Dallas Cowboys 2008 Season Preview

Football Betting Lines

08/25/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Dallas Cowboys enter the 2008 season hoping that their expected rise back to the top of the National Football Conference heap was only one year too late.

Dallas appeared primed to seize its first NFC crown since 1995 after a brilliant 13-win regular season that earned "America's Team" the prized honor of home field advantage through the conference playoffs. The coronation was put on hold, however, when the Cowboys were knocked off their pedestal in the Divisional round by a New York Giants squad they had beaten handily on two previous occasions during the fall.

It marked the second straight year the Cowboys were blindsided by an excruciating early postseason exit, this one possibly even more painful than the one-point defeat at Seattle in 2006 that was best remembered for quarterback Tony Romo's botched hold on a potential game-winning field goal attempt in the final minutes.

Romo rebounded with a banner 2007 season that saw the athletic signal-caller team with mercurial wide receiver Terrell Owens and punishing running back Marion Barber for a modern-day version of the Troy Aikman-Michael Irvin-Emmitt Smith triumvirate that fueled Dallas' championship runs of the mid-1990's. The new trio, along with All-Pro tight end Jason Witten and a top-notch offensive line, enabled the Cowboys to pile up the second-most points and third-highest yardage total in the NFL last year.

The defense, headlined by big-play outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware and cornerback Terence Newman, wasn't exactly chopped liver either. Dallas finished third in the league with 46 sacks and ranked an impressive sixth overall against the run.

Last year's Cowboys wound up sending a record 13 players to the Pro Bowl, each of whom remain under contract for the upcoming season. That enviable collection of talent, coupled with the club's pre-January performance, has made Dallas the consensus choice to represent the NFC in this year's Super Bowl.

But first, the team is going to have to win a playoff game, something the Cowboys haven't done in more than a decade. The franchise has lost six consecutive postseason matchups since a Wild Card triumph over Minnesota in 1996.

With the roster already pretty well set, the Dallas brass primarily focused on keeping its nucleus intact during the offseason, locking up Barber, offensive tackle Flozell Adams and valuable free safety Ken Hamlin with long-term deals. That philosophy still didn't keep team owner Jerry Jones from creating headlines with his most notable player move of the spring, the acquisition of problematic cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones in a trade with Tennessee.

The decision to deal for the talented ex-Titan, who sat out the entire 2007 season under suspension for repeated violations of the NFL's personal conduct policy, was controversial but certainly not without precedent for the organization. The Cowboys have gambled and won on players with character concerns in the past, having signed Owens after the superstar wideout wore out his welcome in both Philadelphia and San Francisco, and bringing in troubled nose tackle Tank Johnson after he was cut loose by the Bears because of legal issues.

Below we take a capsule look at the 2008 edition of the Dallas Cowboys, with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:

2007 RECORD: 13-3 (1st, NFC East)

LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2007, lost to N.Y. Giants, 21-17, in NFC Wild Card Game

COACH (RECORD): Wade Phillips (13-3 in one season with Cowboys, 61-42 overall)

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Jason Garrett

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Brian Stewart

OFFENSIVE STAR: Tony Romo, QB (4211 passing yards, 36 TD, 19 INT, 129 rushing yards, 2 TD)

DEFENSIVE STAR: DeMarcus Ware, OLB (84 tackles, 14 sacks)

OFFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: 17th rushing, 4th passing, 2nd scoring

DEFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: 6th rushing, 13th passing, 13th scoring

KEY ADDITIONS: RB Felix Jones (1st Round, Arkansas), TE Martellus Bennett (2nd Round, Texas A&M), T Cory Lekkerkerker (from Dolphins), LB Zach Thomas (from Dolphins), CB Pacman Jones (from Titans), CB Mike Jenkins (1st Round, South Florida)

KEY DEPARTURES: RB Julius Jones (to Seahawks), FB Oliver Hoyte (to Chiefs), TE Anthony Fasano (to Dolphins), NT Jason Ferguson (to Dolphins), LB Akin Ayodele (to Dolphins), CB Nathan Jones (to Dolphins), CB Jacques Reeves (to Texans), S Keith Davis (to Dolphins)

QB: Romo has taken his share of heat for his celebrity girlfriends and a shaky showing in the playoff loss to the Giants, but the undrafted free agent also ended any lingering doubts as to whether he can play at an elite level with his prolific 2007 season. The 28-year-old shattered long-standing franchise records by amassing 4,211 passing yards and 36 touchdown tosses, while his 97.4 quarterback rating was the best in the NFC. Brad Johnson is back for a second straight season as the backup, although speculation has existed during the preseason that the Cowboys were on the lookout for a younger veteran to supplant the aging old pro, who will be 40 in September.

