Dallas Cowboys: Season preview 2008

'America's team' as they have been daubed for nearly 30 years, move into the season with an enviable roster. Bill Parcells built strong foundations in recent years, and Wade Phillips will be hoping that his own refining of the roster will translate into another Superbowl for a franchise that remains one of the most popular in world sports. Much like the Bills, the Cowboys have suffered a postseason malaise since the mid nineties. In fact, despite several attempts, the team has not won a playoff game since 1996. During those twelve years, the team has seen a revolving door at the Quarterback position, and until Parcells took over, nobody strong enough to make better football decisions than owner Jerry Jones.

That is not a knock on Jones. As an owner, his commitment to the team is omparabale only to the Al Davis's of this world, but as that has proved, it is not always a guarantee of harmony within the organisation. What Parcells did admirably well, was balance both his own visions with that of Jones. Unfortunately, when Terrell Owens signed from Philadelphia (against Parcells wishes, if rumour is to be believed), the writing seemed to be on the wall for the Tuna. Nonetheless, his work is likely to have provided a more solid base for Phillips to work with than the one he himself inherited.

The Coach

Second year coach Wade Phillips did enough in 2007 to retain the support of not only Jerry Jones, but the fanbase. Certainly, it's hard to argue that the team is worse under him than Parcells. His management style is certainly very different to his predecessor, preffering a more relaxed, informal attitude with his players, something that veterans appreciate, but is not always the catalyst for greatness.

Phillips's biggest concern will be that his own successor is already anointed, in Jason Garrett, his Assistant. It's hard to imagine that without a Championship, he will be able to convince Jones to give him a third attempt. Garrett is highly coveted around the league, and in fact makes more money than some Head Coaches, such was Jones's commitment to him. If the owner believes that Garrett could walk next year, the chances are he will pull the trigger and get rid of Phillips. As such, it is common knowledge that without a ring, the genial Phillips may find himself looking for work next season.

Draft class of 2008

1 Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas
1 Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida
2 Martellus Bennett, TE, Texas A&M
4 Tashard Choice, RB, Georgia Tech
5 Orlando Scandrick, CB, Boise State
6 Erik Walden, DE, Middle Tennessee State

The Cowboys were faced with three positions of need entering this year's draft. They addressed the Cornerback and Running Back positions with two picks each, but the Wideout situation is certainly a bone of contention amongst many fans. It could easily be argued that with the addition of Pacman Jones to the already solid pairing of Anthony Henry and Terrence Newman, the selection of Jenkins was a luxury rather than a neccesity. Patrick Crayton had a difficult season opposite Terrell Owens, and the loss of Terry Glenn further hurts the receiving corps.

The selection of Felix Jones is an inspired one, however. Jones is the perfect compliment to the brutal Marion Barber, who remains pound for pound, the hardest player in the NFL to tackle. Jones brings a similiar dynamic that Reggie Bush brings to the Saints - but crucially at a reduced salary, and with none of the expectation or pressure that Bush suffers from. Expect Jones to line up in the slot as much as he lines up behind Tony Romo.

Strong side

It is rare for a team to grade out as well as the Cowboys for long. The team is coming towards the end of a crucial window, as Owens ages, and Defensive stalwarts such as Greg Ellis and Zach Thomas coming towards the end of their time as truly elite players.

On the other hand, Phillips has got a good blend of youth and experience, especially on Defence. The linebacking corps is without doubt one of the top three in the league, and as mentioned, the team now arguably has an embarrassment of riches at Cornerback. Quarterback Tony Romo is another elite piece to this puzzle, and it's hard to imagine that he will not play in at least one Superbowl with this team.

Weak side

The Cowboys have one of the most complete teams in the league. Of that, there is little doubt, but there are still holes at crucial positions that continue to thwart their efforts to bring back the Vince Lombardi trophy. For one thing, despite a plethora of starting Corners, the Safety position is up in the air as we enter the season. Roy Williams has been deemed a liability in coverage by the current staff, and his 'boom or bust' style is a worry for a team that struggles against elite receivers. Profootballfocus.com lists Williams as the second worst Safety in the league in coverage, and coming from a site that simply deals with each player's numbers - not reputations - it is a damning verdict.

