1. Special Teams: At the beginning of every season there are at least 2 games that are determined by special teams. The explanation given by commentators is that there isn’t enough time spent on special teams in practice and you have more defensive starters assuming roles they did not have to perform when the rosters were larger. Personally, I believe the game speed increases and some players are unprepared.

In what could be a close game against Washington, a punt return, kick return, or blocked kick could shift momentum and consequently the outcome of the game.

Post game analysis:  Special teams for both teams were weak.  The Redskins holder dropped a gimmie field goal and the Cowboys kick off squad allowed big returns by the Redskins.  Buehler made both tackles, but missed a field goal.  It is an absolute priority that Joe DeCamillis return the squad to the level of play of 2009.

2. Pass v. Run Ratio: The Cowboys will suit up three different starting offensive lineman versus 2009 (Free, Barron, and Holland). Their pre-season performance was lackluster and you cannot attribute false starts and sloppy play to a vanilla offensive gameplan.

If the Cowboys are able to run effectively, 4 to 5 yards per carry, will Jason Garrett lean on the run? Garrett has been known to fall in love with the pass and ignore his running game regardless of how ineffective the passing game is.

Post game analysis:  The Cowboys ran the ball well in the first half… and of course in the second half Garrett forgot about the run.  He did call some outside runs that were highly ineffective, but he all but abandoned running up the gut.

3. Albert Haynesworth: It isn’t uncommon for a new head coach to impose his will. It is uncommon for the head coach to be perceived as childish in the process.  Incredulity doesn’t begin to describe the fact that Haynesworth played in the entire 4th pre-season game or played on the scout team during the pre-season. The Cowboys would love for this contest of wills to last for one more week.  I wouldn’t mind watching Gurode dominate Haynesworth once again, though Gurode needs to super glue his chinstrap to his helmet to prevent a re-creation of one of the most gutless actions I have ever seen on the playing field.

Post game analysis:  Haynesworth was a side note in the game.  Give credit to Gurode and Shanahan for neutralizing him.

4. Dez Bryant: Set the over/under for catches at 3.5. If he is over, I guarantee you will hear the words, “Don’t get the bronze bust ready yet, but…”

Post game analysis:  Dez played well.  He caught 8 balls for 56 yards.  Some of his catches resulted in a no-gain, but at least he caught the ball.  He played well towards the end of the game catching balls in traffic.  Then he missed a hot read on a blitzing linebacker which could have lead to a game ending turnover.  Did anyone notice Dez was out of the game for the final play of the game.  The rookie is going to have a good season, especially if the Cowboys keep force feeding him 2 yard gain receptions.

5. The back shoulder throw: Romo has used the throw on occasion during the pre-season and practices. I believe this is what he was working on during the off-season, so expect to see it a minimum of three times against the Redskins with one of those being in the endzone for a touchdown.

Post game analysis:  Romo didn’t attempt one of these passes.  Nor did the Cowboys run a pump and go with Bryant.  After forcing the ball often to Bryant early in the game, I would have bet that the Cowboys would have Romo fake pump to the outside and when the corner broke for the ball, have Bryant run a go route.  Nope.  The entire passing game seemed to be out of sorts.

6.  Williams v. Ware:  Trent Williams will be a good player, but DeMarcus Ware has an opportunity to take an early lead in the defensive MVP battle.  With McNabb not being as mobile due to his ankle injury, Ware has a chance to dominate the game and the rookie tackle.

Post game analysis:  Revision.  Williams has a chance to be a great player.  Ware and Co. consistently put pressure on McNabb who scrambled well and often.  McNabb was as mobile as ever and the reports of his ankle affecting his play were greatly exaggerated.  Ware did get one sack on McNabb, but Williams will not face a better pass rusher this season.

7.  The Redskins’s new high definition screens: According to Dan Snyder, they are the best high definition displays available on the market.  Will the announcers gush over the screens the way they do over Dallas’s horizontal monolith?

