When I followed the herd and picked the Cowboys to win the Super Bowl before the season, there were a few major things I conveniently overlooked ... even before Tony Romo broke his pinkie. Here are five key reasons my preseason prediction will be tragically wrong once again:
1. Tony Romo's inability to win the big game is not a fluke.
Whatever that indescribable ability to will a team to victory -- think Johnny Unitas or John Elway -- Romo doesn't have it. He doesn't protect the ball well enough and, while he might be a leader in the locker room, the results of his leadership aren't showing up on the field.
2. T.O. is due for some problems.
Owens is good for about one season before his mental issues get in the way. It's a miracle he's been productive this long for the Cowboys. But Owens is showing telltale signs of a major blowup on the horizon. He's complained about not getting the ball enough and had an unusually emotional postgame press conference. Defenses are paying a lot of attention to Owens and playing very aggressively against the big receiver, which is fueling a lot of his frustration.
3. Adam Jones was a mistake.
Jones' on-field production isn't worth the off-field headaches. The Cowboys' pass defense is falling apart as the season continues and Jones has done little on the field to distinguish himself. His continued off-field issues point to a lack of professionalism in that locker room, and his teammates have to resent him after his latest incident with one of his bodyguards and likely league suspension.
4. Special teams.
Pin the loss to the Cardinals right on this unit's coaching staff. Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt said Arizona exploited the Cowboys' flawed blocking scheme on the game-winning blocked punt in overtime. This is a dangerous area to neglect for a supposed Super Bowl team.
5. Lack of accountability.
The Cowboys have lost two games to less talented teams in the last three weeks and almost let the Bengals pull off the upset in Dallas. Coming into the season, head coach Wade Phillips was the biggest question mark. Now it seems his laid-back attitude isn't the best fit for this collection of Pro Bowlers.
The Cowboys turn to 40-year-old Brad Johnson for at least the next three games. They could easily drop two of those (at St. Louis, Tampa Bay, at Giants) and still sneak into the playoffs thanks to a soft schedule down the stretch.
But once again, the Cowboys will fail to meet their expectations if they reach the postseason. Even when Romo gets healthy, Dallas' flaws will sabotage any success it's capable of. No one can question their talent. That will get them to a certain point, but then attitude takes over, and the 'Boys haven't gotten that right yet. This is a team built to make the playoffs, but doesn't have the right recipe for success once they get there.
Tatiana Golovin
Alison Preston
Did You See That?
Back in Time: July 3
Comments (82) Add A Comment
get a life...Romo has what it takes Perloff...your column is a waste to read. The Cowboys will pull it together and take it all this season. Funny how Giants were even worse off this time last year and won the Super Bowl. I guess it just goes to show the Dallas Cowboys are the NFL...because without them, you guys wouldn't have anything to stupid columns about.
richleedennis
Hollister, MO
Total Comments (3)
Funny how the media said the same crap about Peyton and Eli before they won the Super Bowl...just plain stupid Perloff
richleedennis
Hollister, MO
Total Comments (3)
The first hint that Dallas was going to have a bad year was when SI picked them to win the Super Bowl, that magazine couldn't predict the coming of winter. It's also good to see Romo finally being seen for what he is, an average QB without an ounce of big game ability.
nathan9311
Beverly Hills , CA
Total Comments (870)
The Cowboys are very fragile emotionally. if they don't watch it, their season could implode in coming weeks.
JoRodd
Teaneck , NJ
Total Comments (5)
Dallas is a Frankenstein's monster of a team that is put together from elite yet mismatched parts that could either go well or horribly, horribly wrong. And, just like in the book, they seem to be going horribly, horribly wrong.
Redwing19: taking a…
Ottawa, ON
Total Comments (32911)
Alot of people picked the Eagles too. I wouldn't write this team off until Week #17. The Cowboys must win a play-off game this year.
Sacked91-PlaxisWax
New York , NY
Total Comments (1872)
Romo's injury is actually a good excuse for the overrated Cowboys to fall out of playoff contention. Not so long ago their fans were talking about having a perfect season and winning the Superbowl. The hype was unbelievable.
gupsphoo
San Mateo , CA
Total Comments (59)
Wow Perloff, You're writing them off already? It's crazy to me how these guys cover the NFL season year in and year out, Make these bold proclamations before and during the season, and don't have the smarts to realize how much things change from week to week in the NFL. A couple of Giant losses and everybody will be off them and on to a new team. It's a long season Perloff. At least have the sack to stick with your prediction.
