COWBOYS PREDICTION
Now it is no surprise that I am a Cowboys fan.
How do I think Dallas will do in 2010?
I am willing to say that this team will make the playoffs and win the division.
Making the Super Bowl? Hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at Cowboys Stadium on the evening of February 6, 2011?
Hmmm….
ScheduleWEEK | DATE | MATCHUP | TIME (CT) | TV |
1 | 9/12 | at Redskins | 7:20 PM | NBC |
2 | 9/19 | vs. Bears | NOON | Fox |
3 | 9/26 | at Texans | NOON | Fox |
4 | 10/3 | BYE WEEK | ||
5 | 10/10 | vs. Titans | 3:15 PM | CBS |
6 | 10/17 | at Vikings | 3:15 PM | Fox |
7 | 10/25 | vs. Giants | 7:30 PM | ESPN |
8 | 10/31 | vs. Jaguars | NOON | CBS |
9 | 11/7 | at Packers | 7:20 PM | NBC |
10 | 11/14 | at Giants | 3:15 PM | Fox |
11 | 11/21 | vs. Lions | NOON | Fox |
12 | 11/25 | vs. Saints | 3:15 PM | Fox |
13 | 12/5 | at Colts | 3:15 PM | Fox |
14 | 12/12 | vs. Eagles | 7:20 PM | NBC |
15 | 12/19 | vs. Redskins | NOON | Fox |
16 | 12/25 | at Cardinals | 6:30 PM | NFL-N |
17 | 1/2/11 | at Eagles | NOON | Fox |
The schedule is the toughest in the NFC and the 3rd toughest in the NFL (First: a tie between Houston and Tennessee).
The key stretches for Dallas will be Weeks 6-10 and Weeks 12-17 as they take on 3 Super Bowl MVP quarterbacks (both Mannings, Brees), Donovan McNabb, and a total of 6 teams that made the playoffs in 2009. This is a tough schedule.
Here is the breakdown:
GAMES 1-4
I see Dallas getting off to a 4-0 start. The only challenging games are is the opener against Washington and at home against Chicago. The Houston game has the potential of being an offensive explosion.
GAMES 5-8
This is the meat of the schedule as they go on the road to play the Vikings, host the Giants on Monday Night, an afternoon encounter with the Jaguars, and go to Lambeau on a November night to play the Packers. All those teams will be looking to improve upon their 2009 seasons. The best outcome in that stretch is for Dallas to go 2-2 (Loss at Minnesota, wins against the Giants and Jaguars, loss at Packers). If Dallas is at 6-2, they will be sitting pretty.
GAMES 9-12
Here is an interesting part of the schedule. They take on three of the last four Super Bowl MVP quarterbacks (Brees XLIV, E. Manning XLII, and P. Manning XLI). The Lions game… easy win. They COULD beat the Giants in New York, but I don’t see that happening. I see Dallas and the Giants splitting this season. The Saints and Colts games… possibly split one of those games. The Dallas offense can match both the Saints and Colts offenses. Again, those could be shootouts. And remember, Dallas did give the Colts their first loss in 2006 and the Saints first loss last season by keeping the scoring down (21-14 vs. Colts 2006, 24-17 at New Orleans 2009). A 2-2 in that stretch to bring their overall record to 8-4.
GAMES 13-16
This is tricky because they take on the Eagles twice in this stretch, similar to taking on the Giants twice in a four game stretch. I am not even sure what type of team they are going to be with Kevin Kolb under center. Same with the Cardinals and their quarterback situation. I expect the Redskins, Eagles, and Cardinals to be fighting for playoff spots. A sweep by the Eagles would damage their division title hopes. The best case would be 3-1 (loss at home to Philadelphia, win at home against the Redskins, wins on the road at Arizona and at the Eagles).
PROJECTED FINAL RECORD: 11-5
I think this version of the Cowboys can win the Super Bowl. They belong among the teams that should compete for the Lombardi trophy in 2010.
However, I do see some concerns with the offensive line and teams like Green Bay, New Orleans, Indianapolis, and Baltimore are a tad better than Dallas. If the Cowboys get hot in the final month of the regular season and that carries over into the playoffs, Dallas will be a force to be reckoned with.
If the offense executes well by utilizing the three-headed running attack of Barber, Jones, and Choice, the weapons Tony Romo has at his disposal of Austin and Witten while the defense gets after the quarterback like they did in the final weeks of 2009, then February 6, 2011 will be a date to remember in Cowboys history.
No comments:
Post a Comment