Dallas71
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It seems that even when things are quiet for the Dallas Cowboys there's still plenty of noisemakers that aren't even in the organization. As most, if not all, of last years' problem children have been shown the door, the Cowboys still find themselves "paying" for the fact that for the second time in recent memory, they have tried to clean up the character issues that plague all teams in the NFL at one time or another.
I look at preseason predictions just like everybody else and I'm truly amazed by what I see. Some guy from ESPN did a short video piece posted as of 9-9-09 predicting a last place finish for the Cowboys in the highly over-rated NFC East. One of the main reasons for this prediction, strangely echoed by many former Cowboys-turned Monday Morning Quarterbacks in the press, is the absence of Terrell Owens combined with the remaining presence of Roy Williams, just now having completed a full offseason with the organization he joined in progress last season.
No, Williams is not the same receiver Owens is ... and neither is anybody else. The great thing is this: he doesn't have to be. Further, Williams has better hands, runs better routes and is a proven team player, all things T.O. is not. Williams has spent his entire "adult" football life as the focal point of one passing attack after another. To question whether or not he's capable of being a number one target, I assume at wideout only, is laughable. Keep in consideration that Roy Williams is all but a decade younger than Owens coming into his 6th season at 27 years old. Owens is a rapidly aging 36 by season's end after 14 seasons. Williams plays on a team not in Detroit anymore and if you've been following that sad story as I have, go ahead ... just try to blame that debacle on Williams. Please!
I keep hearing either ESPN or NFL.com nobodies along with the likes of Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin and Troy Aikman pointing out Owens' touchdowns and "explosiveness" now gone as justification for a Dallas collapse in 2009. Williams fits the "big play" receiver role just as Irvin, Keyshawn Johnson and T.O. have done, all in this decade takeaway Irvin. How soon we forget. These "Triplets", as they were once known, seem to have forgotten, amidst the glare of TV cameras and perhaps trying to hold on to visibility for as long as possible, how exactly they were successful. Well, for this discussion anyway, they didn't do it with a guy like T.O. Further, they did it running the ball and wearing out the opposition as it both tried to stop Smith and also cover all of those targets in the passing game. Did you catch that? ALL of those targets.
Now we can once again look at the Dallas offense, at more than one position mind you, and see numerous weapons that will be nearly impossible to defend. Seems like the word used to describe Da' Boys back in the 90's was "balance". They weren't winning because an undrafted quarterback from a small school was trying his best to sling it all over the yard like Brett Favre, one of the most over-rated and definitely over-hyped quarterbacks ever.
Allow me to also point out that T.O. has no rings. Neither does Randy Moss. Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin (both in the same offense!)? Nope. Chad Johnson (I refuse to acknowledge his new last name)? C'mon. Look at the teams who have one Super Bowls recently and it's rather surprising how little marquee talent is needed at wide receiver to win even multiple titles. Hines Ward? He's not 6'3" and outrunning smaller defenders! Ward has two rings! He's also got some character and leadership going.
I do not think the Cowboys will win a Super Bowl this year but rather see next year as a likely push ... and a serious one for several reasons I'll discuss at another time. I do, however, think that Dallas is at least a strong contender in the NFC East as I'm not at all sold on Washington for as long as Dan Snyder owns the team. Andy Reid will never win a Super Bowl in Philadelphia passing as often as he does and then when he does run he relies on the most brittle back in the game in Brian Westbrook. And that leaves New York, the trendy pick to win the East. The mouthpieces seem to have forgotten, unlike the Giants themselves, that on offense there is no
sign of any primary wide receiver, period. Further, and worse yet, we'll finally get to see Osi Umenyiora operating without Michael Strahan for an entire season. Food for thought? Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka combined for as many sacks as DeMarcus Ware posted by himself last year.
I think Dallas wins the NFC East as I'm predicting that only one team is going to the playoffs out of that division. And if Dallas does indeed miss the postseason once again, it will be because the Cowboys can't stop the run which I'm concerned they still can't do very well with an undersized nose guard for the fifth straight year in the 3-4. A meager 8 pics last year despite all those sacks is all the proof you need so please don't argue that point. But it won't be because Roy Williams can't play wide receiver or because T.O.'s touchdowns (and drops) are no longer a part of the picture.
