Cowboys '07 preview
Coach Bill Parcells is gone after four seasons without a playoff win. Still, he left the Cowboys in much better shape than they were when he arrived. This is the Cowboys' most talented team in years. In Tony Romo, the team has a quarterback who is capable of leading it deep into the playoffs.
Owner/GM Jerry Jones hired Wade Phillips as Parcells' replacement instead of Norv Turner for one reason: Phillips' prowess as a defensive coordinator. Jones says the Cowboys have the personnel to have a dominant 3-4 defense, and he hopes Phillips' aggressive style will get the most from the players.
There are high hopes in Dallas that the Cowboys can erase the memories of last season's playoff collapse and win in the postseason for the first time in a decade.
GAME PLAN
Offense: Though the Cowboys ranked fourth among NFL teams in points per game last season, they took a risk and tinkered with the offense. They declined to re-sign passing game coordinator Todd Haley and took play-calling duties away from Tony Sparano.
Then they turned the offense over to Jason Garrett, who had been an NFL assistant for just two years before the Cowboys hired him as coordinator. Garrett will run the same base offense the Cowboys used last year, and the emphasis will continue to be on spreading the ball around. Dallas again will use its two-pronged running attack, though it will rely more on man-to-man blocking instead of the zone-blocking scheme it used much of last season.
Defense: With Phillips in charge of the defense, look for the Cowboys to have a much more aggressive approach. They will use a one-gap scheme instead of the two-gap zone employed under Parcells, and the emphasis will be on attacking the quarterback.
SPOTLIGHT PLAYERS
QB Tony Romo: Romo, an undrafted free agent, replaced Drew Bledsoe after a 3-3 start last season and led the Cowboys to the playoffs. Since his rookie year in 2003, Romo has overhauled his throwing motion – he now has more of an over-the-top delivery – and increased his accuracy. He is especially accurate when throwing on the move, so don't be surprised if Garrett adds more rollouts or bootlegs.
Romo has good speed and quickness, which enables him to escape pressure. He also is elusive enough to convert third downs with his legs when he has to. He tends to gamble, though, and must do a better job of protecting the ball when he is in the pocket.
WR Terrell Owens: Owens will become a bigger distraction than he was in his first year in Dallas because there's no Parcells-like presence on the coaching staff to keep him in check. Last season, Owens led the league in receiving touchdowns (13) and drops (18) while catching 85 passes for 1,180 yards. The Cowboys want to get him the ball on the crossing routes more often to take advantage of his run-after-the-catch skills.
RG Leonard Davis: Davis, the most significant offseason acquisition, is the key to the offensive line. Labeled an underachiever in Arizona, Davis is lethal if he gets his hands on a defender. He'll play alongside tackle Marc Colombo, a tough, gritty player who impressed the Cowboys with his work ethic and determination after a knee injury nearly ruined his career.
OLB DeMarcus Ware: Ware earned his first Pro Bowl berth last season and is on the verge of being a star. He can rush the passer, cover and play the run equally well. But the Cowboys don't have another outside linebacker they can trust to rush the passer. Greg Ellis could fill the role but is coming off a torn Achilles' tendon, and the coaches have no idea whether he still can be the high-level pass rusher the scheme needs.
First-round pick Anthony Spencer needs to make the conversion from end to linebacker before he can fill the spot. The Cowboys drafted Spencer because they need a dominant pass rusher at each outside position. Spencer will be a nickel rusher early in the season, but his role will evolve as he improves.
VINNIE IYER'S TAKE
Parcells laid the foundation for both Romo and the 3-4 defense to grow, so Phillips is well positioned to make the silver star shine much brighter this season. Prediction: 13-3 (first in the NFC East).
FALL FORECAST
This season is all about winning in the playoffs. Phillips knows that; so do the players – and expect them to respond. Behind Romo's outstanding play and a more aggressive 3-4, the Cowboys will survive a grueling regular season and win their first division title since 1998. Don't be surprised if they make a deep playoff run.
Jean-Jacques Taylor covers the Cowboys for the Dallas Morning News and Sporting News.