Post game analysis:  Note to Dan Snyder, no one cares.  And… it’s about time.  For the longest time, Fedex field was a vacuum for all things NFL.  Trying to find a scoring update was all but impossible.

8.  Roy Williams v. Roy Williams:  Williams must play error free football.  Every drop and fumble only exacerbate the loathing Cowboys fans have for Williams.  If he catches 4 balls and limits his penalties to zero, he can begin the rehab that his image so sorely needs.  The first step is getting out of his own head and not pushing to hard.

Post game analysis:  Roy had one drop on a deep pass.  Otherwise he played error free football.  If Roy can get out of his own head, he will be the #2 WR that the Cowboys need and want.

9.  Shanahan v. Phillips - Garrett v. Haslett:  While Phillips was on the hot seat, Shanahan was the favorite of many fans to replace Phillips as head coach.  Shanahan has a distinct advantage of having zero tape on how he intends to use his offensive weapons.  Phillips has the advantage of knowing the Redskins personnel better than Shanahan did 7 months ago.  If Phillips can adjust on the fly, expect the Cowboys defense to dominate.  If the correct adjustments are not quickly implemented, expect a surprising surge early in the game by the Redskins offense.  Similarly, Garrett has a film record a mile long.  Garrett had to review film from 1997 when Haslett was the defensive coordinator for the Steelers and Ernie Zampese was running the Cowboys offense.

Post game analysis:  The Redskins drove the ball very effectively early in the game.  Phillips made the necessary adjustment and the Cowboys stifled the Redskins offense for a majority of the game.  On the other sides of the ball, the Cowboys offense could not find an answer to the Redskins defense.  The answer may have been obvious to all who watched, but Garrett was unable to see it (run the ball often and move the pocket for Romo).  Garrett was considered a genius after his first season in Dallas.  I’m not sure he would even make the honor roll at the high school level based upon his recent performance.

10.  Injuries:  The Cowboys cannot afford to lose an offensive lineman, tight end, or cornerback.  Certainly there are contingency plans, but does anyone have a great deal of faith in those plans?

Post game analysis:  The Cowboys escape the game with DeMarcus Ware only suffering a sprained neck.  Next week, both Kosier and Colombo are expected to play.  All in all, the game was awful, but the Cowboys have a chance to get better in a short period of time.

The following are the draft grades issued immediately after the 2010 NFL Draft for the Cowboys.  The Cowboys’s 2010 opponents are also listed. Where a grade is not listed, the source has not released the information yet.  There is some analysis of whether the opponents drafted impact players who will contribute in a game against the Cowboys.  While other contributing writers to The Landry Hat may elect to give draft grades, I feel only one grade is appropriate, “Incomplete”.  Not one ball has been caught for a first down, not one over exuberant touchdown celebration has been performed, and not one 15 yard penalty has been called for taunting.

Dallas Cowboys

CBS Sports: B-

You have to like the Cowboys going up to get Bryant. This is a player who will help the passing game in a big way. Forget the off-the-field issues. They were overrated. He can play.

Fox Sports: B

With the uneven play of Roy Williams, owner Jerry Jones wanted a playmaker opposite Miles Austin and he moved up in the draft to get Oklahoma State’s Dez Bryant, who will wear Micheal Irvin’s No. 88 jersey. Bryant’s upbringing and the fact that he lied to NCAA investigators about his involvement with Deion Sanders and got suspended troubled some teams, but not the Cowboys, who will build a support system around him.

USA Today: C

They hope they’ve landed the next Randy Moss after moving up three slots in the first round for Dez Bryant, considered the draft’s best receiver. Bryant, though, fell because of questions about his maturity. Inside linebacker Sean Lee might be a hit. But Dallas didn’t draft a left tackle, increasing the odds of Flozell Adams re-signing.

