The Biggest Offseason Need

There are plenty of holes in the Cowboys roster heading into the 2012 offseason. And it is pretty easy to spot most of them. There are major problems on the offensive line, the defensive line, outside linebacker, and in the secondary. But I think there is something that is needed beyond the obvious talent needs.

The defense needs a leader. And I don't mean to say that Demarcus Ware isn't a leader. He gets pressure on the quarterback and he leads by example. He is a great guy by all accounts. But, in some ways, that is exactly what is wrong.

The defense doesn't play with any attitude. They need a Ray Lewis type of player. They need a Brian Dawkins type of guy. What I getting at here is that they need a guy who will get the defense to play with some attitude. There is talent on the defense. But they are soft. The Cowboys don't have the killer instinct that is needed to dominate an opponent.

Unfortunately it isn't easy to find a guy that be the emotional leader of a defense. I love Sean Lee...he isn't that type of guy. I love Jay Ratliff...he is emotional but he isn't a guy who rallies the troops. It doesn't appear that there is anyone on the roster who can step into the role that is needed.

Scouring the top potential free agents there aren't any obvious names that stand out in terms of being a fiery leader. But there is one player that brings a big attitude with him every time he steps on the field. Cortland Finnegan.

I'm not a big fan of having low character guys on the roster. But there is something to be said for having a guy who is willing to mix it up with the opposing team. A guy who won't back down when challenged. And Finnegan isn't a guy who gets in trouble off the field. He just isn't a nice guy on the field.

For that reason I'm hoping that Cortland Finnegan is a target for the Cowboys. I know he isn't the greatest cornerback ever, but he brings the attitude I'm looking for. He isn't afraid to stand up to Andre Johnson in his battles twice a year against him. He won't back down. Sure, he makes dumb plays now and then because he goes a little too far. But he could bring the attitude to the defense that they are missing.

What I don't know about Finnegan is if he has the personality that the defensive players can follow. But the way I see it the Cowboys have a big need at cornerback with the sure to be coming cut of Terence Newman. And Finnegan is a good cornerback who also brings some major attitude to the field. It seems like a match made in heaven to me.

Sweet Revenge

The players and coaches can say this game didn't have anything to do with last season all they want. We all know that when something like the 44-6 season finale happens to you it is a big deal. I guarantee part of the reason there was so much excitement after the win last night was because the team felt like they finally got past the disaster last season. I know it felt better than any win they have had in a long time to me. I'm going to enjoy this one just a little bit more this week because it came against the Eagles and it shut up their obnoxious fans for at least a few weeks.

It was a hard fought game by both teams. Romo finally got things going with Roy Williams so that storyline can die down for a while and hopefully forever. Miles Austin made the big play to win the game again on a perfectly thrown ball in crunch time in the 4th quarter. The defense contained the big playmakers of the Eagles all night with the exception of a long gain on a screen pass to LeRon McCoy. Special teams never let DeSean Jackson get anything going on punt returns and kick returns were minimal with the exception of a return for a touchdown called back thanks to a holding penalty.

What went right: The defense was in McNabb's face for the majority of the game and definitely had a hand in his subpar play. The two interceptions were huge and they lead to 10 points for the Cowboys. Tony Romo did a great job choosing his moments and he took the sack a few times rather than risk a turnover. He threw for over 300 yards and made a perfect throw on a double move to Miles Austin late in the game for a touchdown. Roy Williams looked good for the first time since the season opener against Tampa Bay. Jay Ratliff was a beast in the middle stopping the run in the second half and coming up with 2 sacks. Don't discount the job that Matt McBriar did preventing DeSean Jackson from getting any big punt returns.

What went wrong: I'm sure Tony Romo would like to have the ball back that was intended for Jason Witten that got intercepted. It was a bad read and a bad pass. The penalties were still a challenge for the offense to overcome. They had to overcome a lot of their own mistakes. The officials stunk all night long. They made bad calls against both teams but a few really stood out for me. The Eagle's touchdown pass came after Brent Celek clearly pushed off from Gerald Sensabaugh to get open in the back of the endzone but there was no call. Jason Witten was called for offensive pass interference for doing basically nothing. And the kicker was the Asante Samuel play in the end zone at the end of the half when he held the arm of Roy Williams on a sure touchdown pass. I think the calls evened out overall with the exception of the Asante Samuel play. David Beuhler didn't have his best night on kickoffs as he struggled to get the depth on his kicks we have come to expect.

Overall, going on the road against a division opponent and getting a win in a high pressure game was huge for the team going forward. This year's version of the team has found the formula for making the plays when it counts. They struggled early in the season in the big moments but they have now won a couple of games when the chips were down in the fourth quarter. 6-2 is a great record at the halfway point, but it is only the halfway point. But the Cowboys are in a great position heading into the second half of the season to not only make the playoffs but compete for a division title.

Next up is Green Bay on Sunday. They are only 4-4 but their offense is dangerous. I hope the players aren't going to buy into the media hype that is sure to build this week now that the team has proven that it is a force to be reckoned with. I don't want to look too far ahead, but a seven game streak is a real possibility if the Cowboys can take care of business this week.

Training Camp Preview - Part 7 - Defensive Line

The Cowboys appear strong on the defensive line heading into training camp. At least in terms of starters. Depth is another story, but there are some players with experience providing some depth. Marcus Spears, Igor Olshansky and Jay Ratliff will definitely be the starters. Stephen Bowen and Jason Hatcher should provide veteran depth at defensive end but there is concern about the depth at tackle. Here is a quick look at each position heading into camp.

Defensive End - Igor Olshansky was brought in to replace Chris Canty and I think the transition to Olshansky will be seamless. I am interested to get a good look at Olshansky at training camp because I haven't seen him play very much. I know he is big but I want to see his strength and quickness. Marcus Spears had a very good season last year but most people don't notice because they try to judge him based on statistics. In Wade Phillips' 3-4 scheme the defensive end needs to be a run stopper and Spears is starting to excel at that job. I want to see that he is still motivated to prove that he was worth a first round pick several years ago. Jason Hatcher was drafted as a project several years ago and has shown flashes of dominant play when given an opportunity. I hope to see him making plays in camp that force the coaches to give him more playing time during the season. Stephen Bowen is solid and should continue to provide depth but he will have to fight for a roster spot with Marcus Dixon. Dixon is a sleeper to steal a roster spot after getting a year to develop on the practice squad. I'll be watching him closely during camp to find out if he looks ready for the big time.

Defensive Tackle - Jay Ratliff is a pro bowler and is extremely active against the pass. He is primed for another stellar season. There is no concern about his preparation for the season from me, but I am concerned about the depth behind him. It appears the coaches are pegging Junior Siavii to fill the backup role. Siavii has the size but very little NFL experience. If he can eat up blockers with his big frame then he will probably win the job, but Tim Anderson from Ohio State will be trying to take the backup role from him during training camp.

Defensive line really looks like a position of strength for the defense. I think the Cowboys will be improved against the run this season partly due to the defensive line. The only worry I have about the line is the depth, but it looks like the Cowboys have plenty of players with the ability to fill in when needed.