Dallas Cowboys News & Notes: Is Tony Romo's Team Best in NFC East?
The Dallas Cowboys have been one of the most impressive teams in the National Football League so far. Jerry Jones' squad is 3-1, currently riding a three-game winning streak.
"America's Team" hasn't made the postseason since 2009, when they finished the year 11-5 and won a playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles. That victory over the Eagles is the only playoff win for the Cowboys since 1997.
The Cowboys have wins over the Tennessee Titans, St. Louis Rams and the New Orleans Saints. The lone defeat on the Cowboys schedule came in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers.
Much of the reason the Cowboys have been so successful early on is because of their offensive line. Center Travis Frederick with Doug Free and Zach Martin are protecting quarterback Tony Romo to the fullest. Running back DeMarco Murray has been the leading rusher in the NFL this season with 534 yards on the ground. Murray is benefiting from running in front of a line that is opening up huge holes for him.
The Cowboys haven't had a back lead the league in rushing since the glory days of Emmitt Smith in the '90s.
Romo and the passing game are still the driving force of this offense. So far, Romo has seven touchdowns and four interceptions with a 98.7 quarterback rating. Wide receiver Dez Bryant continues to prove he's among the elite wide outs with his 291 yards and three touchdowns. Veteran tight end Jason Witten has 15 catches for 156 yards.
Terrence Williams has been a big surprise so far for the Cowboys. Williams has 179 yards and four touchdowns. With Bryant double teamed, the door opens for Williams and Witten.
The Cowboys' dominating 38-17 win over the Saints surprised a lot of people. Especially considering the Saints defeated the Cowboys last season 49-17 with an NFL record 40 first downs.
After posting the third-worst defense in NFL history (only the 1981 Baltimore Colts, 2012 Saints were worse) last season, the Cowboys defense has held their own. To hold Drew Brees and the Saints to just 17 points is very impressive. The Titans scored just 10 points in Week 2 against the Cowboys.
Although the Cowboys are 3-1 and playing great, they still can't get ahead of themselves for a number of reasons. The first is divisional play. The Cowboys have yet to face an NFC East opponent. The Cowboys did go 5-1 in the division last season, but still have to play the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins in a combined six games.
Four of the final six games for the Cowboys will be played against divisional teams.
Another reason the Cowboys can't get ahead of themselves is recent history. For some reason, this team tends to fall apart in December, when the temperatures drop. In 2011, the Cowboys were 7-4 and a playoff spot looked to be a lock. Unfortunately, Jason Garret's Cowboys lost four of the last five games finishing 8-8, as usual.
For some reason, this team is notorious for losing their final game of the season.
Regardless, the Cowboys are 3-1 after four games and will be playing their in-state rivals next: the Houston Texans. If the Cowboys can get to 4-1, that would mean they would only have to go 5-6 in their final 11 games to secure a winning record of 9-7.
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