ESPN (Mel Kiper): B-

NFL.com:

The Landry Hat (Joe D.): Incomplete

Analysis:  This draft was not about filling voids; it was about confidence.  The year the Cowboys traded down with the Cleveland Browns (who took Brady Quinn), the Cowboys organization showed confidence in Tony Romo.  This year, the Cowboys are showing confidence in Alan Ball (or Mike Hamlin) and Doug Free to replace Ken Hamlin and Flozell Adams.  It also may show a lack of confidence in Roy Williams.  While experts certainly had their checklist of voids on the Cowboys roster, the Cowboys felt quite differently.  If the Cowboys were drafting in the top 5 of the first two rounds, the first two picks would still be identical.  Dez Bryant (a top 5 (or 10) talent) and Sean Lee (#16 on the Cowboys draft board).  They may be polar opposites in regards to character, but both project as being contributors in their rookie year, and assuming greater roles in subsequent years.

Owusu-Ansah was drafted in the fourth round.  According to Dave Campo, he is as athletic as some of the top safeties in the draft.  How quickly can he acclimate to the safety position?  Are the Cowboys getting a workout wonder, or a small school gem?

Washington Redskins

CBS Sports: B-

Fox Sports: C

USA Today: C-

ESPN (Mel Kiper): C-

NFL.com:

The Landry Hat (Joe D.): Incomplete

Analysis:  The Redskins had 1 pick in the top 100. Trent Williams will likely start as a rookie.  The Cowboys play the Redskins week one on National TV.  Presuming DeMarcus Ware is healthy, McNabb will either have a rough night or Williams will prove he is worth the 30+ million he was paid on day 1.

Chicago Bears

CBS Sports: C

Fox Sports: C

USA Today: C-

ESPN (Mel Kiper): B

NFL.com:

The Landry Hat (Joe D.): Incomplete

Analysis: Chicago traded their first round pick to Denver for Cutler.  Their 2nd round pick went to Tampa Bay for Gaines Adams.  They drafted two players who were well respected despite being 2nd day picks.  Regardless, the Bears’s draft should not affect the outcome of the game when they play in the 2nd week.

Houston Texans

CBS Sports: C

Fox Sports: C

USA Today: C-

ESPN (Mel Kiper): B

NFL.com:

The Landry Hat (Joe D.): Incomplete

Analysis: The Texans replaced Dunte Robinson with Kareem Jackson (1st round).  Ben Tate should receive carries, and Trindon Holliday may have an opportunity as a kick returner.  The Texans are a formidable team and they will have rookies contributing.

Tennessee Titans

CBS Sports: B

Fox Sports: B

USA Today: C-

ESPN (Mel Kiper): C+

NFL.com:

The Landry Hat (Joe D.): Incomplete

Analysis: The Titans seemingly had a good draft though I only recognize a few names.  They did draft Myron Rolle.  I root for Rolle to become and effective player, though I resent the media’s portrayal of him being victimize.  Today’s episode of Pardon the Interuption had Micheal Wilbon suggesting Rolle fell into the 6th round because the NFL didn’t feel comfortable with an intelligent African-American.  The RACE CARD?  Did anyone opine that Rolle was a first or second day talent?  People watched film (not me), but I would assume someone would have seen him play effectively and would scream it from the roof tops.

Minnesota Vikings

CBS Sports: C+

Fox Sports: C+

USA Today: C

ESPN (Mel Kiper): C-

NFL.com:

The Landry Hat (Joe D.): Incomplete

Analysis:  Pairing anyone with Adrian Peterson creates a dynamic duo.  Gerhart will replace Chester Taylor and will provide Peterson with much needed rest.  I liked Gerhart as a prospect, and I love Gerhart as a Vikings (to my dismay as a Cowboys fan).  Behind the Vikings offensive line, Gerhart will have an automatic 3 yards per carry.  If he has any wiggle and power, that number will go up.

It’s an understatement to say the Cowboys had difficult defending against the Vikings’s defensive line.  Fortunately, Everson Griffen, a fourth round pick, may only provide rest to the starters in 2010.