Another major concern has to be the underperforming Offensive Line. While Flozell Adams and Leonard Davis are both relatively solid, Centre Andre Gurode, RT Marc Columbo, and LG Kyle Kosier, are all underperforming. All three were listed towards the bottom of their respective positions according to PFF, and if Romo is to be given a chance to thrive in the pocket, it may be that upgrades are needed amongst the interior linemen.

Major transactions

In:
Zach Thomas, LB, Miami
Adam Jones, CB, Tennessee

Out:

Jacques Reeves, CB, Houston
Julius Jones, RB, Seattle
Jason Ferguson, NT, Miami
Anthony Fasano, TE, Miami
Akin Ayodele, LB, Miami
Terry Glenn, WR, FA

2008 Schedule

1 September 7, 2008 3:15 p.m. @ Cleveland Browns
2 September 15, 2008 7:15 p.m. Philadelphia Eagles
3 September 21, 2008 7:15 p.m. @ Green Bay Packers
4 September 28, 2008 3:15 p.m. Washington Redskins
5 October 5, 2008 3:15 p.m. Cincinnati Bengals
6 October 12, 2008 3:15 p.m. @ Arizona Cardinals
7 October 19, 2008 12:00 p.m. @ St. Louis Rams
8 October 26, 2008 12:00 p.m. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
9 November 2, 2008 3:15 p.m. @ New York Giants
10 Bye week
11 November 16, 2008 7:15 p.m. @ Washington Redskins
12 November 23, 2008 12:00 p.m. San Francisco 49ers
13 November 27, 2008 3:15 p.m. Seattle Seahawks
14 December 7, 2008 3:15 p.m. @ Pittsburgh Steelers
15 December 14, 2008 7:15 p.m. New York Giants
16 December 20, 2008 7:15 p.m. Baltimore Ravens
17 December 28, 2008 12:00 p.m. @ Philadelphia Eagles

Wide-Right's view

Like any team, if 2008 is to be the Dallas Cowboys' Superbowl winning year, there are plenty of questions that will need answering. None of these will matter, however, if they cannot overcome the glass ceiling that exists when this franchise hits the Playoffs.

Last season, the team played the Giants three times. The regular season games were high scoring affairs that saw the Dallas Offence take the game by the scruff of the neck. Where the Defence gave up points, Romo controlled the Giants and in reality, the winning margins do not show the dominance that the 'boys had in either game. Fast forward to January, and the team's one and only playoff appearance. Again, the Giants came to town, but this time, the result was different. The Giants Defense managed to stifle what is a tremendously productive offence. Romo was consistently forced to check down for short gains to TE Jason Witten, and the weight of the playoffs appeared to weigh heavily on the entire team.

The Cowboys have every chance of breaking that psychological barrier this year, but the lack of a Wide Receiver to compliment Owens is still a major issue. T.O, even with his... what we will politely describe as 'eccentricities', is amongst not only the best receivers in the league, but also the best receivers ever. A grand statement? Not really. Very few players have had the production and impact that Owens has had in the NFL. A Superbowl would merely confirm his Hall of Fame credentials.

Prediction for 2008

It's hard to imagine the Cowboys not making the playoffs - though stranger things have happened. In what has quickly become the strongest division in football, nothing is guaranteed, and the Cowboys must not believe that they have any divine right to the crown of NFC East Champions. The schedule has been kind to Dallas though, and a relatively easy mid-season means that they should not be discounted from the playoff picture even if they start terribly.

To go out on a limb, this team will not make the Superbowl while such question marks surround the Offensive Line. A team can cover for many things, but poor line play will kill even the best Quarterbacks - though Romo should break his (and the team's) playoff duck.

Useful links for Dallas fans

Official site

Depth Chart

Cowboysnet - Blog

2008 Previews: New York Giants

It’s not very often that the Superbowl champions spend much of the preseason avoiding the limelight, but despite coming off one of the great Championship upsets, this is exactly the case for the New York Giants. Big Blue have been overshadowed in the Big Apple by the story of Brett Favre joining the Jets, and yet this is exactly how the Giants want to be. Unassuming, their defensive style kept them under the radar for all of 2007, even though they set an NFL record for consecutive road wins on their way to victory over the Patriots in Arizona.

