apart late in the season when the games matter the most.

If you were an NFL fan watching the game Sunday I am sure you were very entertained. The excitement over the 8th Wonder of the World, aka. new Cowboys Stadium, was coupled with a back and forth football game that featured a number of big plays. However, if you were a Cowboys fan, it wasn’t quite as entertaining. Sickening would be a better adjective to describe our feelings about the game.

The 2009 Cowboys were supposed to be different from the 2008 edition, but things are feeling eerily similar. The same mistakes and themes that plagued the team last year are becoming an epidemic already this season. This Cowboy team invents ways to lose games. They go out of their way to underachieve. They commit penalties at the worst moments in the game. If the special teams are good one week, they put the ball on the ground the next. If the defense gives up 200 on the ground one week, they give up 350 through the air the next. Romo was a hero last week after having a career day and the goat this week after throwing three interceptions.

Romo has the worst body language of any NFL quarterback. When things start going downhill, it is evident that he lacks the resolve required to lead a team back. Romo’s play on the field is capable of producing game-winning drives, but his demeanor does not lend itself to leadership. The only NFL employee with worse body language is Cowboy coach Wade Phillips. Can you believe this guy is the coach of America’s Team? The General at the helm of a team that just unveiled a 1.1 billion dollar stadium? The one thing fans and the media would give Wade credit for was his ability to coach defense. So far this season the Cowboy defense has been shredded for 54 points and 1000 yards in two games. The Cowboy defense has created zero turnovers (last in the NFL in 2008) and has produced zero sacks of the quarterback. Eli Manning and his receiving corps became Hall of Famers on Sunday only a week after Cadillac Williams and the Buccaneers ran wild in Tampa.

The secondary couldn’t cover anybody against the Giants. Only three players from the Cowboy defense showed up to play Sunday: Jay Ratliff, Igor Olshansky, and Anthony Spencer. The most frustrating thing was that despite playing so poorly for most of the game, the D had an opportunity to hold and win the game. Instead, Manning marched the Giants right down the field for a game winning field goal. S.O.S for DeMarcus Ware…can you please make a play?

You can’t beat a good team when you turn the ball over four times. However, the Cowboys could have overcome the first three turnovers and won the game. But when Romo threw the last interception trying to go over the top to Sam Hurd, that was the final straw. The Cowboys were piling up yards on the ground. They had a one point lead and were grinding the Giant front seven into the dirt. I just texted my colleague (who I do my Cowboy podcast with) and said that we needed to run the ball every play. Instead, Garrett dials up a pass and Romo throws a ridiculous interception. This play let the Giants right back in the game late in the third quarter when the Cowboys were in Giant territory looking to take a two score lead.The worst part of it all was that Romo wasn’t sacked once by the vaunted Giant front seven. Romo was only pushed to the ground a few times. He wasn’t hurried. He didn’t need to rush his throws. The Cowboys just wasted a great performance from their offensive line, which has been the only reliable staple so far in 2009.

I could argue that every bounce and break went the Giants way on Sunday. The ball that deflected off Jason Witten’s foot for an interception. The way Manningham rolled, bobbled and held on to the TD throw. How Ratliff’s pass on 3rd down of the final drive was tipped and caught. The ridiculous defensive holding call late in the 3rd quarter that let the Giants off the hook at their own goal line. But luck is a part of winning and you create your own luck. No excuses.

Romo has to take better care of the ball. Somebody on the team needs to become a leader so that when times get tough they have someone to rally behind. Wade has to fix the defense. The defense has to start making plays and taking the ball away. However, there are a few positives to take from the first two games. The special teams are better. David Buehler (5th rd. draft pick from USC) has been great on kickoffs and coverage has been solid under the watch of new special teams coach Joe DeCamillis. Also, the offensive line has been stellar and the running game has been solid.

The only thing Cowboy fans can hope for is that this loss will wake the team up. That it will serve as another bitter reminder of how hard it is to win in the NFL. Instead of starting 6-1 to ultimately falter down the stretch, maybe this Cowboy team can rally and win when it matters in December/January. But until I see it, I have no leg to stand on when I try to defend the team. The 21st century Dallas Cowboys continue to break my heart, and like all Cowboy fans I wonder when the misery will end. Please click the link on the upper left of the website for my weekly Cowboy podcast

Woodman – Cowboy fanatic for life

America’s team continues to shed its extra baggage as Tony Romo ends his often publicized relationship with Jessica Simpson. The not quite made for TV romance ends during a Cowboy offseason that has set the stage for big change in Big D.

