Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys, the NFL’s most valuable team, are 6-1 this season. Their only loss has been their season opener against the San Francisco Giants, losing 17-28. Since then, the team appears to have found it’s stride, winning the next 6 games which included defeating last year’s Super Bowl Champs, the Seattle Seahawks as well as their division rivals, the NY Giants.

The Cowboys play in the largest domed stadium in the world, which opened in 2009 and seats 80,000. Team owner Jerry Jones funded the new stadium along with the City of Arlington for $1.3 billion dollars.

The subject of heavy scrutiny for several years, quarterback Tony Romo has been with the Cowboys since 2003 and secured his starting position in 2006. Critics have often questioned if he is cut out for high pressure, late game situations but Romo continues to prove he is. Romo currently holds NFL records for most passing yards through 100 starts and most consecutive road games with at least 1 touchdown pass. Romo has also been selected for the Pro Bowl 3 times in his career.

In addition to Romo, the Cowboys roster boasts WR Dez Bryant, RB DeMarco Murray and TE Jason Witten who have meshed well together for more than 3 seasons. While Murray has publicly stated it is not his top goal to break records and achieve milestones, his recent performance suggests this is a likely possibility this season for both franchise and league records.

In 4 of their last 6 games of this season, America’s team will face off against their NFC East division rivals: the Giants, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins. This division’s rivalries are some of the most well known across the league. 4 of these games are also on the road and 3 of the games will be played in prime time. This is a lot of additional pressure for a team, especially late in the season as squads look to secure positions for playoffs, however, Dallas has thus far shown they can be a top competitor and opposing teams should prepare accordingly.

The Dallas Cowboys’ next game is Monday night, at home against the Washington Redskins. The Cowboys have won 2 of the 3 most recent matchups against Washington.

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.

HBO Hard Knocks

HBO has always offered a variety of captivating dramas, comedies and documentaries. The sports documentary series Hard Knocks (in partnership with NFL Films) is no exception. The show captures the routine of both players and coaches during training camp and pre-season games as they prepare for the upcoming season. It gives football fans an inside look at team operations, practice, contract negotiations, the “grind” players endure to keep their spot on the team and prove their worth, the battle for positions, the adjustments rookie players must make as well as a glimpse into the players’ personal lives. The show has won three Sports Emmy Awards, one in 2009 and two in 2010.

Hard Knocks first premiered in 2001 featuring the Baltimore Ravens. Since then, the following teams have been featured: Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets and Miami Dolphins. The Cowboys and Bengals have each been featured twice. Due to uncertainty with the NFL’s labor situation in 2011, Hard Knocks was not produced. The NFL implemented rules in 2013 listing reasons a team is eligible to avoid Hard Knocks if they wish: if they have a new head coach, if they have reached the playoffs in the past two seasons, or if they have appeared on Hard Knocks within the past 10 years.

Hard Knocks enters its ninth season this year, featuring the Atlanta Falcons. 2014 will be the Falcons’ seventh season under head coach, Mike Smith. The Falcons have made playoff appearances in 4/6 of the past seasons under Smith. This season should have plenty of exciting directions for storylines including anticipation around returning high-profile veterans like Matt Ryan and Roddy White, the recovery path of superstar Julio Jones after a season-ending foot injury last October, and integration of the Falcons’ sixth draft pick, offensive lineman, Jake Matthews. This season will also feature the team’s trip to Texas for a combined practice with the Houston Texans prior to their pre-season game at NRG Stadium on August 16.

HBO’s film crew will shoot more than 1500 hours of footage with unlimited access for the series. Hard Knocks premieres August 5 at 10:00 p.m. EST on HBO.

Are you ready for some Football!

Training camp has started for the 2013 season. It’s only a matter of time now! When the Kid was growing up the Dallas Cowboys were his team. I always liked Randy White, probably because I was a tackle. In case you were curious Randy White was elected to the Football Hall of Fame in 1994.