PIECES ARE THERE FOR AMERICA'S TEAM
By mark rogers
November 14, 2008
The Dallas Cowboys need a spark.
After a week of fuming and pouting over the 5-4 record, it's time to re-focus and bring the season back into a positive light.
Dallas started 3-0 with solid wins over Cleveland, Philadelphia and Green Bay.
Since then the 'Boys are 2-4, 1-2 with Tony Romo, 1-2 without him. I won't even say anything about his pinkie. I've let that issue go...for now.
But to say the Cowboys have been hit by the injury (and suspension) bug, is the understatement of JerryWorld.
Romo broke his finger. Felix Jones pulled his hamstring. Terrence Newman had surgery for a sports hernia after tearing his groin (yikes) in training camp, Mat McBriar broke his foot. Kyle Kosier's missed every game with a fractured foot, Adam Jones punched his body guard in the men's room (that was Jerry's own fault), and Jason Witten has broken ribs.
I found it pretty funny that when Justin Tuck (NYG DE) was asked on the field after they beat us a few weeks ago how it felt to beat a depleted Cowboys team, he laughed and said that we weren't depleted.
He obviously hadn't checked the injury report.
On Sunday nearly all of those missing parts will return with the exception of Jones.
Kosier's return to the OL will be huge for communication, pass protection, run blocking and morale.
Romo's arm - or should I say pinkie - will open the running game back up after Marion Barber has averaged under three yards per carry the last two games because Brad Johnson and Brooks Bollinger combined to form a single Kramer.
Newman will give the defensive front seven the ability to throw a few more blitzes into the mix.
All the pieces will be there for Dallas to go on a fun and exciting run to end the season. Sometimes it's better to be the team that peaks late like the Giants did last year, rather than the team that starts great and fizzles out - like the Cowboys last year.
I guess all we can hope for is a 6-1 or 5-2 finish because anything other than that will probably have us watching the playoffs without the Cowboys and extend that playoff winless streak another excrutiating, miserable year.
We're turning into the Notre Dame of the NFL. I quiver at the thought.
But let's not go there...let's stay positive and hope that the return of all these parts will be just the spark Dallas needs to turn this thing around.
We'll see how big the spark is on Sunday night against those pesky Redskins.
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