It didn’t take long for Terrell Owens to become a staple in the media after joining the Dallas Cowboys. First, there was ‘the player.’ Then, the hamstring injury, and Owens Watch 2007. Next, the bicyclist uniform incident. And the overdose. And the fallout with the receivers coach.

In other words, the same old T.O.

But just who showed up for training camp this year? With the focus on Wade Phillips, Jason Garrett, and T-Ro (as I like to call Romo), it seems Terrell Owens was a little forgotten in the media shuffle. But, surely, this attention-starved adolescent would do something to shift the media’s focus back to him, right?

Thus far, the answer seems to be a fat, resounding ‘wrong.’ There hasn’t been much word out of T.O. this season. And, while the season is still young, if the first game is any indication we might have a new T.O. on our hands. Yes, that was Terrell Owens getting shut out during the first half. But where was the shouting match? The frustration? The inattention when the ball was finally thrown to him in the third quarter? Seems like he caught it.

But, perhaps the biggest question is: Where were the touchdown celebrations? That was two touchdowns scored, but no fancy dancing or trying to outdo Chad Johnson.

The season is young, but I’m starting to doubt we’ll see the old T.O. It’s a small doubt, I still think he might raise his ugly head, but I have to admit there’s a chance T.O. has gone and done the unthinkable: grown up.

The good news is the Dallas Cowboys offense looks fantastic. They lead the NFL in total yards, passing yards, and scoring. Not only does Tony Romo lead the league in passing yards, but he also has the third best passer rating, and the best rating in the NFC. And don’t forget about Witten who has the most receiving yards of any tight end in the league. To top it off, the two-headed running attack of Barber and Jones puts Dallas at 8th in the league in rushing.

The bad news is they did all of this against the New York Giants who have the worst defense in the league after giving up the most total yards, most passing yards, and most points of any defense.

Pretty crazy, huh?

I’m always astounded to hear sweeping statements by fans after only one week. If the fans are any measure of things to come, the super bowl will be the AFC championship when the stout defense of the Indianapolis Colts meet the unstoppable duo of Tom Brady and Randy Moss.

But the truth is that Randy Moss isn’t going to catch 9 balls for 183 yards and a touchdown either week. And, mark my words, the Indianapolis defense isn’t going to be burying the league’s best offenses all year.

I think we all know that, so why do we think the Dallas secondary is going to be torched game after game all season long? Oh, they had their problems at the end of least season, and this does seem like a carry-over from those problems, but lets give them a few games before we become convinced the team is doomed to participate in high-scoring shootouts each week if they want to succeed. Heck, let’s at least wait until Terence Newman takes the field before we make our judgments.

Let’s face it; Newman is the key. He might be one of the most underrated corners in the league, at least to the fans and the media. But have no doubt that quarterbacks and offensive coordinators know how good he is which is why they try to throw the ball on the other side of the field. With Newman in the lineup, Dallas doesn’t have to protect both their corners. In fact, they can pretty much leave Newman on an island any time they want, which means moving Roy a little closer to the scrimmage.

That’s part of the key right there: don’t depend on Roy Williams to cover people deep.

But, most of all, let’s wait until the Cowboys have a few games under their belt before we start the judging. It’s quite likely that we just saw the best performance Tony Romo will have all year, and we may very well have seen the worst performance by our defense as well.

Defensive Tackle was a position of need going into the draft, but the Cowboys came out of it with no defensive tackles. And when it came time to cut down to 53 players, the Cowboys elected to go into the season with only one true defensive tackle after Jay Ratliff, a backup defensive end, showed he could help out at defensive tackle as well.

Now, that decision has come back to haunt them. Jason Ferguson tore a muscle in his bicep during the Giants game and will be out for the entire season. While Jay Ratliff played well in his place, the Cowboys are left without any backups.

They are expected to sign Remi Ayodele, brother of Akin Ayodele, to fill the void. Remi Ayodele participated in training camp and every preseason game, but was let go and claimed off waivers by the Falcons, but Atlanta released him over the weekend.

While not as painful as the Newman injury, Ferguson was a force in the middle against both the run and the pass. The Cowboys will be forced to scheme a little to help Jay Ratliff who is a bit undersized for a defensive tackle in the 3-4 scheme.

