Are the Dallas Cowboys contenders or pretenders?

Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Are the Dallas Cowboys contenders or pretenders? Winning with a top rushing attack and defense has worked, but don’t ignore the red flags. NFC dominance is not guaranteed. Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in part two of this week’s TD Sports Debate. Two brothers from New York yell, scream and debate the NFL and sports.

[Part one – Percy Harvin trade, Inside the head of a GM]

TODD:

No one predicted the Dallas Cowboys would be this good and sit atop the NFC East. Well, that’s not entirely accurately. There is someone: ME! I tabbed Dallas as champion of the division prior to the season. Of course, I can’t climb too high a pedestal because in that same piece, I also said Washington would finish second…

For the Cowboys though, it has been a two-step process to success.

1) Run the football

2) Play defense

These sound like simple steps to take in order to win, except last year the Cowboys did neither.

In 2013, Dallas ran the ball a total of 336 times, good for 31st in the NFL. Its defense was somehow worse, ranking dead last in total yards allowed.

This year has been a different story. Perhaps because Jason Garrett finally started to believe that his job was in jeopardy, he agreed to let DeMarco Murray run the ball. Roughly halfway through the year, Dallas now ranks number one in all the league in both rushing attempts and yards. And in terms of defense, the Cowboys sit respectably in the middle of the pack even though they’ve yet to have a bye week.

It is hard to get a read on the ceiling of this squad though. For me, I expected Dallas to be good, but not like this. They almost seem too good right now. Also, with three of their next four contests coming against Washington, Jacksonville and the Giants, it’s like fate is daring people to believe in this team.

On the other hand, all the factors point to a juggernaut: the best offensive line in the game, an unstoppable wide receiving weapon (as well as the super-underrated Terrance Williams), redemption stories and players with chips on their shoulders all across the defense, and the best kicker in the history of the sport.

Is Dallas really a contender for best team in the conference? I still like Green Bay more, but I don’t know why. There is no logical explanation outside of the general feeling that Tony Romo and the Cowboys are bound to screw this up.

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DAN:

Call me crazy, but I’ll be standing on the side of the road as the Dallas Cowboys’ bandwagon drives by, only to break down a half mile away. They are certainly winning with a stout rushing attack and stellar defense. You know what other team comes to mind when you mention running the ball effectively with a defensive focus, my very own New York Jets!

I love those statistical leader boards, they are a window into the BS market of the NFL. The Cowboys are first in rushing, but guess who is ranked second. Oh look, its the New York Jets. Certainly the defensive statistics must be more in favor of the superior Dallas Cowboys as compared to the hapless Jets.

Dallas ranks 19th in total defense, 15th against the pass and 18th against the rush. Very average if you ask me. The New York Jets on the other hand are 19th against the pass and 9th against the rush, coming in at 14th in total defense. You have every reason in the world to be concerned about the Dallas Cowboys.

The Jets are certainly better than their 1-6 record would indicate, but the Cowboys are also not as good as their 6-1 record. I’m going to let this analogy die, because its making me look like a hopelessly optimistic Jets fan, but my point is simple. Teams can win with defense and an amazing running attack, but they can also lose just as easily.

Unlike the Jets, the Dallas Cowboys schedule is highly favorable. They have one victory of note, against the Seahawks, and lost to the only other dominant team they played, the 49ers in week one. The rest of their schedule sets them up to win their division. I can admit when I’m wrong, and I do believe they are the best team in the NFC East. But I’m not as high on Philadelphia as I was in August, so being the best in the East is not saying much.

This debate reminds me of my feelings on the San Diego Chargers. Dallas will make the playoffs. Unlike San Diego, they will light a fire under the public as America’s team, and expectations will be high for the Cowboys. I don’t see them as the best team in the NFC however. That honor still belongs to the Seattle Seahawks, regardless of recent performance.

[If you missed Part one – Percy Harvin Trade, Inside the head of a GM]