I look at preseason predictions just like everybody else and I'm truly amazed by what I see. Some guy from ESPN did a short video piece posted as of 9-9-09 predicting a last place finish for the Cowboys in the highly over-rated NFC East. One of the main reasons for this prediction, strangely echoed by many former Cowboys-turned Monday Morning Quarterbacks in the press, is the absence of Terrell Owens combined with the remaining presence of Roy Williams, just now having completed a full offseason with the organization he joined in progress last season.
No, Williams is not the same receiver Owens is ... and neither is anybody else. The great thing is this: he doesn't have to be. Further, Williams has better hands, runs better routes and is a proven team player, all things T.O. is not. Williams has spent his entire "adult" football life as the focal point of one passing attack after another. To question whether or not he's capable of being a number one target, I assume at wideout only, is laughable. Keep in consideration that Roy Williams is all but a decade younger than Owens coming into his 6th season at 27 years old. Owens is a rapidly aging 36 by season's end after 14 seasons. Williams plays on a team not in Detroit anymore and if you've been following that sad story as I have, go ahead ... just try to blame that debacle on Williams. Please!
I keep hearing either ESPN or NFL.com nobodies along with the likes of Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin and Troy Aikman pointing out Owens' touchdowns and "explosiveness" now gone as justification for a Dallas collapse in 2009. Williams fits the "big play" receiver role just as Irvin, Keyshawn Johnson and T.O. have done, all in this decade takeaway Irvin. How soon we forget. These "Triplets", as they were once known, seem to have forgotten, amidst the glare of TV cameras and perhaps trying to hold on to visibility for as long as possible, how exactly they were successful. Well, for this discussion anyway, they didn't do it with a guy like T.O. Further, they did it running the ball and wearing out the opposition as it both tried to stop Smith and also cover all of those targets in the passing game. Did you catch that? ALL of those targets.
Now we can once again look at the Dallas offense, at more than one position mind you, and see numerous weapons that will be nearly impossible to defend. Seems like the word used to describe Da' Boys back in the 90's was "balance". They weren't winning because an undrafted quarterback from a small school was trying his best to sling it all over the yard like Brett Favre, one of the most over-rated and definitely over-hyped quarterbacks ever.
Allow me to also point out that T.O. has no rings. Neither does Randy Moss. Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin (both in the same offense!)? Nope. Chad Johnson (I refuse to acknowledge his new last name)? C'mon. Look at the teams who have one Super Bowls recently and it's rather surprising how little marquee talent is needed at wide receiver to win even multiple titles. Hines Ward? He's not 6'3" and outrunning smaller defenders! Ward has two rings! He's also got some character and leadership going.
I do not think the Cowboys will win a Super Bowl this year but rather see next year as a likely push ... and a serious one for several reasons I'll discuss at another time. I do, however, think that Dallas is at least a strong contender in the NFC East as I'm not at all sold on Washington for as long as Dan Snyder owns the team. Andy Reid will never win a Super Bowl in Philadelphia passing as often as he does and then when he does run he relies on the most brittle back in the game in Brian Westbrook. And that leaves New York, the trendy pick to win the East. The mouthpieces seem to have forgotten, unlike the Giants themselves, that on offense there is no
sign of any primary wide receiver, period. Further, and worse yet, we'll finally get to see Osi Umenyiora operating without Michael Strahan for an entire season. Food for thought? Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka combined for as many sacks as DeMarcus Ware posted by himself last year.
I think Dallas wins the NFC East as I'm predicting that only one team is going to the playoffs out of that division. And if Dallas does indeed miss the postseason once again, it will be because the Cowboys can't stop the run which I'm concerned they still can't do very well with an undersized nose guard for the fifth straight year in the 3-4. A meager 8 pics last year despite all those sacks is all the proof you need so please don't argue that point. But it won't be because Roy Williams can't play wide receiver or because T.O.'s touchdowns (and drops) are no longer a part of the picture.
