NFL Preview- Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys come into 2014 with one of the top scoring offenses of 2013.  Unfortunately, they had the worst defense in the league.  To make matters worst, the defense has already lost key cogs to an already struggling unit.  Will Jason Garrett finally be able to get the team back into the playoffs, or will they falter late in the year again-- possibly ending Garrett's tenure as the head coach.

For the third straight year the offense will have a different playcaller.  First, Garrett held the job, then last year it was offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Bill Callahan.  This year it will be Scott Linehan-- though Callahan retains the offensive coordinator title.

Tony Romo is back as the man in Dallas at quarterback, but questions remain as to how his back will hold up.  He has had back surgery each of the last two offseasons; first to remove a cist and this last one to repair a herniated disk.  With Kyle Orton no longer with the team, Romo needs to stay healthy for the Cowboys to have any chance at the postseason.  If Dallas loses Romo, they will have to lean on newly acquired Brandon Weeden to take the snaps.

Dez Bryant has become one of the elite wide receivers in the NFL.  Terrance Williams enters his second season entrenched as the number two WR, but he can also has the talent to take over games where Bryant is getting extra attention.  Dwayne Harris and Cole Beasley are also from fairly productive seasons a year ago.  Jason Witten is a future Hall-of-Fame tight end.  He may finish his career by breaking the recently retired Tony Gonzalez's records or will come close to doing so.  Whenever Romo has needed a clutch play, Witten has been there to make it.  James Hanna and Gavin Escobar fill out the TEs on the team and all will contribute this year.

At running back, there is no doubt that DeMarco Murray is the best of the bunch and finally had a 1,000-yard season last year.  While the Cowboys haven't re-signed him long term, Murray is still a top notch RB to have.  He can makes plays with both sheer strength or he can outrun a defense.  Lance Dunbar and Joseph Randle make up the rest of the RB corps.

Defense is once again the biggest question mark for Dallas.  Sean Lee was lost for the year before training camp even happened.  DeMarcus Ware is now in Denver.  His replacement, rookie DeMarcus Lawrence is out 8-10 weeks with a broken foot.  The hope is that signing the previously retired, but still only 25 years old, Rolando McClain will help solidify the middle of the defense.  Bruce Carter is also an option but was disappointing last year after making a big splash the year before.  Henry Melton was brought to clog up the middle of the line for new defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli.  The secondary has been a mess. Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne both have the talent to be great cover corners but have struggled in the Tampa 2 scheme.  Barry Church, when healthy, has been the one bright spot in the secondary.

This is how their 2014 season will look:

Week 1- They open up at home and will find a way to pull out a victory as they have a tendency to do with season openers.  Dallas starts 1-0.

Week 2- The Cowboys head to Tennessee and find a way to struggle a bit before finding a way to win.  Boys are now 2-0.

Week 3-  DeMarco Murray will have yet another monster game against the St Louis Rams defense (his top two career games came against this team).  Cowboys win big, are now 3-0.

Week 4- Dallas hosts the New Orleans Saints and start good.  But Drew Brees will connect with Jimmy Graham and his other weapons with ease to pull away.  They drop to 3-1.

Week 5- They bounce back win at home against in-state rival Houston, but not easily.  Dallas now 4-1.

Week 6- The Boys head to Seattle and get absolutely thumped in the leagues loudest stadium.  Romo connects a couple of times with the Legion of Boom.  Cowboys fall to 4-2.

Week 7- After breaking the losing streak they had in home games against the New York Giants last year, they add another win to get to 5-2.

Week 8- They host RG3 and the Redskins on Monday Night and the defense struggles.  Romo, however, finds a way to bail out his defense with the win.  They are now 6-2.

Week 9- They host the Cardinals on a short week and the offense stalls a bit against this tough Cardinals' defense.  Carson Palmer, on the other hand,  has an easy time picking apart the Cowboys' defense.  They drop to 6-3.

Week 10- The Cowboys head across the Atlantic to take on the Jaguars in London. Should be an easy win for the Boys.  Dallas now 7-3.

Week 11- Nice late season bye week.

Week 12- They head to East Rutherford, NJ and find a way to give the game away to the Giants.  They drop to 7-4.

Week 13- Dallas bounces back with a big win over the Eagles.  They improve to 8-4.

Week 14- Another late season trip to Chicago bears similar results to last year.  Cowboys now 8-5.

Week 15- Reeling from a big loss, the Boys head to Philly and split with the Eagles.  They're now 8-6.

Week 16- Dallas heads back home but to a tough Indianapolis Colts team.  Romo makes plenty of good plays but his December trend continues with a major mistake.  Cowboys now 8-7.

Week 17- Possibly fighting for another playoff spot, the Cowboys head to Washington.  As has been the new Dallas tradition, the Boys make too many mistakes and find themselves 8-8 and stay home yet again.

The Cowboys have an offense that can win as many as 12 games, but their defense would cost them just as many on other teams.  That is why Dallas will continue to find ways to stay at just .500 ball until they can figure out how play well on both sides of the ball.