Expectations are an inevitable part of life. No matter the job or situation, there is an expectation of what the final result should be. The NFL is no exception.
If you’re the Dallas Cowboys, expectations are always high, sometimes unobtainable, as was the case in 2008.
America’s Team may as well have been a spoof on the TV show America’s Got Talent. Or perhaps America’s Most Wanted. Every week it was a different, or the same, problem that hindered a team many picked to get to the Super Bowl. One week it was Adam “Pacman” Jones getting swallowed by ghosts, the next it was a player mouthing off, and in the end, it was a chemistry experiment blowing up and making the team a contender on America’s Funniest Home Videos.
All in all, it was just another year in Dallas.
With training camp finally under way, the expectations for the 2009 Cowboys are not quite as high from the media, but anything less than a playoff appearance, and victory, will make it a failed season. Especially after opening a new stadium that is creating a bigger buzz in the preseason than the team itself.
Offense
Two storylines dominate the coverage of the Cowboys offense in 2009: 1.) Can Tony Romo become the leader he needs to be and 2.) Can Roy Williams fill the void Terrel Owens left (dropped balls included)?
Dissecting statistics and prior performance will do nothing to answer the second question. If Williams plays to his potential, the answer is yes, and he will become the man who saved the Cowboys from T.O. and a perennial wide receiver the Cowboys lack.
He has two solid things going for him. First is Jason Witten, who is arguably the best tight end in football and has the surest hands on the team. Second is the glut of talent the Cowboys have in the backfield with Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice. Quarterback Tony Romo will no longer have to worry about getting his No. 1 receiver enough balls to avoid controversy which means all Williams has to do is catch the passes Romo throws him, which will be a huge step up from T.O’s often rock-hard hands.
We know Romo has been horrible late in the season. To put it simply, there are no more excuses. His play must reflect the expectations (yes, that word again) that are set for him. He will determine whether this offense cruises or stalls in 2009.
Defense
The biggest question mark for the Cowboys defense, as it was last year, is how their secondary will perform. The team knows what they have in Terrence Newman, but if he doesn’t stay healthy, the Cowboys will once again rely on young talent on the outside to anchor the defensive passing game.
Upfront, DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer will need to put enough pressure on the quarterback to ensure the secondary doesn’t have to play extended coverage, which led to big plays for offenses last year. The Cowboys cut unhappy Greg Ellis whose contract insecurities left the team with a headache for the past three years.
The question this year remains the same as last year: Can the Cowboys finish games on the defensive side of the ball in the fourth quarter, especially late in the season?
Coaching
Cowboys czar Jerry Jones has more confidence in head coach/defensive coordinator Wade Phillips than his own mother. The flimsy-awe-shucks coach has promised he will act as more of a dictator this season, but that’s a promise not easily believed. Jones claims Phillips’ leash is non-existent, but if the Cowboys stumble out of the gate, Jones may have to swallow his pride is his team plans on winning a playoff game, let alone make the playoffs in 2009.
Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett no longer has the drama T.O. created on the offensive side of the ball. Two years ago, Garrett was considered the best new offensive coordinator in the game but questionable play calling in 2008 has put him on the hot seat. He will need to find a way to utilize the weapons he has and be creative with his play calling. No longer can Garrett simply hope he’s tricking the defense, he has to know it. And with the wealth of talent he has waiting to be unleashed, there are no more excuses.
2009 Projection
The Cowboys play in the most top-heavy division in football in the NFC East. It may not take winning the division to make the playoffs, and chances are they won’t, but if they aren’t in contention in mid-December, it will be the second year in a row they miss the playoffs.
Consistency has been an issue for over a decade in Dallas. The best thing that can happen to this football team is to earn a playoff wild card and keep any momentum they can muster at the end of the season and run with it during the postseason.
Record: 10-6
Playoffs: Wildcard
