2008 Dallas Cowboys
How can you measure the weight of expectations? How do you judge a mission accomplished when the criteria are so much more than wins and losses? These 2008 Dallas Comboys must battle more than opponents. They carry the pressure that comes with doing what you’re supposed to do.
Rich kids often comment on the burden of carrying on a legacy. Grandfather made a fortune, Dad extended it and now the onus is on me to continue. Being put into a position to succeed and failing is the ultimate shame. Make no mistake, these Cowboys are in a position to reach for greatness.
Let’s see how far their reach extends.
On offense Tony Romo, Marion Barber, Terrell Owens and Jason Whitten carry the weight of expectation. Last year this unit set the league on fire. The offensive line is a sturdy group that allowed 25 sacks last year and they return intact to provide a foundation for the offense to build upon. The skill position players are worthy of any and all accolades directed theirway.They finished the season third in overall offense with Romo being the League’s number five (5) rated passer and facilitating the dominance of his playmaking teammates. Add Felix Jones to the mix and these guys shouldn’t miss a beat.
The excitement that the offense generates lends even more pressure to the already huge expectations placed upon the defense. For this unit the pressure is two-fold. One they have to keep with with the offense and two I think they have to deal with the anxiety of carrying thier own reputations.
Newman, Williams, Ellis, Spears, Ware and now Jones. The notoriety associated with those names are enormous; this year the production must exceed it. For this team to get to the Superbowl the defense is going to have to be top notch; Average won’t do. New York, Washington and Philadelphia will feast on average defenses, but each one will have trouble with top notch ones. The road to league wide superiority will begin with this unit. It’s that serious.
At the end of the season, success won’t be measured in wins and losses. Quite simply it will be in one game. The Super Bowl. Every team starts with the goal of winning it all. Perhaps the difference here is that this team is equipped to complete the task. They really should win it all.
That my friends is what these Dallas Cowboys are up against; the pressure of doing what they’re supposed to.
Unfair as it might be, the memories of the title teams in ‘92, ‘93, and ‘95 still resonate with the fanbase. They are still accustomed to greatness. Swagger is knowing that you’re good and playing like it. It’s having a sense of entitlement. For this team to reach its potential they’ll have to play with the swagger of champions past. They’ll have to believe thier own hype. When all is said and done they may just be able to pull it off.
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August 7th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
FINALLY! After all that Eagles coverage, we get some ink on a team people actually care about! [Sorry Mizzo:)]
The Cowboys should get to the Super Bowl. They are the most talented team in the NFC. The schedule is rough, but they have the firepower on both sides of the ball to get it done. Will they succomb to the pressure or eat it for breakfast? I have no idea, but it’s gonna be a Hell of a ride for the next five months.
Also I’d like to give a shout out to Favre for taking all the media attention away from the ‘Boys. Once again, Brett helps the Cowboys by throwing a pick.
August 7th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
I knew yo ass was comin…
August 7th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
Honestly, I’m not gonna talk too much trash this year cause they haven’t earned anything yet. I’ve learned my lesson from last year. But if I’m pushed by say, an irrational Eagles fan named Mike, well i just may have to break out the big guns. I don’t make the rules.
August 7th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Effin Cowboy fans!
Damnit ta blazes!
August 7th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
“Also I’d like to give a shout out to Favre for taking all the media attention away from the ‘Boys. Once again, Brett helps the Cowboys by throwing a pick.”
LOL……now that was funny!
August 7th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
I like the Cowboys and (dare I say) the Saints in the NFC Championship. The Cowboys win 34-20 and go on to the Super Bowl.
August 7th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
YES!!! My Cowboys are back and ready to roll. I fully expect them to be in the Super Bowl this year. Superman Brett Favre is out of Green Bay, The Giants only got as far as they did because they played well at the right time last year, that won’t happen this year. The only competition in the NFC for the Cowboys are the Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles and the New Orleans Saints. We have the most talent in the NFL. There is no excuse why we shouldn’t be handed the NFC Championship on a silver platter.
August 7th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
I really feel like this is the team to beat in the NFC. Very complete squad on paper. Football season cannot get here fast enough.