This isn’t the first time the Cowboys have gambled with depth at a position and lost. Two years ago, the Cowboys gambled by not having a true backup at left tackle only to see their season go into the dumps after Flozell Adams went down with a season ending injury.

But, with a limit of 53 players, every team has to make a gamble somewhere, and sometimes that gamble can come back to bite you. It has bitten the Cowboys, and we can only hope that the injury bug has had its fill.

Tony Romo took his first step in answering lingering questions about whether he is the quarterback of the future in Dallas by putting up 345 yards passing with 4 touchdowns and an interception and running for another touchdown.

Jason Witten led the team with 116 yards receiving and a touchdown while Owens, who was shutout in the first half, showed up in the second half with three catches for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Sam Hurd, filling in for Terry Glenn on three wide receiver sets, sealed the win with his only catch of the night, a slant that went for 51 yards and a touchdown.

The downside is that the Cowboys needed to score so many points after their defense picked up where they left off last year by being scorched for 319 yards in the air and 4 touchdown passes. Dallas was unable to get much pressure on the quarterback in the first half, but revved up the pressure in the second half. They ended the night with only one sack and another sack/strip on a two point conversion attempt, but the increased pressure was enough to rush some Eli Manning throws and eventually knock him out of the game with a shoulder bruise.

The Cowboys can only hope the game wasn’t an omen for the future. Playing without starting cornerback Terence Newman, the secondary looked lost trying to keep up with the Giants receivers. And, lets face it, the Giants won’t be the scariest receivers they face this year.

But still, it might be better waiting for Newman to get fully recovered even if it means a few more shootouts if it means a 100% healthy Newman down the stretch. Because, if tonight was any indication, they are going to need a healthy Newman if they are going to fix the problems with the defense.

While the running game took a backseat to the aerial attack, the Cowboys were able to 142 yards rushing with Julius Jones ending up with 66 yards on 16 attempts and Marion Barber ending up with 65 yards and a touchdown on 11 attempts. It is also worth noting that the carries were divvied up a little different than last year with Marion Barber coming into the game every third possession to be the main back.

The Cowboys will be facing Miami next week and will be hoping to shore up the problems in the secondary by game time. If Newman is still unable to go, they may have to adjust their coverages to protect the cornerbacks who haven’t been able to show they can stop the deep ball. And, until they do show they can shutdown long passes, expect them to get a heavy dose from opposing teams.

It’s been a long wait, but the season is finally here. The Cowboys open the season tonight against the New York Giants, and they’ll be playing without Terry Glenn and Greg Ellis. And they also might be without Terence Newman.

But the injury bug isn’t limited to Dallas. Plaxico Burress was limited in preseason because of a back injury. He returned to practice this week, but he might not be 100% yet. Sam Madison is also questionable.

The key for Dallas will be getting pressure on the quarterback. Eli Manning is the type of quarterback that can be rattled, so the Cowboys need to put him on his back a few times early in the game. With Terry Glenn out for the game, Patrick Crayton and Sam Hurd will be more involved in the offense. Crayton has shown a knack for getting open and making plays. Sam Hurd has shown this same ability in preseason, but now needs to translate it to the game.

The key for New York will be getting the running game going with Brandon Jacobs. A good running game can divert the blitz. They will also need to take Terrell Owens and Jason Witten out of the game and force Romo to throw to the younger receivers.

My Prediction: Dallas 31, New York 17.

Dallas should come into the game fired up and ready to go. Even if Newman isn’t able to play, their defense will come out attacking. On offense, Dallas just has too many weapons. I’m predicting a big play by the defense in the first half that pumps up the whole team and swallows the Giants.

First it was Greg Ellis who hoped to be ready for the season opener against the Giants, but who still hasn’t been able to practice. Then it was Terence Newman who tore a muscle on the bottom of his foot, missed most of preseason, and is still questionable. Now, its Terry Glenn who had swelling in his knee after his first practice back from a knee surgery.

There is definitely an injury bug going around, and the Cowboys better hope it gets stamped out before it spreads to more players. Aside from these three starters, the Cowboys might also go into the season opener without Kevin Burnett, a backup linebacker who was penciled in to be the nickel back, which means the Cowboys may be without two of their linebackers for Sunday night’s game.

