Cowboys lose…again

Jan 2, 2012

The Cowboys lose…again

The Dallas Cowboys lose again, but things are looking optimistic for next season

The Dallas Cowboys missed out on not only making the playoffs, but becoming the NFC East Champions with a loss to the New York Giants on Sunday night, ending a dramatic and disappointing season. Although they didn’t play at the level they should have, we found out a lot about the future of this team from this past season. The first thing is RB DeMarco Murray was a great find in last year’s draft. Although he only scored two touchdowns, Murray managed to rush for 897 yards on only 164 attempts. That’s an average of 5.5 yards per rush, and he only fumbled once. Second LB Sean Lee really came into his own this year, and became a stand out LB not only on the team, but in the entire league. He led the team in tackles with 104, which is 31 tackles higher than the next player. He also had four interceptions which tied him for first in the entire NFL for interceptions by a linebacker.

All that being said, something needs to be done! We as a fan base demand that Dallas be the best. Dallas has played in 8 Super Bowls, and was the first franchise to win three of them in a four year period. The fan inside me hopes Jerry Jones reads this or realizes it’s time to start spending money on big talent. They let Philadelphia push them out of the way, and sign CB Nnamdi Asomugha. Granted he did not have as good of a season as he has had in past years, but our secondary has been Swiss cheese for far too long. The last time I can remember our secondary being stable was before S Darren Woodson retired. That’s 2004, almost eight years since we’ve had a decent secondary. If LB DeMarcus Ware and DT Jay Ratliff both get picked up at the line and there is no pressure on the quarterback, we get beat on any route the wide outs want to run. Last night was a perfect example, the Giants used running backs, fullbacks, and tight ends to chip our pass rushers, giving QB Eli Manning the time he needed to shred our defensive secondary. Fix it Jerry Jones! I personally love the scheme defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has brought to the team. It utilizes our blitzers very well and keeps the opposing QB guessing where they might be coming from. However, if we do not have the protection behind to support it we will allow a ton of yards and points.

The offense is not error free by far. The young inexperienced line Tony Romo is playing behind, has allowed him to be beaten up worse than he has been in his whole career. Anyone who watched the whole game last night saw what Romo’s hand looked like. and knew this game would not end with a win for the Cowboys. Although Romo played hard and made a lot of great plays, his throws were nowhere near as accurate. TE Jason Witten did not get the ball nearly as much as he has in the past, but I’m ok with that. I think with the talent WR Dez Bryant has, and the emergence of WR Laurent Robinson will make it easier for Romo next season. I also believe Bryant needs a bigger role in this passing game. I’m not sure if Dez Bryant and Romo are on the same page at times, but Bryant has shown flashes of brilliance for a young wide out.

I believe as the offensive line becomes more experienced and better players are brought in, this team will only get better. Tony Romo gets a lot of blame from fans around the league and even some fans of his own team. However, it can’t be solely blamed on Tony Romo or the coaches or any one player. That’s why it’s a team sport and why the saying, “Any Given Sunday” exists. I mean did anyone think Green Bay would honestly lose to Kansas City? Or that the Eagles would finish at .500? No is the answer to both those questions. It’s a crazy game and anything can happen. It’s everything coming together in one big equation not just one piece that makes or breaks a team, game, or season.