August 7th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
The Cowboys are possibly the most over-hyped team going. Yes, they have talent, but they also have the blind-spot that a lot of the talented have — they think they can win just by stepping on the field.
It starts from the top down. Jerry Jones is clearly a talented businessman, but he over-plays his hands (why exactly is Wade Phillips coach of this team?). Why did Marion Barber split carries for the past few years? Why did they stop running the football against the Giants in the playoffs? Roy Williams is a liability in pass coverage. And have we seen a QB be more overrated than Tony Romo? I’d love to see how he’d do without Owens. Love it.
This is a team of veterans. If they were so much better than the rest of the NFC they would have won a playoff game by now. Last season’s 13-3 record was the best you can expect from them. They’ll be in a dogfight with everyone else in the division for a playoff birth. They get in, though, and who knows what’ll happen since the NFC really is a toss-up.
They have a lot of names, which is why they’re so well represented in the Pro Bowl, but they’re no more talented than anybody else in their division and they have WAY less depth.
DeMarcus Ware and Flozell Adams are the truth, though.
August 8th, 2008 at 9:41 am
OK, they should have gone to the Super Bowl last year and they choked like dogs in the playoffs. What’s to stop that from happening again? No playoff victories in 12 years!
August 8th, 2008 at 11:13 am
“but they’re no more talented than anybody else in their division and they have WAY less depth.
Really? No more talented? Best QB, best WR, best LB, best CB[debatable], best TE, best OT[debatable], best OG.
WAY less depth? The only spot without proven depth is the WR corps. LB corps is deep, DL is deep, DBs are deep. I don’t see WAY less depth.
Romo may be average without TO, and we’ll find out in 2-3 years. But as long as he’s here, he’s one of the best in the league. Not winning a playoff game means he can’t be THE best yet. But he is one of the best.
August 8th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Best QB? Hell no! Am I reading you right bruh?
I’d take Donovan over Romo even if I wasn’t a Philly fan.
August 8th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
That’s a fair argument. McNabb has the longevity and the wins, but right at this moment in time I’m going with TR-808. .
I see there was no argument with my other suggestions. You may be a hater, but you know what the deal is. And if the ‘Boys win it all, we ain’t going to Hell. it’s gonna be peaches & cream, milk & honey, big butts & blunts for EVERYONE!! LOL
August 8th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
LMAO funny bruh funny.
There’s no way Romo is a better quarterback than Triple 5 Soul brothaman. Ya better quit watchin channel zero.
August 8th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Channel Zero has the best porn, so yeah not gonna happen. The season shall play out. Isn’t week 2 the first matchup? It’s gonna be a hot time in the town that night:)
August 8th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Yes, they have the best wide out in the division. But that’s it. Who’s better than Shawn Andrews? Leonard Davis…? C’mon. Andrews is the truth.
And Diallo, to think that T.O. isn’t making Romo — that’s just certifiable. There are two true difference makers at the wide receiver position in the whole league — and the Cowboys have one of them. Just look T.O.’s impact in Philly (on the field) and Moss in New England — Brady and McNabb, already superstars, put up career years when they had HoF talent on the outside. You better believe Romo’s getting a bump because he has Owens on the field with him.
Not to mention, football is THE team game, it’s about how all those pieces work together. You could line them up against the Patriots and say they have a better team “on paper”, they certainly have more names, but that team also got smoked by the Pats, in Dallas.
And, if I remember correctly, they’re not the team from the division who won the Super Bowl.
August 8th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
BMI-I was gonna go there with Andrews/Davis but I’ve learned to let the Cowboys fans to get their rocks off while they can. If you’ve got to name the best guard in the division, you’re doing alot of reachin’.
August 9th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Wait are you guys Eagles fans?!? Now it all makes sense. The irrational illogic. The wildly egregious statements. Shawn Andrews is your trump card?!? Really? Why was I trying to argue from a logical standpoint? Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! It’s all good though. The season will play out. Logical rational thought shall reign. And Illadelph will go another year without a world title. Just the way it’s meant to be.
August 24th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
nice read.. Tony Romo is an obvious player.
August 24th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
The Dallas Cowboys have amassed one of the most talented teams in the league, now they just need to play like one of the most talented teams in the league!