The Dallas Cowboys

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A convicted murderer shortly before his execution: “I am thankful to the Dallas Cowboys for giving me a lot of enjoyment the past years.” Linebacker D. D. Lewis once said on Texas Stadium: “Texas Stadium has a hole in its roof so God can watch his favorite team play.” These quotes are from Alan Burton a professor from Texas A&M university.com. The Dallas Cowboys are and have been an elite team in the National Football League for decades. The Dallas Cowboys have all the characteristics of a super bowl caliber team. I’ve watched The Dallas Cowboys over the last eighteen years, and the current players on this team are by far the most talented. Nfl.comsays The Cowboys have five Super bowl wins, second only to the Pittsburgh Steelers. To not only exceed in the NFL but as well as be an elite team: a team must have a good dependable quarterback, have an excellent defense, and be a favored team to watch.

In order for a team to excel in the NFL a team must have a good quarterback. The Dallas Cowboys have veteran quarterback Tony Romo. Tony Romo has been at the top of the league in all statistical categories since his entrance in the NFL. According to espn.com in his three years in the NFL Tony Romo has been to two Pro Bowl’s, which is an exhibition game where the best players from the two conferences compete against one another. Tony Romo has already broke six franchise record for Cowboy quarterbacks. He has 16 games where he has thrown over 300 yards, has seven 300 yard passing games in a season, 36 passing touchdowns in a season, is the first Dallas Cowboy quarterback to throw for more than 4,000 yards in a season, has 335 completions in a season, and threw five touchdowns in a Thanksgiving game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. When watching Tony Romo on the field it is evident he loves playing the game. He is dedicated to practicing and giving his team the best opportunity to win. According to NFL network Tony Romo shows up three hours before the game and is seen passing with his wide receivers. As seen on espn.comin the last three years the only two quarterbacks whose stats compare to those of Tony Romo’s are, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady; both of whom are Super Bowl winners and former MVP’s. The Quarterback is viewed as the one of the leaders of the team, without a good quarterback it’s difficult to win. The Dallas Cowboys got their Pro Bowl quarterback which puts them ahead of the majority of the other NFL team’s talent wise.

As important as it is to have a good quarterback and a good offense, it is just as imperative to have a good defensive team. DallasCowboys.com A good NFL defense begins with the coaches. The Dallas Cowboys have an overwhelming advantage when it comes to defensive coaching, because not only is current defensive coordinator Brian Stewart a great defensive coach, head coach Wade Phillips gained his notoriety as being a “shut down” defensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers. DallasCowboys.comstates that out of the eleven players on the defensive side the Cowboys have eight former Pro Bowlers. The players are as follows Cornerback Terence Newman, Strong safety Keith Davis, Free safety Ken Hamlin, cornerback DeAngelo Smith, left tackle Marcus Spears, guard Jay Ratliff and Greg Ellis, linebacker Bradie James, and right defensive end DeMarcus Ware. The Cowboys ranked sixth in the NFL in Defense in 2008. According to nfl.comgreat offenses grab headlines, but defense wins Super Bowls. Of the past thirteen Super Bowl winning teams eleven have had their team ranked in the top five defensive teams in the NFL. A key aspect in determining whether a team has a good defense is to look at their pass rushers. One of the best ways to disrupt an offense is to pass rush the quarterback. Demarcus Ware who is a right defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys is considered by nfl.comas the best linebacker pass rusher in the NFL. In his 2008 season with the Cowboys Ware had eighty four tackles and lead the league with twenty sacks. He is the first NFL player to receive the Butkus Award, which is an annual award given out to the best linebacker in high school, college or pro football.

To be an elite team in the NFL not only must a team be superior but the team has to be loved by the fans. According to Dallascowboysbio.com the Dallas Cowboys are considered “America’s team.” The Dallas Cowboys have been considered America’s team since the late seventies. And according to usatoday.comthe Dallas Cowboys are ranked by Forbes magazine as the NFL’s most valuable franchise, Cowboys are valued at 1.9 billion. The Dallas Cowboys are second only to Manchester United in the entire world. The popularity of the Cowboys is continuing to rise; last year according to foxnews.com The Dallas Cowboys had the highest viewers in the entire league. According to NFL.com the popularity of the Cowboys as America’s team has been supported by NFL records as team with most consecutive sold out games, Cowboys had a streak of 160 home and away games sold out. No other team has come close to accomplishing this task; 160 games is a time period of ten NFL seasons. As found on nfl.com the Dallas Cowboys are rewarded for their popularity by receiving the most nationally televised games with six, and in 2008 the Dallas Cowboys also lead the league with five nationally televised games; which includes playing every Thanksgiving. The Dallas Cowboys also have stated by to NFL.com the most Monday night football games, as well as the most wins on Monday night with thirty nine games won.

To be an elite team in the NFL a team must be well rounded. Not only must a team have a good quarterback and offense, they must also have a good defense. The Dallas Cowboys according to nfl.com have five Super Bowl wins in franchise history; which ranks them second all time. They also have more playoff wins and Conference Championships in the modern era. The Dallas Cowboys team has as many if not more Pro Bowl caliber players than anyone in the league. When compared to the elite teams in the NFL the Dallas Cowboys surpass the other NFL Franchises when it comes to overall talent and popularity. The Dallas Cowboys continue to be an elite team despite the fact that they haven’t won a Super Bowl in years.