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August 13, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders head coach Dennis Allen and Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett meet at midfield after the Cowboys defeated the Raiders 3-0 at O.Co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-US PRESSWIRE

Ok, Cowboys fans, I want you to breathe for me.

Breathe in… Breathe out.

Nobody liked what they saw when the Cowboys took the field for the first time for the 2012 pre-season, but we need to remember the operative word in that sentence.  Pre-season.

Were there too many penalties?  Absolutely.  Was the Special Teams play truly atrocious and bone headed?  You betcha.  Is Tony Romo going to survive this season if they let pressure get to him like that?  Probably not.

We had many questions going into this game, and unfortunately very few of them got answered.

Can this offensive line be good enough to keep Romo clean and open lanes for the running game?

Who knows?  As I posited in my previous column, Tony Romo is an elite quarterback, and if we can keep him on his feet, he has the ability to take the Cowboys all the way to the promise land.  If we were going off the few series that Romo played in, the logical gut reaction would be “no”, but there are a few factors we need to keep in mind.

Our offensive line has been a huge question mark that still hasn’t been answered.  The reality is that there is no veteran free agent savior out there, so the coaching staff is going to have to find the talent within.  We’ve had a lot of injuries and still have a few weeks to figure out.  There have been a few rumblings about Andre Gurode potentially returning, which would hopefully serve as an upgrade, and definitely give us more depth at center.  I do not believe that this is the magical solution to our line problems and is the one area that I’m most worried about. (more…)

After waiting months to finally watch America’s Team battle it out on the field the amped anticipation gradually turned into disappointment as the first few plays unfolded. The first team offense is suppose to set the elite example, yet their offensive line did not have any blocking ability in yesterday’s game. It was unsettling to see Tony Romo under severe pressure and unprotected for a large majority of his time on the field. It was especially unsettling to witness Oakland Raiders defensive tackle Tom Kelly sack Tony Romo. It is obvious that the struggles of the offensive line were very alarming and should be quickly addressed. On a positive note, Jason Garret mentioned last week that Andre Gurode was on a list of veteran lineman that may be brought in for a workout. This workout may potentially help the offensive line get back on track.

Yes it was obvious the offense struggled in the opening game last night, but the Cowboys run defense also looked less than impressive and did not perform as the usually do. The Raiders running back Darren McFadden was having his way with defense in the opening drive. This area should be a little less of a concern due to the fact that the defense was addressed during the offseason with free agency and the draft. Unlike the lack of talent you see on the interior of the offensive line; the defense still has the talent to be dominate against the run.

On the upside, all the hype surrounding Andre Holmes has not disappointed. This Monday, Andre Holmes made a couple of plays with the second team and was targeted by Kyle Orton Multiple times. Jason Garret should give Andre Holmes more looks with the first team offense if he continues to make more successful plays. Holmes finished the night with 3 catches for 40 yards that’s pretty good considering he was the player with the most catches and yards.

All in all, this is the first preseason game so there is no need for drastic changes, but the offensive line is something the Dallas Cowboys should consider addressing if it doesn’t improve. Finally, Tony Romo needs time in the pocket to make plays; he can’t continue to work behind a mediocre offensive line.