RB: After sharing the rushing load with Julius Jones during his first three NFL seasons, Barber (975 rushing yards, 12 total TD) figures to see his work increase after a terrific 2007 campaign. The rugged running back also plays a key role in Dallas' potent aerial attack, as evidenced by the 44 passes he hauled in during split duty last year. With backfield mate Jones having left for Seattle in the offseason, the Cowboys used one of their two first-round picks in April's draft on Arkansas' Felix Jones, a dangerous open-field threat who should make a nice complement to Barber's prowess as an inside runner. Dallas also nabbed Georgia Tech's Tashard Choice in the fourth round after the 23-year-old put together a noticeably productive career with the Yellow Jackets. Second-year pro Deon Anderson (6 receptions) emerged as the team's starting fullback before having his rookie season cut short by a shoulder injury after eight games. He entered training camp healthy and ready to serve as Barber's lead blocker.

WR/TE: Owens (81 receptions) may be turning 35 in December, but the attention- starved receiver hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. The perennial All- Pro's team-record 15 touchdown grabs last season were the second-highest amount of his 12-year career, while the 1,355 receiving yards Owens racked up were his most since 1996. Witten was equally as important a weapon in 2007, as the four-time Pro Bowler topped all NFC tight ends with personal bests of 96 catches and 1,145 yards, while wideout Patrick Crayton (50 receptions, 7 TD) did a solid job in his first go-round as a starter. The third receiver's job became an open camp competition after the Cowboys released injury-plagued veteran Terry Glenn in July. Return specialist Miles Austin (5 receptions) looked to have been the front-runner after a big game in the preseason opener, but he sprained his knee the following week to give the advantage back to special-teams stalwart Sam Hurd (19 receptions, 1 TD). Dallas also has high hopes for Isaiah Stanback, a converted college quarterback who played sparingly as a rookie last year, and young tight end Martellus Bennett, the club's second-round draft choice in 2008 who's competing with Tony Curtis (3 receptions, 3 TD) to be Witten's chief understudy.

OL: The awesome numbers put up by Romo and the receiver group last year couldn't have been attained without the superb job done by an offensive line that sent three members -- Adams (left tackle), center Andre Gurode and right guard Leonard Davis -- to Honolulu at season's end. The Cowboys took some flak for handing Davis, a former No. 2 overall draft pick by Arizona who was viewed as a major underachiever with the Cardinals, a lavish seven-year free- agent contract prior to the season, but the massive lineman earned his take with a dominating first year in Big D. The front office showed how much it valued Adams by rewarding the four-time Pro Bowl choice with a similarly big deal before he was about to enter free agency. Right tackle Marc Colombo, who's entering the final year of his contract, could be next in line for a big payday if he plays to his 2007 level. Left guard Kyle Kosier hasn't made anybody forget former Dallas great Larry Allen , but has been steady in his two years as a starter. To bolster depth, the Cowboys plucked guard James Marten (3rd round) and tackle Doug Free (4th) in last year's draft, although neither saw much time as rookies. Cory Procter and Pat McQuistan also return to reprise their roles as the backup center and swing tackle, respectively.

DL: Although this was the lone area of the team not to have a Pro Bowl participant last season, it's by no means a weakness. Dallas' sturdy three-man front is headed by 6-foot-7 Chris Canty (43 sacks, 3.5 sacks), who's developed into one of the better run-stopping ends in the NFL. Head coach and defensive architect Wade Phillips plans to use a three-man rotation of Jay Ratliff (30 tackles, 3 sacks), Marcus Spears (30 tackles, 2 sacks) and Tank Johnson (11 tackles, 2 sacks) at the other two spots, with the versatile and valuable Ratliff (30 tackles) alternating between nose tackle and left-side end. Johnson, a starter on the Bears' 2006 NFC championship squad, played well in limited snaps at the nose upon returning from a league-issued suspension, but the former first-rounder Spears is coming off a mildly disappointing campaign. Jason Hatcher (27 tackles, 2 sacks) and Stephen Bowen (14 tackles) are big and able reserves at the ends, while ex-Kansas City washout Junior Siavii has a shot to stick as a backup nose tackle.