RichieRich
Total Comments (11)
I don't know about writing them off just yet, but we'll know much more once we see where the Cowboys are in 4 weeks. TO getting the ball even less could be a major issue.
Mental Ray
Princeton, NJ
Total Comments (853)
Amazing how this guy admits he was one of the ones who picked the Boys to win the Super Bowl. Now he, just like every other major sports writer, is jumping off of the bandwagon. I love these guys...eff'n morons.
Tha Fizz
Austin, TX
Total Comments (11445)
C'mon, it wasn't rocket science to pick the cowgirls before the season started... there IS talent on that team. BUT ... the team also has Owens on it. That man has imploded more infrastructure than a Las Vegas demolition team.
Mozart
Denver, CO
Total Comments (225)
TO is the only guy on the team that shows any fire at all. I wish people would get off him. Wait till he blows up and then you can shout all you want "I told you so".
Lexus9099
Dallas, TX
Total Comments (71)
Hey, hows that Denver team of yours doing?
Lexus9099
Dallas, TX
Total Comments (71)
The Broncos have the same record as the 'Boys, 4-2.
Broncos51
Temple , TX
Total Comments (36)
I really, really despise the Cowboys, I thrill with their every loss, but come on, you can't use John Elway's name to show how much of a big-game loser Romo is. Did you forget what a spaz Elway was when he was young? I know he actually MADE it to the Super Bowl, but people were saying similar things about him after those interception fests he put together before he finally won his first.
badsportswriter
Total Comments (8)
The Cowboys have a 4-2 record, with two close losses in games in which they played poorly, and yet were still in the game and with a chance to win near the end. No-one is saying things are going the way the team or fans would want, but this crappy instant analysis by the media is already getting old...they are doing the standard hype up a team and then slaver at the possibility of tearing them down thing...pathetic.
The Giants started 4-2 last year, and had been beaten far worse in their two losses.
The 2005 Steelers started 4-2, with two close losses, and later were 7-5....
The 2003 Patriots started 4-2...
The 2001 Patriots started 3-3....
Kiwicraig78
Total Comments (171)
The biggest problem with sports reporting in the modern era is that there is so much info out there...so much space to fill, that reporters are constantly doing instant analysis...and trying to fill that space, so they don't look long-term, or analyse, or use much if any insight...they dash off articles to get their word counts in - just spouting whatever opinion they hold at the time...which results in all the contradictory messes of writing we end up with...a reporter picking a team one week, going back on it later, using contradictory arguments that shoot down their own earlier analysis...just name-dropping for ill-advised and poorly-thought-out effect (Elway was the epitome of the non-big-game player who couldn't break through for years and years and years)....and they expect us to buy it and not call them on it...to just roll with it and accept as gospel their next lot of preseason predictions, or midseason awards, or postseason 'things to watch'....
and the worst part is....most of us fall for it hook, line and sinker...
Kiwicraig78
Total Comments (171)
Last playoff win for the girls, 1996 wild card game.
nuff said
Hammered_everynight
Las Vegas, NV
Total Comments (1910)
That's right Hammered_everynight...the Dallas Cowboys, the most successful team in the modern era of the NFL, have not won a playoff game for more than a decade!
Clearly that means they will not win one this year, or in fact ever ever again!
Just like the Tampa Bay Devil Rays clearly could never make the playoffs, let alone win the toughest division in baseball, let alone make the ALCS...because they hadn't done anything of the kind in the past decade....
Just like the Boston Celtics, who had been irrelevant for two decades, could never hope to win the NBA championship ever again....
millions more examples, but wouldn't want to overload your brain mate...
Kiwicraig78
Total Comments (171)
I am so sick and tired of reading Romo does not have what it takes. You have shown your ignorance within the first paragraph. 25 and 10 as a starter and lets remember that he is only been at the helm for two years. He makes big play after big play when his team needs him. See yesterdays throw to Witten to even give them a chance at a game tying FG. See last years Bills and Lions games and the list goes on. So he is 0 and 2 in the playoffs. The Seattle game is on him. The Giants game he was either on his back or had three defenders in his face. Not even your beloved Favre or Brady could have won that game. Now that I think about it, who did the Giants beat after that game. Oh thats right, the Packers and the New England "Best Team Ever" Patriots. And I am trying to remember how the Packer game ended, oh yeah, on a Favre interception!
Ahill3652
Chevy Chase , MD
Total Comments (2)
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