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Dallas' big question: When's that playoff win?
If team falls short of Super Bowl, expect shakeup of Cowboys coaching staff
Ronald Martinez / Getty Images
Tony Romo, top, helped the Cowboys to 13 wins last season, but the team still hasn't won a playoff game since 1996.
By Vinnie Iyer
In just 1 1/2 seasons as a starter, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has become a star, brighter than the one that shines on his helmet, as the most visible athlete on America's Team. With his playmaking and playfulness on the field and his apparent playboy lifestyle off the field, he has become the biggest name in Big D.
Because Romo plays in Dallas, and not Hollywood, however, his biggest fans are focused on his football and not his celebrity. Considering the rich tradition and popularity of the Cowboys, that translates into winning big games in January and February.
That hasn't quite happened. In fact, the proud Cowboys, with five Super Bowl rings and their ever-expanding Ring of Honor, haven't won a playoff game since Dec. 28, 1996.
Romo enjoyed a breakout season under Bill Parcells in 2006 and followed it with a crazy good '07 in leading the team to a 13-3 record, an NFC East title and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.
But when the playoffs rolled around after last season, it was a quick exit again, this time at the hands of the division rival New York Giants, whom Romo and the Cowboys had swept in the regular season, combining to score 76 points in the two victories.
The teams' third meeting, however, saw the Giants and their league-best pass rush hold the Cowboys to 17 points, and Romo saw his attempt to orchestrate a last-minute, game-winning drive finish with a pass being intercepted in the end zone.
So the pressure is on the Cowboys — and Romo, at their most important position — to deliver playoff success now. And don't think the Super Bowl expectations have gone away.
The Cowboys remain, arguably, the most talented team in the NFC.
That's not to say the heat or responsibility all falls on Romo, just like Eli Manning didn't deserve all of the credit for the Giants' surprising Super Bowl run. The Cowboys' defense must take the next step as an elite, aggressive 3-4 unit, and the offense must take more pressure off Romo by again titling the balance toward the run.
For example, Marion Barber ran all over the Giants in the first half of the playoff game but rarely had his number called in the second half. And although the Dallas secondary sent three players to the Pro Bowl last season, a major coverage lapse allowed Amani Toomer to convert a long, backbreaking 52-yard play.
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So right under the glare of the spotlight turned heat lamp are the Cowboys' coaches. Everything was rolling with player-friendly Wade Phillips during the regular season, but then came Romo's much-publicized cavorting in Cabo during the Cowboys' well-earned first-round bye.
Did the trip to Mexico directly cause Romo and his team to trip up against the Giants? Of course not. The team still played hard and fought to the final gun. But to everyone else, especially to Cowboys fans who treat football as serious business, it seemed like "fun, one and done."
The Cowboys should be plenty motivated this season after the disappointments of the past two Januarys. They are one of the closest sure things to a projected playoff team in '08. With players as talented as Romo, Barber, Terrell Owens, Jason Witten, DeMarcus Ware, Terence Newman, Ken Hamlin and Roy Williams around, few teams can even come close to matching that cadre.
Still, the Cowboys have one of the most demanding fan bases — and ownership — in all of sports. As long as the players develop amnesia and just focus on executing, a playoff win is probable.
So maybe the true burning question is what's beyond that. Can they make the expected jump to NFC champs one season late? If the answer is no, just like we saw in San Diego after the '06 season, expect some kind of shakeup on the sidelines. As for Romo, if that playoff win drought is finally going to end, it's hard to see the Cowboys doing it without him in a starring role.
Dallas' big question: When's that playoff win?
If team falls short of Super Bowl, expect shakeup of Cowboys coaching staff
Tony Romo, top, helped the Cowboys to 13 wins last season, but the team still hasn't won a playoff game since 1996.
By Vinnie Iyer
In just 1 1/2 seasons as a starter, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has become a star, brighter than the one that shines on his helmet, as the most visible athlete on America's Team. With his playmaking and playfulness on the field and his apparent playboy lifestyle off the field, he has become the biggest name in Big D.
Because Romo plays in Dallas, and not Hollywood, however, his biggest fans are focused on his football and not his celebrity. Considering the rich tradition and popularity of the Cowboys, that translates into winning big games in January and February.
That hasn't quite happened. In fact, the proud Cowboys, with five Super Bowl rings and their ever-expanding Ring of Honor, haven't won a playoff game since Dec. 28, 1996.
Romo enjoyed a breakout season under Bill Parcells in 2006 and followed it with a crazy good '07 in leading the team to a 13-3 record, an NFC East title and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.
But when the playoffs rolled around after last season, it was a quick exit again, this time at the hands of the division rival New York Giants, whom Romo and the Cowboys had swept in the regular season, combining to score 76 points in the two victories.
The teams' third meeting, however, saw the Giants and their league-best pass rush hold the Cowboys to 17 points, and Romo saw his attempt to orchestrate a last-minute, game-winning drive finish with a pass being intercepted in the end zone.
So the pressure is on the Cowboys — and Romo, at their most important position — to deliver playoff success now. And don't think the Super Bowl expectations have gone away.
The Cowboys remain, arguably, the most talented team in the NFC.
That's not to say the heat or responsibility all falls on Romo, just like Eli Manning didn't deserve all of the credit for the Giants' surprising Super Bowl run. The Cowboys' defense must take the next step as an elite, aggressive 3-4 unit, and the offense must take more pressure off Romo by again titling the balance toward the run.
For example, Marion Barber ran all over the Giants in the first half of the playoff game but rarely had his number called in the second half. And although the Dallas secondary sent three players to the Pro Bowl last season, a major coverage lapse allowed Amani Toomer to convert a long, backbreaking 52-yard play.
getCSS("3088874")
So right under the glare of the spotlight turned heat lamp are the Cowboys' coaches. Everything was rolling with player-friendly Wade Phillips during the regular season, but then came Romo's much-publicized cavorting in Cabo during the Cowboys' well-earned first-round bye.
Did the trip to Mexico directly cause Romo and his team to trip up against the Giants? Of course not. The team still played hard and fought to the final gun. But to everyone else, especially to Cowboys fans who treat football as serious business, it seemed like "fun, one and done."
The Cowboys should be plenty motivated this season after the disappointments of the past two Januarys. They are one of the closest sure things to a projected playoff team in '08. With players as talented as Romo, Barber, Terrell Owens, Jason Witten, DeMarcus Ware, Terence Newman, Ken Hamlin and Roy Williams around, few teams can even come close to matching that cadre.
Still, the Cowboys have one of the most demanding fan bases — and ownership — in all of sports. As long as the players develop amnesia and just focus on executing, a playoff win is probable.
So maybe the true burning question is what's beyond that. Can they make the expected jump to NFC champs one season late? If the answer is no, just like we saw in San Diego after the '06 season, expect some kind of shakeup on the sidelines. As for Romo, if that playoff win drought is finally going to end, it's hard to see the Cowboys doing it without him in a starring role.