LB: Last year's strong defensive showing was keyed by the devastating pass- rush combo of the disruptive Ware (84 tackles, 14 sacks) and fellow outside linebacker Greg Ellis (31 tackles, 12.5 sacks), who bounced back from a torn Achilles tendon suffered the previous season to put together arguably his best season. The Cowboys also have talented 2007 first-round selection Anthony Spencer (36 tackles, 3 sacks) in tow at the position, and he'll be used to help keep the 33-year-old Ellis fresh. The inside corps added a wealth of leadership and experience with the offseason signing of ex-Dolphins standout and native Texan Zach Thomas (52 tackles, 1 sack). Although the seven-time Pro Bowl honoree will be 35 this season and was limited to five games due to injuries a year ago, the team is confident he's still got the speed and savvy to be an impact playmaker. Thomas will line up next to leading tackler Bradie James (101 tackles, 3 sacks) on the inside, with nickel specialist Kevin Burnett (53 tackles) often subbing for James on passing downs. Former first- round choice Bobby Carpenter (18 tackles) and second-year outside reserve Justin Rogers (18 tackles) are back to supply depth and help out on special teams, and Dallas drafted Erik Walden, an undersized pass rusher, in the sixth round of April's draft.

DB: One of the few shortcomings on last season's Cowboys team was a lack of quality cornerbacks behind the injury-prone Newman (50 tackles, 4 INT, 13 PD), who earned a Pro Bowl nod despite battling a foot injury, and right-side starter Anthony Henry (36 tackles, 6 INT, 13 PD). That problem should be alleviated with the trade for Pacman Jones, provided he's reinstated by the NFL and can return to the form he displayed during his first two years in Tennessee. The dynamic defender has been on his best behavior since the spring trade, however, which makes it likely the league offense will give him the green light come September. Dallas also nabbed corner Mike Jenkins with its second No. 1 pick in this year's draft and plans to use the South Florida star and Jones in nickel packages, with the bigger but slower Henry supplanting the coverage-challenged Roy Williams (92 tackles, 2 INT) at safety. Williams was one of the few Cowboys who didn't meet expectations last year, but the much- maligned seventh-year pro still attacks the run like an extra linebacker when in the box. Free safety Hamlin (62 tackles, 5 INT, 15 PD) had an outstanding first season in Dallas, which garnered the ex-Seahawk his first career Pro Bowl trip and a new six-year contract. Experienced returnee Pat Watkins (36 tackles, 1 INT) will back up both safety spots, while fleet-footed rookie Orlando Scandrick (5th round, Boise State) hopes to figure into the mix at corner. Second-year safety Courtney Brown (6 tackles) and sophomore cornerback Alan Ball (3 tackles) are also vying for increased duties after playing sparingly as rookies.

SPECIAL TEAMS: The Cowboys also coveted Pacman Jones for his game-changing ability on returns, and there's little doubt that the troublesome cornerback can provide a huge boost to the team in that aspect. He has four touchdowns in 63 career punt returns and took back three for scores with the Titans in 2006. Crayton handled those duties last season and averaged a respectable 9.1 yards per runback, but the club wants him to concentrate solely on offense. Receivers Austin (25.5 avg.) and Stanback (26.0 avg.) each did a good job taking back kicks. Dallas is also young and accomplished at the kicking positions, with placekicker Nick Folk drilling 26-of-31 field goal attempts as a rookie en route to being named to the Pro Bowl, where punter Mat McBriar (47.1 avg.) went in 2006 after showing off one of the strongest legs in the league. Long snapper L.P. Ladouceur has been close to automatic since joining the Cowboys in 2005.

PROGNOSIS: Simply put, the Cowboys are loaded. Dallas already boasted the most talent in the NFC a year ago, and Jerry Jones and his staff did a very good job during the offseason in keeping the team's core members intact and under contract for years to come, while also filling its few remaining holes with pickups such as Thomas, Pacman Jones and Felix Jones. Last season's short playoff stay could be attributed as the product of overconfidence and off- field distractions, and the back-to-back January failures should make the Cowboys a focused and highly-motivated bunch in 2008. Dallas' biggest question mark heading into the season may be how a team that has shown to be fragile at crucial times over the last two years is able to handle the pressure that comes with the favorite's role. The one who may be feeling the most heat is Phillips, whose easygoing coaching style drew criticism following the Cowboys' postseason demise. With a presumed successor waiting in the wings in highly- regarded offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, anything short of a Super Bowl trip could give Jerry Jones one very itchy trigger-finger at season's end.