After three straight seasons of mediocrity and disappointment, last season was one of the best ever being a Cowboys fan. An NFC East title, a playoff victory, and a tight game against the Packers in Lambeau capped off an amazing year for Cowboys Nation (by the way, Dez caught the ball). My sights were high for a great season in 2015.
The Cowboys came away with one of the greatest offseasons of any team in recent memory. In the NFL Draft, Dallas selected Connecticut corner/safety Byron Jones, who broke the world record for long jump at the combine. In the second round, Dallas stole Nebraska standout defensive end Randy Gregory.
The Cowboys signed the talented, undrafted La’El Collins from LSU, as well as the troubled defensive end Greg Hardy. Dez was the best receiver in the league. Dallas had the best offensive line in the game. All was right in Dallas. Then the injuries and the drama started piling up.
Week one, Dez Bryant breaks his foot. In week two, versus the Eagles, things changed. Romo goes down with a broken collarbone.
Brandon Weeden replaced Romo at the helm and promptly led Dallas to three losses. Weeden could not run the offense properly.
With in-house fighting off the field and disastrous play on the field, the Cowboys were back to being the punch line franchise they had been for so long.
Now, having Matt Cassel at the helm, the Cowboys’ offensive attack greatly improved. Darren McFadden secured the starting running back role and has looked great.
The defense has also been playing extremely well, holding the Giants to less than 300 yards, the Seahawks to only 13 points and containing rushing attacks all year. But there’s just too much to overcome for Dallas.
The team looks lost at times, both physically and emotionally. In every game, there has been something different go wrong to prevent the ‘Boys from winning.
Romo is the missing piece to this equation by far. With six straight loses and a last place standing in the NFC East, it may be too late to recover. If the Cowboys lose to Tampa Bay, all hope for the season will be lost.