Of the three injuries to starters, the injury to Ellis might be the least worrisome simply because the Cowboys have been dealing with the possibility of being without him since last season when he went down. The Cowboys spent a number one pick on Anthony Spencer, and they also have last year’s number one pick, Bobby Carpenter, to help fill the hole left by Ellis’s absence.

The injury to Terry Glenn will be more of a problem if it extends much beyond the two week timeframe being given right now for his recovery. With Terrell Owens manning the wide receiver spot, and Pro Bowler Jason Witten at the tight end spot, the Cowboys still have stars they can rely on in the passing game. Glenn will be replaced by Sam Hurd, who has showed promise last year and did a good job filling in for Glenn in preseason. Both Hurd and Patrick Crayton, who will come in on three receiver sets, have shown that they have good hands and can make plays. But neither can stretch the defense like Glenn can.

There is a good chance Terence Newman will start the first game, but his injury is the one to Cowboys fans should be most concerned about for two very good reasons. First, it is the type of injury that could linger. A tear in the plantar fascia is treated with rest. He might be able to take a shot and go play on it, but that might also mean aggravating the injury until it persists throughout the season. The second reason to be concerned is, simply put, Terence Newman is the most valuable player on the team. Not only is he one of the top cornerbacks in the league, but the aggressive Phillips 3-4 defense places a premium on cornerbacks. If you are going to blitz the quarterback, your corners are going to be left in man coverage a lot.

Newman at 90% might still be the best cornerback on the team, but a healthy Newman is an extremely valuable asset to the team. With Newman healthy, the Cowboys can leave him on an island and give safety help to Anthony Henry. If he isn’t healthy, they might need to provide him with some help too.

The Cowboys might be better off in the long run just resting him for the first few games to increase their chances of having a healthy Newman come December and January. But, at the moment, it doesn’t seem like the that is in the plans for the Cowboys.

The 2007 NFL season kicks off in a few hours, and I think it fitting to do a top ten power rating before the season officially gets on the way. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but don’t think that just because this is a Cowboys blog that the Cowboys will top the list, or top the NFC teams, or even be considered the top team of their division.

I am a fan, but I also believe the best form of analysis is unbiased analysis. And, as much as I’d like to rate them at the top of the NFC, they’ll need to get some proving done before they move up in the list.

Without further ado:

1. Chargers

Most people seem to hinge the Chargers season on ‘If Norv Turner doesn’t screw it up,’ but my question would be: Do you know what owners Norv Turner coached under? It’s not as if Gibbs is having any more luck under Snyder, and Oakland has been getting a new coach every year. If anything, I think the Chargers might be more scary with Norv Turner at the reigns — we all know he’s an offensive guru, and he has the toys to play with at the Chargers.

2. Patriots

The Patriots flew up everyone’s list with the edition of Randy Moss, but I think picking up Stallworth might have been their smartest move. We’ll have to see Randy on the field before we’ll know how well he’ll work out. But, given that Brady has been able to get it down without many weapons at receiver, we can expect he’ll get the job done with his new weapons.

3. Colts

The Colts lost a valuable piece of their offense when Tarik Glenn (LT) decided to retire, but they are still going to be a powerhouse on offense. But, they made it to the Super Bowl on the improved play of their defense during the playoffs, and they might not be able to repeat that again this year.

4. Saints

The Bears are the sexy pick to be at the top of the NFC, but Grossman hasn’t answered any questions and they lost their top running back. Right now, I’d give dibbs to the Saints. There’s no reason to expect they won’t be able to score buttloads of points again this year.

5. Bears

If Cedric Benson can stay healthy and run as well as Thomas Jones, the Bears will be dominant. But Grossman needs to step up and play with more consistency. The defense cannot continue to bail him out of trouble spots, and not ever team is the Arizona Cardinals.

6. Ravens

The addition of Willis McGahee at running back is a definite boost, and they are still one of the dominant defenses in the NFL. With veteren leadership at quarterback, they should be in the mix of playoff teams come January.

7. Eagles

Donovan McNabb is back, but for how long? If he can remain injury free, the Eagles will be tough to beat. But trouble could come from an unexpected spot: The mischievous kids of coach Andy Reid. Another arrest or two is bound to be a distraction, and his sons have shown all the same signs of being on their best behavior as Pacman Jones.

