It's easy to scatter blame around Dallas for last season's collapse that saw the Cowboys miss the playoffs after getting throttled 44-6 in the season finale in Philadelphia. Quarterback Tony Romo struggled late in the season and still has yet to win a game in the playoffs, despite all of his fanfare and the big contract. Wideout Terrell Owens and defensive back Pacman Jones were each as combustible as a player as there is in the NFL, and each were jettisoned out of town in the offseason. But owner Jerry Jones is as culpable as anyone in "Big D", as he's been meddling more and more with his team in the last few years, unsatisfied with the results this decade after the Cowboys were basically the league's BEST team in the 1990s. He's named offensive coordinator Jason Garrett essentially the coach-in-waiting, making head coach Wade Phillips's footing tenuous at best heading into the season. Dallas will open up a $1-plus billion stadium that has the world's largest scoreboard, largest HDTV and is the new largest dome in the world - so expectations are great by Jones for the organization to win, and win now.

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Phillips, Garrett, and Jones spent much of their offseason supposedly making the offense more “Romo-friendly,” but The Bookie speculates that it was T.O. who made Romo a Pro Bowl QB in the first place, and no comparable receiving threat remains on the roster. Opponents began to key on Garrett’s and Romo’s tendencies last fall when the gameplan became too formulaic, and Roy Williams, acquired for three draft picks from Detroit, didn’t emerge as a major threat. Unless Williams delivers, the only quick strike ability in the passing game might be raw speedburner Miles Austin, who has only 18 career receptions.
Rookies Felix Jones and Tashard Choice showed big upside while complementing Marion Barber on the ground: another knock on Garrett is that he got away from the run too frequently in 2008. The O-line is heavy an slow and isn't getting any younger. Depth is also a problem on both sides; it's especially visible on defense, as the Cowboys ranked seventh in the first half, 12th in the third quarter and 27th in the fourth quarter in defense. Phillips also will be seeking need improvements in the secondary, where he wants both safeties (Ken Hamlin and Gerald Sensabaugh) to assume more leadership.

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