ESPN Mosley: On the radar: Cowboys' chemistry

[WoodysGirl]

Jul 8
1:00
PM ET

By Matt Mosley


» NFC On the Radar: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

A player, coach or issue that should be on your radar as training camp approaches.

In case you missed it, the Dallas Cowboys will attempt to become the first NFL team to qualify for a Super Bowl being played at their home stadium. And given their talented roster and strong finish in '09, Dallas has to be considered among the top contenders.

[+] Enlarge Ronald Martinez/Getty ImagesWill the Cowboys be able to live up to their preseason expectations?


There's only one problem: The last time the Cowboys were considered the so-called Super Bowl favorites, they had a meltdown in '08. That team was already talking about skipping forward to the playoffs by Week 6 of the regular season. And I don't have to remind you about a certain wide receiver who was hell on a locker room.

Now, there appears to be no dissension on the horizon. The Cowboys had such a comfortable offseason that reporters were forced to seize on a Patrick Crayton storyline to generate traffic. I suppose the release of Flozell Adams caused some ripples, but I believe that Doug Free will be up to the task of replacing the Cowboys' longtime left tackle.

Dez Bryant's going to command a lot of attention, but it's not like he has a polarizing personality. On the surface, this locker room seems as stable as it's ever been. Even the most vocal critics of the organization are predicting at least 11 wins for the Cowboys.

Will it go to the players' heads? Two years ago, the Cowboys acted like the most entitled team in league history. And owner Jerry Jones certainly contributed to that wild scene, captured on film by HBO's cameras in the series "Hard Knocks." This team is attempting to fly under the radar, but I'm not sure that's possible.

The Eagles truly believe they've made moves to close the gap that was obviously there at the end of last season. Mike Shanahan is expecting to challenge the Cowboys immediately for the division title. I think the Cowboys are the unquestioned favorites -- and that's while they'll have to guard against complacency.

Jones has the Cowboys embarking on a barnstorming training camp tour that will include stops in San Antonio, Arlington and Oxnard, Calif. Most coaches prefer staying in the same place for training camp. I'm sure that's the way Wade Phillips would prefer it, but he's not going to stand in the way of Jerry selling jerseys in Southern California.

Will all the travel wear down the Cowboys before they even get to September? I think it's something that bears watching.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Will all the travel wear down the Cowboys before they even get to September? I think it's something that bears watching.

I wondered where Mosley was going with this. Disappointing ending.

Oh, the answer is no.

 

[Fletch]

Mr. Mosely is reaching. Trying to find something that isn't really there. Being the optimist that I am, perhaps TC moving from one place to another will keep the Cowboys a little fresher than other teams. Less wear and tear.

 

[NextGenBoys]

Am I the only person who thinks we didn't have a strong finish? Yeah we looked good against Philly, but we finished horribly.

We got absolutely dominated by Minnesota.

Perhaps it stings more for me because I spent $300 on a 4th row ticket only to watch my favorite team get worked, and to add insult to injury listen to 40,000 fans point and laugh at me on my way out, after I had talked more pregame **** than Phillip Rivers going at the Denver Broncos.

We did not finish strong last year. In my opinion 2009 ended just like 07 did. A loss in the divisional round.

 

[Marktui]

The split camp should not be a big deal. They have done it before and it's not like they are going to Europe to have a two week training camp. They are going from Texas to California.

I thought we had camp cupcake anyway, so why would they be tired....;-)

 

[Future]

Am I the only person who thinks we didn't have a strong finish? Yeah we looked good against Philly, but we finished horribly.

We got absolutely dominated by Minnesota.

Perhaps it stings more for me because I spent $300 on a 4th row ticket only to watch my favorite team get worked, and to add insult to injury listen to 40,000 fans point and laugh at me on my way out, after I had talked more pregame **** than Phillip Rivers going at the Denver Broncos.

We did not finish strong last year. In my opinion 2009 ended just like 07 did. A loss in the divisional round.

Strong overall...but I think losing to Minny should leave a bitter taste and make the players want more. I think it might have been a relief in 08 when we lost to Philly, but this group of players should be able to feed off of that loss.

 

[Idgit]

Am I the only person who thinks we didn't have a strong finish? Yeah we looked good against Philly, but we finished horribly.

We got absolutely dominated by Minnesota.

Perhaps it stings more for me because I spent $300 on a 4th row ticket only to watch my favorite team get worked, and to add insult to injury listen to 40,000 fans point and laugh at me on my way out, after I had talked more pregame **** than Phillip Rivers going at the Denver Broncos.

We did not finish strong last year. In my opinion 2009 ended just like 07 did. A loss in the divisional round.

Yeah, I think you're the only person. We finished the regular season strong, no doubt. And the PHI playoff game was really strong, as well. Losing badly to MIN at home doesn't unravel any of that. In fact, for a game with such a big points differential, there were any number of ways that MIN game could have ended up a Dallas victory. We didn't capitalize on plays that were there to be made, but it wasn't like the PHI blowout the year before.

 

[Rampage]

Am I the only person who thinks we didn't have a strong finish? Yeah we looked good against Philly, but we finished horribly.

We got absolutely dominated by Minnesota.

Perhaps it stings more for me because I spent $300 on a 4th row ticket only to watch my favorite team get worked, and to add insult to injury listen to 40,000 fans point and laugh at me on my way out, after I had talked more pregame **** than Phillip Rivers going at the Denver Broncos.

We did not finish strong last year. In my opinion 2009 ended just like 07 did. A loss in the divisional round.

no, you're right. 34-3 or whatever the final score was says we finished by catching a serious ***-whooping from Lord Favre and the Vikes.

 

[Mansta54]

Am I the only person who thinks we didn't have a strong finish? Yeah we looked good against Philly, but we finished horribly.

We got absolutely dominated by Minnesota.

Perhaps it stings more for me because I spent $300 on a 4th row ticket only to watch my favorite team get worked, and to add insult to injury listen to 40,000 fans point and laugh at me on my way out, after I had talked more pregame **** than Phillip Rivers going at the Denver Broncos.

We did not finish strong last year. In my opinion 2009 ended just like 07 did. A loss in the divisional round.

Sorry dude but you're wrong. We definately finished strong. The loss to the Vikes doesn't define our finish. Last years team broke a few bad habits and we grow from there. They finished strong late in the regular season then they went on to win a playoff game convincingly. Those were two huge steps in the right direction for THIS SEASON coming up. Oh yeah, they definately finished strong with more to come...