8. Cowboys

On paper, the Cowboys look like the team to beat in the NFC, but paper won’t mean much come Sunday night. They still need to prove they can rise above the Eagles and take control of the NFC East, and with injuries to Terence Newman and Greg Ellis still plaguing them, that might be a tough thing to do.

9. Seahawks

Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander are back, and the team is healthy. Look for them to be much improved over the injury-plagued Seahawks team from a year ago.

10. Bengals

The Bengals had a dismal end of the season last year, but they still have a high-powered offense led by everyone’s favorite #85.

Teams that will make the jump to the next level:

The Titans. They may have lost Pacman, but they still have Vince Young, and he’s not to be confused with Michael Vick. Young is more like a Michael Vick that can beat you with his arm as well, and as he becomes more comfortable with the NFL passing game, he might very well become the scariest weapon in the NFL.

The 49ers. They’ve been through their rebuilding, and they have some talented young stars. Frank Gore surprised everyone last year, but don’t be surprised this year. He’ll be one of the best backs in the NFC. Alex Smith was shaky coming out of the gate his rookie year, but improved last year. If he can take the next step, the 49ers will be competing for a playoff spot come December.

Wade Phillips is bringing the Phillips 3-4 back to Texas, the state where he helped introduce the 3-4 defense to the NFL while coaching the Houston Oilers under his father, Bum.

The Phillips 3-4 is an attacking defense designed for making big plays. It is a ‘one gap’ defense, meaning that defenders have one area they are responsible for filling as opposed to a ‘two gap’ scheme where defenders must read the offense to determine their responsibility. This frees the player up to concentrate on their assignment and make plays.

This big-play ability cuts both ways. While the defense should produce big plays on defense, it will also allow big plays on offense. The more aggressive you get, the more likely you are to be burnt. But, in the end, the big plays on defense should outweigh the big plays on offense — or, at least, that is the hope.

Think on this: If the offense beats an all-out blitz by completing a 30-yard pass downfield they may or may not score any points. But, if a defense sacks a quarterback and puts the offense in a second or third and long situation, the chances are high that they will be unable to get a first down.

So, the occasional big play given up should be outweighed by the aggressive scheme so long as the Cowboys are able to successfully apply pressure and put opposing quarterbacks on their backside.

The Phillips 3-4 seems an especially good fit for the Dallas Cowboys. Love him or hate him, Bill Parcells brought in some outstanding talent on defense. A scheme that frees up DeMarcus Ware, Greg Ellis, and Roy Williams to be more aggressive should pay off in big rewards.

Another key component of the scheme is the cornerbacks lining up on the outside of the receivers instead of on the inside. This helps take away sideline routes and allows the cornerback to get a better view of the quarterback, which should lead to more plays on the ball and (hopefully) more interceptions. It also forces the receivers toward the middle of the field, which is another advantage considering that is where Roy Williams roams looking for opportunities to unleash the big hit.

The combination of the aggressive blitzing scheme that fits the talent of some of our best players, and the new stance of the corners, should produce the perfect scheme to match Dallas’s talent.

If nothing else, it should be fun to watch.

I have an email in my inbox from my mom informing me that my dad used to have coffee with Wade Wilson. Apparently, Wade used to show up at the Rockwall Dairy Queen on occasion to have coffee with the good old boys. It’s not surprising. By all accounts, Wade Wilson is a good guy.

His suspension came as quite a surprise. It is not often that a coach is suspended for five games for steroids. In fact, I didn’t even know there were league rules against a coach using steroids. But what is perhaps more disturbing are the number of Cowboy fans that want to get rid of him.

Personally, I can’t help but see the irony in the situation.

When you boil it all down, steroids are banned because they are unhealthy. Period. It isn’t an issue with ‘cheating’. After all, sports do not ban lifting weights, or taking vitamins. The fact that they improve physical performance doesn’t make it cheating, it is the fact that they are banned that makes it cheating, and they are banned because of the unhealthy side effects.

More to the point, they are banned because if one player takes them it could pressure other players to take them, and if all NFL players take them this would have a domino effect on college and high school players.

