2. Dallas Cowboys
It looked like it was all falling into place for the Dallas Cowboys. Unfortunately, quarterback Tony Romo's Cinderella season came to an end in a most infamous fashion and so did the Cowboys' season.
Romo's whirlwind tour from relatively unknown backup to starter in a matter of weeks was one of the top stories of the NFL season. The bigger story should have been the steady decline of Romo's play after a few weeks, when opposing defenses had more game tape at their disposal. Romo's play making ability was taken away when defenses figured out that by taking away his scrambling ability, he was no longer able to make plays happen down field.
Coach Bill Parcells stepped aside and Wade Phillips taken over the reins in the off-season. Phillips, a defense minded coach, looks to revive the Dallas defense. Phillips is the polar opposite of Parcells' cantankerous demeanor that led to some internal grumbling among the ranks. Phillips, a mild mannered man, has already made a good impression on wide receiver Terrell Owens. "He calls me Terrell," Owens said, a far cry from being called simply 'The Player' by Parcells. A happy Owens bodes well for this team on the field and especially in the locker room.
More importantly, Phillips brings his defensive wisdom that he gained as a coordinator with San Diego. Look for linebacker DeMarcus Ware to become Dallas' version of Shawne Merriman. The ultimate goal for Phillips' tenure as Dallas head coach for it to be deemed to be a success is to do one thing his predecessor was not able to do, win a playoff game for the franchise for the first time in a decade.
One of the most confusing moves made in free agency was Dallas' signing of right guard Leonard Davis. Signing Davis to a seven year $49.6 million contract could prove to be detrimental to the team's future salary cap considerations if Davis does not prove to provide Tony Romo the needed pass protection for him to be an effective passer.
The player with the most to prove is Tony Romo. He has to show that his play last season was not just a fluke and that his mistakes down the stretch were not signs of the real Tony Romo. Critics can put away "the anointing oil" until Romo can prove that he is all of what his supporters claim him to be.
Overall, Dallas should be a threat to Philadelphia's defense of its NFC East title. Beyond that, a wild card spot could very well be in the cards for this team.
