2011 Dallas Cowboys Predictions
The Cowboys entered the 2010 season with lofty expectations. NFL odds makers even listed them among the favorites to win Super Bowl. Boy did they ever come up short.
The Cowboys finished the season with a 6-10 record. It was their worst campaign since Jerry Jones bought the franchise in 1989.
The Cowboys did go 5-3 in the second half of the season under the watch of Jason Garrett, who took over when Wade Phillips was fired.
The team’s second-half success landed Garrett the full-time gig. Now, he’s hoping the team can pick up where it left off.
Offense: With weapons like Tony Romo, Jason Witten, Miles Austin and Dez Bryant, it’s easy to see why Dallas is one of the best offensive teams in the league. The Cowboys ranked seventh in the NFL in both scoring and total offense in 2010 with 24.6 points and 364.1 yards per game.
Those numbers came despite Romo missing the final 10 games of the season with a fractured collarbone. Romo and Jon Kitna combined to help the Cowboys average 252.4 passing yards per game – the sixth-best tally in the NFL.
Witten, a seven-time Pro Bowler, remains Romo’s most trusted target, but its the game-breaking ability of wide receivers Austin and Bryant that really makes this offense dangerous.
Witten led the team in receptions (94) and touchdown catches (9) last season while Austin led the squad in receiving yards (1,041).
Bryant could be the next big star in the NFL if he can stay healthy and stay out of trouble. He had 45 receptions for 561 yards and six scores before breaking his ankle. He also took two punts back to the house.
Tempted by so many receiving weapons, the Cowboys abandoned the run at times last year. They ranked just 16th in the league with 111.6 rushing yards per game. Look for Garrett to seek a more balanced attack in 2011 with Felix Jones as his feature back.
Jones rushed for 800 yards and a score on 4.3 yards per carry in 2010.
The Cowboys addressed their aging line by taking Southern Cal tackle Tyron Smith with the ninth overall pick in the draft. Smith is the left tackle of the future.
Defense: Nose tackle Jay Ratliff and outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware anchor a stop unit that took a huge step back last season. The Cowboys ranked 31st in the NFL in points allowed with 27.2 per game. They ranked 23rd in total defense with 351.8 yards allowed per contest.
The defense was especially vulnerable against the pass. It ranked 26th in the league with 243.4 yards allowed per game.
Ratliff is coming off yet another Pro Bowl season and was a huge reason why the Cowboys only allowed 108.4 rushing yards per game.
Ware was unstoppable off the edge again. He led the NFL with 15.5 sacks. It was his fifth-straight season with at least 11 sacks.
The secondary is the biggest area of concern. Last season, cornerbacks Mike Jenkins and Terence Newman looked nothing like the duo that made the Pro Bowl in 2009. The safety play was probably even worse. It all added up to the worst pass defense in franchise history.
Prediction: 2nd Place NFC East – Without all the Super Bowl talk, expect a talented and determined Cowboys squad to challenge for an NFC Wild Card slot. The Cowboys are listed at +300 to win the NFC East division.
Individual Team NFL Season Predictions