But, essentially, they are banned because they are unhealthy.

So, when you have a coach taking steroids because of a possible benefit to a condition (diabetes), there is some irony in the coach being suspended for his behavior.

After all, I don’t think players or other coaches are going to be pressured into taking steroids because a quarterbacks coach took them – he isn’t out there coaching the quarterbacks because of his physical dominance. Heck, if anything, coffee should be banned since staying awake at night could give a coach an edge!

So, when you ban a substance because it is unhealthy, then suspend someone for taking it to improve their health, that’s irony.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand why he was suspended, and why he was suspended for one more game than a player would have been suspended. Wade Wilson is both an example and a sacrificial lamb. He’s an example to the league showing that coaches will be held to a higher standard, and he’s a sacrificial lamb to congress who is keeping a sharp eye on steroids in sports. The suspension is Roger Goodell’s way of saying, “Hey, look, we are doing something about it.”

Personally, I don’t like examples. I think they are irrelevant. If the system you have in place to curb a behavior (whether it be substance abuse, criminal behavior, whatever) works then it will work. Period. It doesn’t need an example. And, if it doesn’t work, then no amount of examples will make it work.

An example simply punishes one person more than he deserves in hopes of preventing future behavior of those that might make a similar mistake. It highlights the system that is in place. If the system works, it would work regardless, the example is a way of speeding up the process. But, is that fair to the person? After all, they are essentially taking the punishment of other people onto their shoulders. Not exactly what I would call fair.

Our judicial system is made up of a jury of one’s peers and a judge who oftentimes has the latitude to choose mild-to-severe punishments. It is designed this way because no amount of putting words on paper can account for every situation, and not every situation is the same. Justice is fitting the appropriate punishment to the action.

The five-game suspension of Wade Wilson was not just.

Should he be suspended? Sure. It is against the rules, and he broke the rules. But take into account that he was taking steroids to deal with a life debilitating condition. The road of diabetes leads to blindness, amputation, and death. I think most people would do what they could to fight it.

Certainly, punishing it seems about as silly as punishing a terminally ill cancer patient for smoking pot to ease their discomfort. But, unfortunately, that’s the type of silly society we live in.

As if Appalachian State beating Michigan isn’t enough of a surprise for one Saturday, the Dallas Cowboys cut Aaron Glenn while trimming down to 53 players.

Even if starting cornerback Terence Newman wasn’t questionable with an injury, the Aaron Glenn move is a real headscratcher. Considering that after Newman and Anthony Henry the Cowboys have relatively unproven cornerbacks, letting go of the experienced Glenn is a definite gamble.

The best guesses are that the Cowboys wanted to save money by not having Glenn on the roster for week one (which would guarantee his salary for the whole season), or they wanted the room to develop rookies Alan Ball and Courtney Brown.

It’s a move that makes me nervous. Even if resigning him after week one is the plan, there is no guarantee that Glenn will be around to resign. The NFL places a premium on cornerbacks, and Glenn has the experience and talent (if not the height) to contribute on many teams.

The Boys better be sure that Newman will be able to come back from his injury and play well. And, they better hope that the injury bug doesn’t pop up during the season.

Along with Glenn, QB Matt Moore was cut. He’s also in danger of not making it through the waiver wire, though if he does he’s almost assuredly going to land on the practice squad.

That Nick Folk becomes the sole kicker on the team is not a surprise. Gramatica’s stock fell with a missed extra point, and his fate was sealed with an injury.

And Miles Austin’s strong performance in the Minnesota game likely earned him a spot on the roster over Urban. He was also helped by being more important on special teams.

Here is the full list of cuts:

QB Matt Moore

QB Richard Bartel

WR Mike Jefferson

WR Damarius Bilbo

WR Jerheme Urban

TE Rodney Hannah

TE Adam Bergen

LB Junior Glymph

LB Blair Phillips

LB John Saldi

LB Khari Long

CB Joey Thomas

CB Aaron Glenn

CB Quincy Butler

RB Arliss Beach

DT Remi Ayodele

G Trey Darilek

OL Matt Tarullo

RB Alonzo Coleman

FB Lousaka Polite

DE Marcus Smith

K Martin Gramatica (placed on injured reserve)