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.