The Dallas Cowboys are not as bad off as everyone is making them out to be. There is the Tony Romo issue but by now they should be used to that as Romo has been dealing with injuries the past few seasons but as unexpected as this one was it shouldn’t be a total shock. Romo is up there in age, and time waits for no man but what hurt the Boys last season was his replacements, not his health.
The Cowboys were forced to do a hockey shift change with their QBs as they played Kellen Moore, Brandon Weeden, Romo and Matt Cassell. If one of those players would’ve had even an average season, the Boys would’ve done better than 4-12. But QB was not their only issue; they were also without their top playmakers. WR, Dez Bryant missed the action, and the Boys also had to deal with the departure of NFL leading rusher DeMarco Murray. 2015 just wasn’t their season, but 2016 is a new opportunity to reverse all negativity.
Dallas are afterthoughts in the eyes of many with Romo gone for half the season, but there is still hope. If Dak Prescott is giving the starting nod, that may turn out to be the best solution for Dallas. Prescott brings to the table an option the Cowboys haven’t had in a while, the option.
Their ground game was average last season with Darren McFadden in the backfield but with possible ROY, Ezekiel Elliot and the legs of Prescott the Boys will be tough to handle, especially on 3rd downs and short yardage situations. Prescott has shown the ability to hit receivers in stride this preseason, and that was with 2nd and 3rd stringers. What happens when you place him with Elliott, Bryant, Jason Witten and that massive O-Line for four quarters?
The one bright spot for the Cowboys last year was the play of their defense. The Boys ranked 5th in total passing yards allowed and with the offense healthy this season that gives them an opportunity to be even better. If the Cowboys can somehow manage to stop the run and get pressure on the QB, those four wins will become nothing but an asterisk in the stat column.
This season the NFC East is wide open as each team has their flaws, and I hate to put so much pressure on a young QB, but he is given an opportunity of a lifetime that if he exceeds expectations it could last more than nine games, even after Romo returns. Where the Boys stand entering 2016 is where every other team in the division stands, 0-0. They have a clean slate, a blank canvas, but if media hounds think the Eagles can win the division with Bradford, the Giants win with a hobbled defense or the Redskins with a still unproven QB, then why cast aside the Cowboys chances?
It’s fair game in the East, and the Cowboys have just as good a chance as the other three teams in staking claim to the title.