The Cowboys are finally becoming a football team that will get more headlines for their play on the field than the distractions off of it. Whether they win or lose, much of the media sex appeal of the Cowboys has subsided as they look to compete and get down to business in a rugged NFC East. This offseason has been a humbling experience for Jerry Jones who has seen all of his high risk, low return guys get shown the door. Unfortunately for Jerry, coach Wade Phillips is not the strong, authoritative type who could keep all of these volatile egos in check. The winds of change are blowing in Dallas, and the Boys look to bounce back from a disappointing, non-playoff season which ended in blowout fashion last December in Philly.

Dallas did not have a pick in the first two rounds of the 2009 NFL Draft, but used their remaining twelve picks on a number of rookies who will look to upgrade the squad’s depth and special teams.

Instead of using a dynamic passing attack (featuring T.O) that has facilitated as many Tony Romo turnovers as it has touchdowns, the Cowboys will look to get back to basics running the football behind a big, physical (yet aged) offensive line.

The Cowboys will feature a talented backfield consisting of closer Marion Barber, surprise second year player (and vocal team leader) Tashard Choice, and home run hitting Felix Jones. This dynamic running attack will compliment a more efficient passing game that will feature Jason Witten, Roy Williams, Martellus Bennett, and Patrick Crayton. Dallas’s lone home run threat at WR will be Miles Austin who has been limited by injuries his whole career.

On the other side of the ball, Wade Phillips has taken on the additional role of Defensive Coordinator. He looks to leave his imprint on a Dallas defense that features a much improved secondary led by Terence Newman. 2008 1st round pick Mike Jenkins and 4th round surprise Orlando Scandrick are not rookies anymore, and Mr. Coverage liability himself Roy Williams has gone to Cinci, replaced by former Jaguar Gerard Sensabaugh. These upgrades in pass coverage will allow Coach Wade to blitz more and put a more heat on the QB with stud pass rushers DeMarcus Ware and former first round pick from Purdue, Anthony Spencer. Also, don’t sleep on relative unknown but emerging star and Pro Bowler NT Jay Ratliff. The former 7th round pick from Auburn is a beast and causes a ton of havoc on the D-line. If you haven’t heard of Ratliff, you will. In other key roster moves Igor Olshansky arrives to Dallas from San Diego to replace Chris Canty, who fled to NY. Also, former Falcon Pro Bowler Keith Brooking takes over at ILB for Zach Thomas who lasted only one year with the Boys.

But before the Cowboys could worry about changes in philosophy and personnel on the field, they needed to deal with the players who lead to the distractions off the field.

The first cleansing in the offseason involved the Cowboys shedding notorious knuckleheads Pacman Jones, Tank Johnson, and T.O. More recently, longtime veteran and malcontent Greg Ellis (who kept running his mouth) also got the boot. Now the ‘Boys are left with two burning questions as they continue to purge the poisons from this once proud organization: Can Cupcake coach Wade Phillips lead the Cowboys to a playoff win? And, is Mr. Choke himself Tony Romo the QB of the future in Big D? The 2009 season is do or die time for both because Jerry Jones is sharpening the ax and his patience is wearing thin.

More importantly, the Boys will attempt to leave the preseason hype and glitz of last year on the sidelines, and distance themselves from the memories of the underachieving team that was portrayed on HBO’s Hard Knocks.

And on another note: Tony, you are the starting QB for America’s Team. Can you please quit going down the route of a serial monogamist? You should be laying the alaskan pipeline, and capitalizing on the spoils that come with one of the most glorified jobs in all of sports (you certainly take enough criticism in that same spotlight)!

Shed the steady girlfriend routine and do what most ballers do:

Don’t date exclusively when you are riding the best wave you will ever have in your life! Be more like Mike and have a girl waiting for you in every NFL town. I know Mr. Irvin has some great contacts for you, so please use the resources of this great franchise. And Tony, if you have to transition right back into another relationship, can you please step your game back up? Sophia Bush and Carrie Underwood are phenomenal talents and you should be commended. But aside from Jessica’s rack, she is substandard relative to your past accomplishments. I think the NutriSystem and Proactive are failing to save the day for the former Mrs. Nick Lachey who has clearly “jumped the shark” in her 10 minutes of fame.

Tony, if you have to be in a relationship, let’s at least get things back up to a Megan Fox, Supermodel type of level.

As the Cowboys continue to shed their off-the-field distractions, can they finally get a playoff win and end the twelve year drought?

~The Woodman