New York Giants

CBS Sports: A

Fox Sports: B-

USA Today: C

ESPN (Mel Kiper): B

NFL.com:

The Landry Hat (Joe D.): Incomplete

Analysis:  The Giants draft suggests that changes are forthcoming along the defensive line.  The same group that has harassed Romo may be shuffled and I can only hope to the detriment of the Giants’s pass rush.

Jacksonville Jaguars

CBS Sports: B-

Fox Sports: C-

USA Today: D

ESPN (Mel Kiper): D

NFL.com:

The Landry Hat (Joe D.): Incomplete

Analysis: I don’t believe the Jaguars will be a top team in 2010.  Alualu may start along the defensive line, but he shouldn’t be an impact player.  The Jaguars are receiving a ton of negative press because they “reached” for Alualu.  If the Jaguars thought Alualu could be drafted in the 20′s of the first round, they certainly would have traded down.  It’s possible the 49ers called.  It’s also possible the 49ers had 2 top players on their board, Alualu and Anthony Davis.  Certainly the Jaguars wouldn’t trade down and allow the 49ers to draft the player they coveted.

I resent experts saying teams reached when the drafted player wouldn’t be there the next time the team picked (in this instance 74th overall in the 3rd round).  Also, finding a trade partner isn’t a given.  Also, if Alualu becomes the best of the defensive linemen drafted in the first round, suddenly it is a great pick and absolutely not a reach.  I believe experts get so upset because they absolutely did not see it coming.

Green Bay Packers

CBS Sports: C+

Fox Sports: B

USA Today: C

ESPN (Mel Kiper): B-

NFL.com:

The Landry Hat (Joe D.): Incomplete

Analysis:  I hate Green Bay so much.  First they snake Bryan Bulaga away from the Cowboys (though the Cowboys still would have taken Dez Bryant over a very talented tackle).  I don’t give grades, but Bulaga is an A+, with extra credit.

Detroit Lions

CBS Sports: C

Fox Sports: B

USA Today: A

ESPN (Mel Kiper): B+

NFL.com:

The Landry Hat (Joe D.): Incomplete

Analysis:  The Lions will be formidable.  When the Cowboys play the Lions, it will be in Dallas.  We will be spared the indignance of being mocked by Lions fans (regarding Roy Williams).  In regards to their draft, they will have contributors.  Gurode will have his hands full with Suh.  This may be a game where Jason Garrett falls in love with the pass only to leave Cowboys fans asking, “Why?”

New Orleans Saints

CBS Sports: C

Fox Sports: C

USA Today: C

ESPN (Mel Kiper): C

NFL.com:

The Landry Hat (Joe D.): Incomplete

Analysis:  The Saints drafted a CB, Patrick Robinson, after a season where they were torched in the secondary.  While they were a Super Bowl winning team, the secondary needed a ton of help.  They did not draft a safety, so expect Darren Sharper to re-sign with the Saints.

With any luck, the Cowboys will have a repeat performance against a good, but not great Saints team.

Indianapolis Colts

CBS Sports: B-

Fox Sports: B

USA Today: C

ESPN (Mel Kiper): C

NFL.com:

The Landry Hat (Joe D.): Incomplete

Analysis:  Why do analysts give the Colts mediocre grades.  Don’t they know it just makes them look foolish in 3 years?

Philadelphia Eagles

CBS Sports: A+

Fox Sports: B-

USA Today: B-

ESPN (Mel Kiper): B+

NFL.com:

The Landry Hat (Joe D.): Incomplete

Analysis:  Unfortunately, I really like what the Eagles did in the draft.  They are a talented team that is only getting more so.  Expect Allen to be an immediate starter, with Graham being an immediate contributor.  Fortunately, they did not address the linebacker position until the 4th round.  While they did trade for Ernie Sims, he does not appear to be a substantial upgrade over Will Witherspoon.  Hopefully the Eagles weakness on defense in 2009 will be the same in 2010.

