NFC East
Midseason Report - DAL
By Dennis Lee
Nov 9, 2007, 16:52

The Boyz hit their stride early on offense, scoring an average of 33.1 points per game, behind only the Patriots. Terrell Owens has been a good boy, the OL has performed well, and Tony Romo has justified his recent $67M contract. On defense, the team has struggled from time to time. Injuries at CB have forced the Cowboys to play reserve CB's as starters, as either Terrence Newman or Anthony Henry have been injured for each of the first nine games. Also, a season-ending injury to Jason Ferguson forced the Boyz to play Jay Ratliff out of position at the NT slot. Although Ratliff has played well, this was a weak spot to begin with and suffered greatly from the loss of Ferguson. And, the lingering injury to Greg Ellis forced rookie Anthony Spencer into the OB slot before he was really ready; now with Ellis back and Spencer with some hard-won seasoning, the Boyz are much stronger.

Going into game 10, the CB situation seems a lot better. Jacques Reeves has played well if not remarkably, and Henry and Newman are back and healthy. Ellis and Spencer are both available at the OB strongside slot, and newly signed Tank Williams is ready to spell Ratliff at NT. The rest of the defense is healthy. On offense, the loss of FB Deon Anderson will hurt, but may be offset by the return of Terry Glenn to the lineup within the next few games.

At RB, the two-headed monster of Julius Jones and Marion Barber III continues to rack up yardage. Teams have begun to fear Barber, who is a ferocious runner, but Jones has homerun capability and starts each game. Jones wears the D down, and Barber finishes them off. Plus, rotating the backs keep both fresh.

Romo has emerged as a top-flight QB. He's currently ranked #2 or #3, depending on category, in the league. And we know who is normally sitting up there at #1 or #2 - they're household names. Romo is the real deal.

The OL is solid. Yeah, Flozell Adams has had his share of illegal motion penalties. He's almost deaf, and sometimes he starts early. But he has held his own against prime competition, as has most of the rest of the line. Leonard Davis has been a road grader at OG. Gurode is solid at OC. Kyle Kosier and Marc Columbo have been steady.

At TE, all 3 have contributed, but Jason Witten is having a Pro Bowl season. He's currently ranked #3 in the NFL, ahead of such notables as Kellen Winslow, Dallas Clark, Chris Cooley, Alge Crumpler, and Jeremy Shockey. Fasano and Curtis have contributed as well.

Special teams have been a high point. Mat McBriar is having his usual exemplary season at XP. Surprising everyone but perhaps himself, Nick Folk has been the kicker the Boyz have needed for years. He hit two consecutive 53-yard FGs to win a game. Somewhere, Bill Parcells is throwing darts at a dartboard featuring Mike Vanderjagt's face. Isaiah Stanback got his first action as a kick returner in the last game, and impressed.

The Boyz have been the class of the NFC to date. The Giants are coming on, as are the Saints and Lions; the Seahawks and Bears may still end up in the mix. But the Boyz are riding high. A lot will ride on their performance this weekend against the Giants, as a 3-game swing in the standings rides on a win or loss in the Meadowlands. That said, the Patriots laid a whipping on the Cowboys a few weeks back (the Big Cheaters!), and the Colts that the Boyz whipped in preseason ain't the Colts who are playing now. Not to mention the fact that the Steelers seem to be capable of causing some trouble, too.

I expect that the Boyz will go to the playoffs as the NFC East champ and probably the NFC home field advantage leader. I expect them to make the finals, at least, and likely the Super Bowl. But, I don't have much hope of them prevailing against the AFC champ, either the Patriots or the Colts, in the Big Game. Close, but no cigar.

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