This has got to be the most disappointing season in the history of the Dallas Cowboys. Oh, many seasons ended with the Cowboys not winning the championship, and others have had disappointing finishes, but none have been like this.
The Cowboys were the preseason favorites to win the NFC Championship and get to the Super Bowl. After the first three weeks of the season, Dallas had the look of the best team in the NFL. Tony Romo, Marion Barber, Terrell Owens and Jason Witten were firing on all cylinders, and there was no way this year would end with anything less than a Super Bowl.
Then the Redskins came into Big D and knocked that smile off their face. The win showed the league that Dallas can be contained and beaten. The next week saw them barely squeak out a home win over the lowly Cincinnati Bengals. From there were losses in Arizona and St. Louis (one of the Rams' two wins all season) and the Cowboys were suddenly 4-3 and without Romo for a month.
They had a gutsy late win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a blowout loss to the New York Giants to go into the bye week with a 5-4 mark and questions all over the team. They came out of the bye with Romo healthy, three straight wins, and it looked as if the Cowboys were back.
Now with losses in three of their final four games (if they had won one of them they'd be in the playoffs), the Cowboys are done for the year. No playoffs. No Super Bowl. Lovely.
Despite what Jerry Jones may say publicly, he has got to be completely livid. How does this team go 9-7 and miss the playoffs? There is more talent on both sides of the ball than any other team in the league. There have been more distractions than any other club, too. You had Pacman Jones fighting his bodyguard and getting himself suspended, Terrell Owens pointing fingers, questions about Marion Barber's manhood.
They weren't the only team with distractions, but they seemed to have a coaching staff ill-equipped to deal with them. They weren't the only team with injuries, but they seemed to not have the backups to step in and do the job. They had the money and picks to deal for a kick returner/nickel back and an ineffective receiver but nothing to bring in someone to come in if Romo went down with injury.
This season is a disaster. There is no reason they should not be in the playoffs. Their iconic stadium will be rubble soon, just as this season has become.
Cowboys Complete Collapse and End Most Disappointing Season in Franchise History originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 28 Dec 2008 19:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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