They enter the 2008 season as a relatively unfancied team in the fiercely competitive NFC East. Many will see this as something of rebuilding season for the Giants having lost some key players, but have no doubt that they will continue to surprise, and will fully expect to still be in action come January.

Tom Coughlin

Rather unbelievably, Coughlin was almost sacked after 2 games of last season. The Giants were 0-2 and playing poorly, and amidst criticism that he was too hard on his players, many felt that a change of direction was needed. The Giants ownership felt differently, giving Coughlin one more chance to prove himself. He changed his ways, adapting his style of dictatorial rule to one where the senior players had more of a say, and the response was phenomenal.

Coughlin has helped mould several young players into established stars with New York, not least Eli Manning, who has constantly improved since his rookie season, and Osi Umenyiora, who was remarkable in 2007 and is now expected to take up the mantle left by the retiring Michael Strahan. Coughlin signed a 4-year, $21m contract extension in the summer, making him one of the highest paid coaches in the league.

Draft Class of 2008

1. Kenny Phillips, Safety, Miami
2. Terrell Thomas, Cornerback, Southern Cal
3. Mario Manningham, Wide Receiver, Michican
4. Bryan Kehl, Linebacker, BYU
5. Jonathan Goff, Linebacker, Vanderbilt
6. Andre Woodson, Quarterback, Kentucky
7. Robert Henderson, Defensive End, Southern Miss

ESPN.com analyst John Clayton called the Giants, “first day losers,” following the draft, but many fans disagree. Kenny Phillips addresses weakness at safety (even if he doesn’t start this season), and was certainly the most NFL-ready safety available in the draft. Thomas provides versatility that could see him move to safety if needed, and Manningham put up impressive stats in college and would likely have gone higher had it not been for a poor combine and a questionable personality.

The general opinion seems to be that the Giants succeeded by taking Phillips, and also taking players who performed well during their time at college, but may have been overlooked due to a disappointing combine. Question marks were raised by the need for a Linebacker not being dealt with until the fourth round, as well as a total neglect for the Offensive Line.

Strong Side

On paper the strongest component in the Giants’ locker will be the Manning-Burress axis that caused so many problems for defences last season, but as ever the press enter the season worrying about whether or not Manning has the ability to make it as a true franchise quarterback, and whether Burress will actually be fully fit for the season. In the wake of that, it will be up to emerging players to deliver once again. Kevin Boss, Mario Manningham, Justin Tuck, and Osi Umenyiora will be the names to look out for. Whilst Umenyiora is expected to have another solid season, much will depend on how well Tuck steps into the void left by Michael Strahan on the left hand side of the defensive line. Boss will have the chance to be the number one TE following the departure of Jeremy Shockey, and Manningham will fight it out with David Tyree and Steve Smith for the 3^rd receiver role.

A big key will be the performance of their experienced offensive line in protecting Eli Manning who has shown an ability to panic under pressure in the past, as well as the performance of Antonio Pierce at Linebacker, who will need to build upon a career year in 2007. The fact that the only free agent signing that is currently first string is Sammy Knight speaks volumes of Coach Coughlin’s in his current crop of players, which bodes well.

Weak Side

Without a doubt the weakness of the Giants is their lack of experience in key positions. Whilst they have two receivers in their 30s, no others have real experience in the number 3 role. Plaxico Burress’ fitness is a question mark, and there are doubts over the Giants’ ability to provide a deep threat (they ranked 25^th in the league for 20+ yard completions last season), but this is an issue that clearly did not affect them in 2007 too much. Tight End Boss has played only a handful of NFL games, and there are obvious question marks about how well Justin Tuck will perform replacing Michael Strahan. But this is a team that appear to like adversity, and they showed that losing a potential Hall-of-Famer and team leader doesn’t always mean doom and gloom, following the retirement of Tiki Barber in 2006.

