Jump to content
Washington Football Team Logo
Extremeskins
Forum Rules and Guidelines

USAToday: More mature Dallas Cowboys team ready for Super Bowl run

tr1

By tr1
in Around the NFL

Recommended Posts

tr1

tr1

Posted
Posted

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/cowboys/2010-07-28-cowboys-camp-report_N.htm

SAN ANTONIO — There's one compelling reason why two-time Super Bowl-winning former New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison targeted the Dallas Cowboys as the first stop on his training-camp tour: The hard-hitting safety-turned-NBC analyst said this is the year a more cohesive, more mature America's Team will be Super Bowl-bound.

"I really like the Cowboys in the NFC a lot," Harrison told USA TODAY. "They've got everything in place. A talented, quarterback/leader in Tony Romo sits to pee. They have a strong defense, a lot of weapons offensively and a lot of depth on their offensive line :rolleyes:."

But Harrison sensed something more important to the championship dynamic. He cited the one thing that differentiates this team from its 2007 predecessors who earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC and then crashed and burned in a one-and-done postseason loss to the New York Giants.

"Back in 2007, they had Pacman Jones and Terrell Owens and they had the best talent in the NFC, but there was always something distracting from the team concept," Harrison said. "What I sense here now is that the players are focused on a sense of team and unselfishness. (Bennett?!, Roy Williams?!, Ditz Bryant!):ols:

"That's one thing I have not heard people say about the Dallas Cowboys the last five to 10 years. There's an unselfish sense of team you have to have."

Consider, too, that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones feels Romo sits to pee's best is still ahead and that only a Super Bowl victory separates him from joining the game's truly great quarterbacks such as Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Drew Brees.

Jones has surrounded Romo sits to pee, entering his fifth season as starter, with the best posse of playmakers in his 55-game starting career.

And yes, the Cowboys' aim is to become the first team in history to host the Super Bowl inside Jones' jaw-dropping, $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium palace come Feb. 6, 2011.

"We're going to have the Super Bowl this year," Jones said. "And I'd like to be in it."

Veteran linebacker Keith Brooking couldn't think of a better ending to his 13th NFL season than with a big victory inside the House that Jerry Built.

"This is the best team I've been a part of," Brooking said. "Hopefully, we can put up a lot of victories and do what we want.

"We have the most potential. Whether or not we're going to be the best remains to be seen."

It's been more than 14 years since Jones last hoisted a Lombardi Trophy. Romo sits to pee and his teammates finally ended the franchise's playoff drought by beating the Philadelphia Eagles last year, only to get whacked by the Minnesota Vikings in the divisional round.

What did they learn from that loss?

"It teaches you mental toughness, overcoming adversity," Romo sits to pee said. "Hopefully, it teaches you what you need to do to take the next step."(Romo sits to pee keeps getting lessons on failure...and fails to learn.)

"Expectations are because you've done something right at some point. If they think you have a chance, that means you probably have shown or given people an idea you could be something special."

Winning Super Bowls is why Jones bought this showpiece franchise 21 years ago.

"I really do feel like we've got top talent, but this same talent, the majority of it saw us fall short last year," Jones said. "And that keeps everybody from getting too caught up in what this looks like.

"We've got a lot of work to do in training camp."

There is one new starter on offense, fourth-year veteran Doug Free, who so impressed in a seven-game starting stint at right tackle last season for injured Marc Columbo that management moved on from five-time Pro Bowler left tackle Flozell Adams. Free has quicker feet and more athleticism, but at 6-6, 320, isn't the brute force Adams was at 6-7, 340.

Still, Adams' penchant for false starts and advancing age at 35 convinced Jones and the coaching staff it was time to get younger. Just in case, veteran Alex Barron was acquired in a trade with the St. Louis Browns.

On defense, safety Alan Ball is stepping in for the released Ken Hamlin, and he is expected to be an upgrade in coverage.

Coach Wade Phillips is stressing more turnovers from a team that generated just 21 last season.

"Jerry told us at the beginning of training camp that no matter what, the train is coming to our stadium," linebacker DeMarcus Ware Where said. "It's up to you whether or not you want to be on that train or not.

"When he told me that, that's been on my mind the whole time. What are we going to do to get on that Super Bowl train?

"This franchise is about winning Super Bowls. And we're going to do whatever we can to get where we need to be. It starts with training camp."

...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
tr1

tr1

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Please, please, please puke fans...don't even try to come here in December and say you weren't picked to win the SB.

For that matter, don't show up in October with the excuses as to why your season is such a dismal failure.

Cheese eating team.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Hitman21ST

Hitman21ST

Posted
Posted
There is one new starter on offense, fourth-year veteran Doug Free, who so impressed in a seven-game starting stint at right tackle last season for injured Marc Columbo that management moved on from five-time Pro Bowler left tackle Flozell Adams. Free has quicker feet and more athleticism, but at 6-6, 320, isn't the brute force Adams was at 6-7, 340.

If he "impressed" so much, why have there been countless articles on whether or not he could hold his own on the left? Aren't the talking heads saying that Rak, Haynesworth, and the Giants DEs are going to have a field day with him? Not to mention Dwight Freeney and Mario Williams...

On defense, safety Alan Ball is stepping in for the released Ken Hamlin, and he is expected to be an upgrade in coverage.