Arizona Cardinals

CBS Sports: B+

Fox Sports: B

USA Today: C

ESPN (Mel Kiper):  B+

NFL.com:

The Landry Hat (Joe D.): Incomplete

Analysis: They replaced good players (Boldin & Dansby) via the draft picking up Andre Roberts, WR, and Daryl Washington, LB.  Certainly the void left by Boldin and Dansby will be filled by players currently on the roster and the aforementioned rookies.  Fortunately, the Cowboys will benefit from the void and make every effort to exploit the mismatch in talent.

According to an article by Clarence Hill, Jr., teams have contacted the Cowboys about veteran players.  Teams will generally do their due diligence to find out if Tony Romo could be had for a 5th round pick.  Obviously not.  It begs the question, what veterans may be sent to a new home if a reasonable offer is placed on the table?

Marion Barber has been previously discussed.  If Cowboys wanted to move up in the draft, they would trade him to along with their first round pick.  Alone, Barber has limited value, 4th or 5th round pick.  The biggest reason I don’t see Barber being moved is the exact same reason we would consider trading him.  This draft is filled with talented and speedy running backs.  A running back with starter potential will be available in the mid to late rounds.  If the Cowboys gamble on a RB in the 4th round, the risk is minimized considering the remaining tandem of Choice and Jones.

Marc Colombo is an unlikely option.  If a top to very good LT falls to the Cowboys in the first (or the Cowboys move up to get a Bulaga or Williams) Colombo may become expendable.  Free played at  a very high level last year at right tackle with virtually no drop off from Colombo.  While Colombo recently signed an extension ($22 million, with $11.5 million guaranteed, through the 2012 season), as there are no cap implications, Colombo may find himself in a new uniform next year. 

Martellus Bennett is also an unlikely option (but not impossible).  We are aware that there was a market for Bennett who has mostly underperformed during his two years in Dallas.  Jerry Jones indicated during the 2009 season that a FIRST DAY draft pick was offered for Bennett.  The offer was rumored to have come from the Bengals.  I would be surprised about two things.  First, that Bennett’s value is still that high based upon his 2009 performance.  Secondly, I would be even more surprised if Jerry was accurate that a team offered a 1st round pick for Bennett.  Historically a first day pick was a 1st through 3rd; last year a first day pick was either a first or a second; this year a first day pick is only a first round pick.  I’m inclined to believe that a team offered a 2nd round pick and Jones simply had a senior moment and forgot about the change in draft format.  The play of John Phillips last year makes Bennett expendable, though a 3rd TE will have to be drafted.

Bobby Carpenter is a definite possibility.  The Cowboys drafted a multitude of athletic speedy middle/outside linebackers  in 2009 who could easily be projected into playing the nickel LB position.  Carpenter is still believed to be capable of playing effectively in a 4-3 system, though that may simply been conjecture.  Carpenter is a restricted free agent and it may be tempting to get a 4th or 5th round pick for a player who is not projected to be on the team in 2011.

Patrick Crayton may be expendable due to the emergence of Kevin Ogletree.  While Crayton isn’t the veteran WR most Cowboys fans wish to be kicked out of Dallas, Crayton is productive and is a young 31.  Crayton still has some tread left on his tires.  Crayton is often characterized as having the best hands on the team.  I would be dismayed to see Crayton traded for a 6th or 7th round pick, but it would be excellent return on investment for the Cowboys considering he was originally a 7th round pick.

Marcus Spears, like Carpenter, is a restricted free agent and may not be a Cowboys in 2011.  Spears has played exceptionally well as a run stuffer while in Dallas, though he does not rack up sacks and is consequently under-appreciated.  I would love to see Spears resigned to an extension (possibly four years), but it may not come to fruition.  If the Cowboys selected a run stuffer like Jared Odrick or Terrence Cody in the first or second round, Spears’s leverage for a long-term deal is caput. 

When shuffling personnel, one player can make the difference, e.g. Keith Brooking.  I do not expect wholesale changes to the Cowboys in 2010, but certainly the aforementioned seem to be the likely suspects.