Cowboys Fans React To 3-13 Record Prediction
By Kim Dunning
Dallas Cowboys Fans had a huge wake up call earlier this week, as USA Today’s NFL writer/editor Nate Davis predicted that the Dallas Cowboys would end the 2014 season at 3-13. If that happened, that would be the worst record the Cowboys have had under Jason Garrett and would be the worst since 1989 when they only won one game against the Washington Redskins. Now to be fair Davis explains his pick by saying:
"” Tony Romo’s back, defense are looking awfully frail. Dallas fans might end up pining for .500 teams.”"
However, given the recent history of the Dallas Cowboys, an 8-8 pick would have made more sense.
In all reality, it is extremely early to make picks. Davis correctly predicted the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Bronco’s Super Bowl last season; however, most people know that even a stopped clock is right twice a day. Davis may have gotten lucky with his pick last year but this pick of 3-13 doesn’t settle well with fans of the Dallas Cowboys. As Cowboys fan Dan Rogers pointed out via Facebook
"“5 out of the 6 USA Today writers predicted the Texans to go to the playoffs and none of them predicted the Eagles to win our division. You can draw your own conclusion of where I am going with this”"
Honestly, most fans are saying another 8-8 season as their pre pre-season pick because that’s exactly what the Cowboys are, average. Now naturally the way the Cowboys have there are always “what if’s” because we as fans never know which Cowboys player is going to end up warming the bench for a good part of the season.
One of factors that must be added in to get to a 3-13 is definitely how will quarterback Tony Romo’s back hold up during the season. Interestingly enough, another article came out and stated that Dallas had one of the NFL’s top 5 Offensive Lines. With a solid offensive line, Romo can avoid the pressure and the sacks more so than he usually has. There seems to be split reaction on Romo where he is still the most loved to be hated quarterback in Dallas. The vast majority of opinions agree that Davis’ prediction has a lot to do with putting Romo on the side-line for the majority of the season. As fellow Landry Hat writer Dan Krupinsky said,
"“He (Davis) seems to be basing this off of the belief that Romo is going to be lost, due to his back injury. If that happens, which is very possible, 3-13 is a reasonable prediction”."
The other factor of potentially going 3-13 would be the defense. With linebacker Sean Lee out for the season, it’s another hole in the defense that must be filled before the Cowboys can solidify their defense for the upcoming season. A lot of hopes rest on draft pick Anthony Hitchens to fill the shoes of Sean Lee. It has been heavily debated that the Cowboys should go out and get a veteran to replace Lee, someone like Jonathan Vilma or Brian Urlacher, so that Hitchens has time to get acclimated to the system and playing in the NFL. If the Cowboys do go with Hitchens to start, the defensive line will be very inexperienced and Cowboys fans will have to have lots of patience for the first few months of the NFL Season. The only plus the Cowboys have going for them is Monte Kiffin is no longer the defensive coordinator and Dallas has Rod Marinelli who has a much proven track record in the current NFL.
To play devils advocate, female Dallas Cowboys fan Chris Nadrowski said also via Facebook
"“I’ll take 3-13 and a top draft pick over 8-8 again”."
She’s got a point too, if we are going to not make the playoffs at least make it worth while in the draft.
Regardless of what side you fall on, and it’s still pre pre-season, it’s interesting that for the first time in a long time no one is saying the Cowboys are good. If you are the type of fan I am, you are grateful that for once, we may actually fly under the radar. I’ll say it now and here, the Cowboys will surprise everyone this year by either having a really bad season or they will have a season veteran fans will be shocked to see this underdog team pull out.