Really? Again, aren't the scouting reports saying that their secondary (safeties especially) is one of the weakest in the league? That's not really saying much for Ball...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DefenderoftheStar

DefenderoftheStar

Posted
Posted
If he "impressed" so much, why have there been countless articles on whether or not he could hold his own on the left? Aren't the talking heads saying that Rak, Haynesworth, and the Giants DEs are going to have a field day with him? Not to mention Dwight Freeney and Mario Williams...

Really? Again, aren't the scouting reports saying that their secondary (safeties especially) is one of the weakest in the league? That's not really saying much for Ball...

Free impressed as a RT, which was great for us, LT they are not to sure with because he's being asked, and of course the position requires different footwork, so they are working him in. If he doesnt make a better LT, than Barron will fit in and probably do nicely.

Either way its a nice problem to have.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Hitman21ST

Hitman21ST

Posted
Posted
Free impressed as a RT, which was great for us, LT they are not to sure with because he's being asked, and of course the position requires different footwork, so they are working him in. If he doesnt make a better LT, than Barron will fit in and probably do nicely.

Either way its a nice problem to have.

Not so sure you'll be singing the same song after Romo sits to pee's 5th sack in week 1...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Santana_Fan

Santana_Fan

Posted
Posted
I really don't get why people say the Cowboys are the most talented team in the NFC. How are they anymore talented than the Packers, Vikings, Saints, or Giants?

I don't get it either. The Vikings just handed them their *** the last time, if anybody is deserving of it, it should be the Vikings, or Saints, since the Saints beat the Vikings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
brianm23

brianm23

Posted
Posted
"We have the most potential. Whether or not we're going to be the best remains to be seen."

Funny, they've had the most "potential" for the past 4 years and haven't done **** with it. (much like the Chargers during LT's prime) Their problem right now is they have a **** for brains coach who doesn't have the respect from his owner or players. As a Skins fan, it makes me smile. :D

It's like they have their own version of Jim Zorn. :ols:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ECU-ALUM

ECU-ALUM

Posted
Posted

There is one major thing (realistically not trying to be over biased) about Dallas that keeps me from believing the hype.

In a close-pressure filled game that Norv would choke away in a second...I really don't think Wade Phillips is the guy I want to see on the sidelines for my team. He is great when things are going well (who isn't) but over the long haul and if there are tough choices to be made...he is not the guy I am looking to lead a team.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Tweedr01

Tweedr01

Posted
Posted
Free impressed as a RT, which was great for us, LT they are not to sure with because he's being asked, and of course the position requires different footwork, so they are working him in. If he doesnt make a better LT, than Barron will fit in and probably do nicely.

Either way its a nice problem to have.

Wait...what?

So if Doug Free sucks, which is very possible, they put Alex Barron in who was a backup tackle for the St. Louis Rams? The very last place St. Louis Rams? Am I missing something? Did you wiki this?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Tweedr01

Tweedr01

Posted
Posted
I really don't get why people say the Cowboys are the most talented team in the NFC. How are they anymore talented than the Packers, Vikings, Saints, or Giants?

Well....the Giants of past years maybe, but I belive you guys will fall a bit this year. It had to happen at some point, alot of your core guys that got you most of your wins aren't on the team anymore:

Michael Strahan

Tiki Barber

Jeremy Shockey

Plaxico Burress

Antonio Pierce

Derrick Ward

And others have been injured as well:

Umenyiora (sp?)

That guy that plays in your secondary

The other guy that plays in your secondary

That linebacker

(lol, as you can tell I keep up with the Giants players very well!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
MattFancy

MattFancy

Posted
Posted

Yeah I don't buy that the Cowboys are far and away the most talented team in the NFC. The NFC, IMO, is wide open. Who picked the Saints to win it last year? What about the Cardinals the year before? The NFC has alot of very good teams, maybe not great teams like the Colts and Patriots, but there are really good teams in the NFC.

Looking at the conference as a whole, the only teams you can say have no chance at the playoffs are the Bucs, Rams, Seahawks, and Lions. And I believe the Lions will be much better than last year. So 11 of the 16 teams have a legit shot at the playoffs. And of those 11, I'd say the Packers, Vikings, Saints, and Cowboys would probably be the favorites. But it wouldn't shock me at all if the Redskins, Eagles, Giants, Bears, 49ers, Falcons, Panthers, or Cardinals made a run either.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
VCDefectors

VCDefectors

Posted
Posted
I agree with you about the Packers, Saints and Vikings....

I wouldn't count out teams like the Falcons or 49ers either. In recent years, it seems like the superbowl reps are teams that didn't go into the season as overwhelming favorites. I could be wrong about that.

It's amazing how so many predictions are based on the records of the previous year. Just looking at probabilities....the odds of the Saints, Vikings, Packers, and the Cowboys ending up as the top 4 NFC teams in the 2010 season is practically zero.

I have no idea what will happen this year. The Cowboys look like they have the talent and depth. And they have a roster full of good players just entering the prime of their career. But, given the brutal schedule and the nature of injuries, I could also see it fall apart. Anything is possible.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Paulie Walnuts

Paulie Walnuts

Posted
Posted
I really don't get why people say the Cowboys are the most talented team in the NFC. How are they anymore talented than the Packers, Vikings, Saints, or Giants?

I think Minny is the most talented in the NFC.

The Packers and Dallas are nipping at thier heels.

The Saints are a one trick pony. Something happens to Brees, and that team will struggle to win 6 games. As long as Brees is there though, they are a force to be reckoned with.

The Giants? Its laughable that you even put them in the same conversation about talent as the rest of those teams.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...