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The 2016 season is going to be a fun one, but here are three reasons that the Cowboys offense will get themselves rolling again.
ESPN recently put out a piece ranking the "triplets" for every NFL team. The Cowboys finished sixth on this list, but it should be noted that Bill Barnwell isn't using the typical definition of triplets that includes a QB, RB, and WR. Instead, any combination of offensive weapons are allowed. In fact, the only team ranked higher than Dallas using the traditional QB/RB/WR combo was the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now, that I can live with. Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell are two of the best players at their respective positions and Ben Roethlisberger has put together two-straight quality seasons. During that span, Roethlisberger has had back-to-back career highs in yards per game. They are a formidable threesome so I don't take issue with those guys grabbing the top spot.
But their time at the top could be short-lived. The only thing stopping Dallas from once again having the most talented triplets is good health. Yeah, people will claim Ezekiel Elliott hasn't played a down yet so nobody knows just how he's going to turn out. Maybe he's not very good? And maybe Tony Romo's left handed or that watching Game of Thrones is a complete waste of time. I'm sure there's a chance for anything, but the sensible presumption is all those things are not true. Elliott is going to be a great running back; it's just a matter of how great. But before we get to Zeke, let's take a look at the other two guys.
Tony Romo is a fantastic quarterback. Sometimes this statement isn't greeted with a resounding "hell yeah!" because of what some have identified as untimely miscues. Now there are two components when it comes to Romo's untimeliness. The first one is rather common for all quarterbacks and that is a turnover late in the game eliminates his team's chances of winning the game. You see, teams lose games every week. And in those instances, there is typically a play made by the trailing team that does them in. Quarterbacks make this mistake all the time so the idea that Romo in particular, struggles down the stretch more than your average bear is simply not true. In fact, it's quite the contrary. Romo is one of the best fourth-quarter quarterbacks in the game.
But the second component is a valid one. Some of Romo's biggest blunders have happened when all the world is watching. This include primetime games and high-market games late in the season when playoff implications are in full force. But keep in mind, the Cowboys find themselves in a lot of those types of games. They are on TV quite a bit and with Romo under center, the Cowboys have just had more opportunities to make it into the playoffs.
In his 10 years as our QB, Tony Romo has NEVER played a game where he was mathematically eliminated from the playoffs
— Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) May 8, 2016
Then, there is Dez Bryant. During the 2014 season, Aaron Rodgers and J.J. Watt were in a two-man race for the league MVP award, but the next two guys on the list were Tony Romo and DeMarco Murray. While both those Cowboys put up some impressive numbers that season, you can't look past what Dez Bryant meant to the offense that year. Fans will forever remember the catch he didn't catch, but despite the disappointing ending, he had an incredible season. Bryant had 1,320 receiving yards with a franchise record 16 touchdown catches as he became an All Pro for the first time.
Bryant is at the prime of his career and is one of the most difficult covers in football. And even when the coverage is great, he still comes down with the ball. Last year, I took a stroll down memory lane as I revisited his top 10 catches. And one of the most impressive things about Dez is his passion. Yeah, sometimes it's not projected in the most positive manner, but his zeal is not something you can just find on the street and Bryant harnesses that same intensity to be the player he is. The guy is just amazing.
Speaking of passion, Dez has himself a partner in crime when it comes to the overwhelming desire to win football games. Ezekiel Elliott is here for one thing and one thing only -€” to win a Super Bowl. Sure, it grows tiring listening to players talk about how important winning is to them, but it's certainly exciting to watch them try. When you combine that spirit with the talent of a player like Elliott, the possibilities are endless. The Cowboys didn't just get a skilled running back, but they got a football player that knows how to do the work to make themselves great.
It's time that "the Triplets" come full circle and the honor be returned to its rightful owners. The Cowboys trio of Romo, Dez, and Zeke are as good as it gets and it's going to be intoxicating watching these three work together.
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