Major Transactions

In

QB David Carr (Car)

DE Renaldo Wynn (NO)

LB Danny Clark (Hou)

S Sammy Knight (Jax)

WR Craphonso Thorpe (Ind)

Out

FB Jim Finn

DT William Joseph (Oak)

LB Kawika Mitchell (Buf)

TE Jeremy Shockey (NO)

DE Michael Strahan (retired)

LB Reggie Torbor (Mia)

S Gibril Wilson (Oak)

DT Manny Wright

Schedule

1 Thu, Sep 4 Washington 7:00 PM Giants Stadium

2 Sun, Sep 14 @ St. Louis 1:00 PM Edward Jones Dome

3 Sun, Sep 21 Cincinnati 1:00 PM Giants Stadium

4 BYE WEEK

5 Sun, Oct 5 Seattle 1:00 PM Giants Stadium

6 Mon, Oct 13 @ Cleveland 8:30 PM Cleveland Browns Stadium

7 Sun, Oct 19 San Francisco 1:00 PM Giants Stadium

8 Sun, Oct 26 @ Pittsburgh 4:15 PM Heinz Field

9 Sun, Nov 2 Dallas 4:15 PM Giants Stadium

10 Sun, Nov 9 @ Philadelphia 8:15 PM Lincoln Financial Field

11 Sun, Nov 16 Baltimore 1:00 PM Giants Stadium

12 Sun, Nov 23 @ Arizona 4:15 PM U of Phoenix Stadium

13 Sun, Nov 30 @ Washington 1:00 PM FedEx Field

14 Sun, Dec 7 Philadelphia 1:00 PM Giants Stadium

15 Sun, Dec 14 @ Dallas 8:15 PM Texas Stadium

16 Sun, Dec 21 Carolina 1:00 PM Giants Stadium

17 Sun, Dec 28 @ Minnesota 1:00 PM Metrodome

Wide-Right’s View

It seems near impossible for the Giants to repeat their successes of 2007, but the lesson learnt from last year is to not write off Tom Coughlin’s team. Their schedule is not particularly kind for 2008, not least because they are in a division with two teams that are expected to challenge for the Superbowl in Dallas and Washington. Even the Philadelphia Eagles are expected to enter 2008 a stronger outfit – making the NFC East arguably the toughest division in the league.

Enough of the core team remains from last season to give Giants’ fans hope for the year ahead, and they are the sort of team that seems to find a way to win from apparently impossible situations, and they will need good fortune to win the division. And they hope to not replicate the fortunes of the last Wild Card Superbowl champions – the 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers who went 8-8 and failed to reach the postseason in 2006.

Much will depend on the MVP Eli Manning. This year will mark a turning point in his career as to whether or not he can take the next step to becoming a great quarterback, as opposed to merely a good one who has had some great moments. In that respect there is a huge amount of pressure on his shoulders – but surely no more than comes with being a quarterback in New York anyway. Manning, in fact, could prove to benefit immensely by the arrival of Brett Favre to New York, who may attract more headlines throughout the season and thus keep Manning-mania to a minimum.

Prediction for 2008

The Giants are certainly not the strongest team to defend the Superbowl, but it would be foolish to write them off before the season starts. They will need to continue their prolific road form if they are to have any chance of the play-offs, as well as perform well in their divisional match-ups which could see them go from a 6-10 team to a 10-6 contender again. As long as they hold in the race going into Week 13 (when a run of 3 consecutive divisional match ups, two on the road, takes place) then they should have every hope of playing in January – although it seems safe to say that those 3 games will make or break the season.

Useful Links

Official Website

Depth Chart

Fansite

Missing Manning?

Various news outlets, including NFL.com, appear concerned that Peyton Manning & Tom Brady are seriously injured, and could miss a chunk of regular season playing time.

We at Wide-Right are not. Think about it for a second, would Peyton Manning, 2nd to Brett Favre in the QB consecutive starts race, QB for the Indianapolis Colts who are due to officially open their new stadium in their 1st regular season game, QB who makes the Colts special, contemplate missing any games? No; Manning will start (and continue) the opening game of the season, and be just fine with his recovery.

Brady on the other hand is a tricker situation to analyse, primarily because of the Patriots' 'honesty' in injury reports. Hands up who thinks the story will get bigger and bigger, that Brady's foot is going to need extensive surgery, miss the season, will he be the same, etc, only to start the opening day throwing a handful of TD's against the Chiefs?