Cowboys: New hope
DALLAS’ ROSTER IS BUILT TO WIN, BUT PLAYOFF SUCCESS HAS BEEN ELUSIVE FOR DECADES
A strong showing in 2016 has brought back talk of a Super Bowl.
I f logic played any role in the future of football, frustrated Cowboys fans would be more optimistic than usual. It has become a ritual among Cowboys faithful — preseason certainty that this year will be unlike the year before, and the year before that, and the year before that. If there is a synonym for the notion that hope springs eternal, it is Cowboys fan. But could this be the season when postseason joy matches preseason optimism? The Cowboys have a different look than in the recent past. Last season, they tied a franchise record by winning 13 games. Their most important players are returning. They have no major injuries.
The flip side is that if logic played any role in the future of football, last season would not have happened. In preseason, quarterbacks Tony Romo and Kellen Moore were injured. Dallas had finished 4-12 in 2015 and had to start the regular season with a rookie quarterback, whose college career was so uninspiring that he was not drafted until the fourth round. The Cowboys had a defense that was — at best — average. Their star wide receiver, who had missed seven games the previous season because of injury and had gained only 401 yards the entire season, was not 100 percent healthy.
But Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys had a magical season and it is logical to expect them to be better. With Romo retired and headed to the CBS broadcasting booth, the Cowboys are clearly Prescott’s team and should be ready to atone for the only major negative of last season — the 34-31 loss to Green Bay in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Then again, there is seldom logic in football — unless Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are the subjects.
The Cowboys are the richest and most popular team in the NFL — the franchise is valued at $4.2 billion by Forbes magazine. Seven of their 2016 games drew the largest audience of the week, six finished second and three were third. No other team was close to that.
However, no franchise knows more than the Cowboys that money and fame don’t buy championships. Not only has Dallas not won a Super Bowl in 21 years, but it also hasn’t been to a conference championship game in that span. In 12 of those 21 years, they did not even make the playoffs.
It has been an exasperating two-plus decades for the franchise and its fans, but each new season brings the familiar glow of hope. With the infusion of young talent last year, the Cowboys have a nice blend of veterans and youth and they believe they are on the brink of something special. “We got something bright,” said wide receiver Dez Bryant. “We’ve got something very special in the future. This is the best team I’ve ever been a part of.”
Reasons for optimism
Prescott finished behind only Tom Brady and Matt Ryan in quarterback rating last year, and those two made it to the Super Bowl. He excelled in many areas but not making mistakes was arguably the most important. Prescott threw only four interceptions last season. He once had 11 in college so defensive coordinators will be designing coverages to test him this season. “He won’t sneak up on anybody this year,” says offensive coordinator Scott Linehan. “But he knows that.”
Elliott ran for 1,631 yards and won the rushing title by 318 yards as a rookie. However, the NFL suspended him for the season’s first six games for his role in an alleged domestic violence incident.
The offensive line is anchored by the three former No. 1 picks — tackle Tyron Smith, center Travis Frederick and guard Zack Martin — all of whom will likely will play at an All-Pro level. but the Cowboys have two positions to fill. Guard Ron Leary signed a free-agent contract in Denver and tackle Doug Free retired. Guard Jonathan Cooper was drafted No. 7 by Arizona in the first round in 2013, but has not lived up to expectations. Tackle La’el Collins had first-round talent but was not drafted in 2015 because of off-field issues. . If he and Cooper win starting jobs, the Cowboys will have fivefirst-round caliber picks on the offensive line.
At tight end, 35-year-old Jason Witten is a sure thing to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is beginning his 15th season and is the seventh-leading receiver in NFL history. His 1,089 receptions are second among tight ends behind only Tony Gonzalez, who had 1,325 in 17 years with Kansas City and Atlanta. Witten has been the essence of toughness and durability. He has played in 223 of 224 regular-season games. When he was a rookie, a broken jaw kept him out of one game. But he played the next week. Former Cowboys defensive end Jeremy Mincey summarized the respect Witten has earned by saying: “Witten is a certified ‘war daddy.’ ”
Reasons for concern
Although it’s nice to have the “war daddy” — a Jerry Jones term — on offense, the Cowboys do not have one on defense, where one is desperately needed. In the three seasons since DeMarcus Ware left for Denver, the Cowboys have finished 28th, 25th and 25th in sacks, averaging 29 a season. In the previous six seasons with Ware, they averaged 41 sacks and Ware twice led the league in sacks. The Cowboys are hoping defensive end Taco Charlton, their first-round pick from Michigan, will help.
Besides a “war daddy,” the Cowboys also have not had a “ball hawk” in the defensive backfield. In the past two years, the Cowboys have had only 17 interceptions. Three teams had 18 last year. That’s why the Cowboys weren’t devastated to lose three-fourths of their starting defensive backfield — cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne and safety Barry Church — who left in free agency. That does, however, mean rookie backs Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis and free agent signee Nolan Carroll, an ex-Eagle, will be relied upon.