Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are often referred to as America’s Team. Arguably one of the most well known teams in the NFL, the Cowboys were considered by many to be the face of football as they dominated through the 90s winning three Super Bowls. The Big D is known for their iconic cheerleaders and was ranked the 2nd highest

valued sports franchise by Forbes in 2013, only after the New York Yankees. The team’s performance has been tumultuous since their last championship in 1995. While well known, quarterback Tony Romo has been considered by analysts and fans alike to be inconsistent in play. The team’s last division championship was in 2009.

The Cowboys lost their first 2 preseason games to the San Diego Chargers and Baltimore Ravens. Against the Chargers, the Cowboys scored just 1 touchdown in the 2nd quarter. Brandon Weeden, backup quarterback entering his first season with the team (3rd season of NFL experience), performed well, however, the team’s defense struggled losing to San Diego 27-7. Well-known players including Romo, WR Dez Bryant, TE Jason Whitten and RB Demarco Murray did not play at all in the game as common for many star players during preseason matchups. Romo, Bryant and Murray did make appearances in the 2nd preseason game against the Ravens, where Romo completed 4/5 passes for 80 yards and Bryant scored a touchdown. The Ravens won the game 37-30. 

While preseason games do not affect division standings, they do provide teams the opportunity to evaluate performance and assess areas needing improvement. Based on the Cowboys’ first 2 games, the areas needing the most work include: defense and the offensive line. With 2 preseason games remaining, at Miami on August 23 and at home against the Broncos on August 28, the team has plenty of time to make adjustments and work to continue improving for the season opening.

In addition to their usual division rivals, this season the Cowboys will play cross state rivals the Houston Texans, the Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks and the New Orleans Saints. As per tradition, the Cowboys will play a Thanksgiving game, this year against NFC East division rival, the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Cowboys kick off their regular season on September 7 at home against the San Francisco 49ers.

Baltimore Ravens

After a successful 2012-2013 season, going on to become Super Bowl Champions, the Baltimore Ravens had a less than stellar season last year, going just 8-8. This was the 1st time the team had not reached the playoffs since 2007.

Although the Ravens did not improve on their 12-4 record from 2011, their 10-6 record in 2012 led them to the Super Bowl. In Super Bowl XLVII, the Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers 34-31. This was the team’s 5th straight season advancing to the playoffs. Ray Lewis, long-time Ravens linebacker who was the last remaining Raven from the original team in 1996 and part of the 2000 Super Bowl Champion team, retired following this Super Bowl victory. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco along with safety Ed Reed and running back Ray Rice were also instrumental in the season’s success. Flacco was named XLVII MVP. He is also the Ravens’ all-time leading passer in yards, TD passes, completions and attempts.

In pre-season this year so far, the Ravens have won their first 2 games, defeating the 49ers 23-3 and the Dallas Cowboys 37-30. There is intense competition on the squad for wide receiver positions and in the recent game against Dallas, Deonte Thompson made it known he is a viable candidate for the roster, running back a kickoff for a 108-yard touchdown in the 1st quarter. The Ravens remaining 2 preseason games will be played against the Washington Redskins and the New Orleans Saints.

The Ravens regular season kicks off on September 7th at home where they will host the Cincinnati Bengals. AFC North division rivals include the: Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers. In addition to playing each of these opponents twice in regular season, the Ravens will also face off against teams including the Atlanta Falcons, the Houston Texans and the San Diego Chargers. It will be interesting to see if they’re able to play strong and get back to their historic success, and if they will be able to reach the playoffs again.