America's Team

By Tasha Dean

For once, the stars aligned themselves perfectly for the team known for the stars on their helmets. The Dallas Cowboys could not have asked for a better Sunday of football before their Monday night game against the New York Giants.

The Redskins and Eagles both had demoralizing losses - all the Boys had to do was beat the Giants at home to take over as leaders of the NFC East.

But alas...the stars that were in such perfect order on Sunday for this exact scenario to happen quickly became a jumbled mess on Monday night.

The Giants clicked on offense and defense beating the Cowboys 36-22, and adding insult to injury, they effectively threw their hated division rival into a bona-fide quarterback controversy.

There's no question that all season long, the Cowboys have dealt with distractions. This is the team who signed Terrell Owens, right? Nonetheless, Dallas had still managed to come into the Giants game with a 3-2 record.

But being a game over .500 is not enough for America 's Team. Dallas ' touch-and-go situation with their quarterbacks, Drew Bledsoe and Tony Romo, has effectively put a Texas-sized cloud of confusion and uncertainty over the entire organization.

Bledsoe, the starter, has been immersed in criticism for his immobility and inability to make quick decisions under pressure. Bledsoe has been sacked 13 times in the past three games, four of those coming in the game against New York .

The final nail in the coffin for Bledsoe came when the Cowboys took over in the red-zone following a Tiki Barber fumble. With time ticking down towards halftime and the Giants leading 12-7, Bledsoe threw a mind-boggling pass intended for Terry Glenn that was intercepted. The Cowboys could have possibly took the lead and gained much needed momentum after a horrid first half, but instead, Bledsoe's mistake cost him his starting job.

Much to the elation of Cowboys fans, Bledsoe was benched in favor of Tony Romo in the second half.

Romo has been heralded for his mobility, something that Bledsoe unquestionably lacks. The second-string QB from Eastern Illinois was greeted by cheers and chants of his name, but no longer than ESPN commentator Tony Kornheiser shrewdly predicted it, Romo's first pass was tipped and intercepted.

Say it ain't so, Tony Romo.

When the lights of Texas Stadium finally dimmed, Romo ended the game 14 of 25 for 227 yards, throwing for two touchdowns and three interceptions. Before being relegated to the sidelines, Bledsoe went 7 of 12 for 111 yards with one interception.

All in all, Dallas quarterbacks were sacked six times and threw four interceptions, and even though Romo had success in moving the Cowboys offense in only one half of football, crucial mistakes at crucial times proved too much for the Cowboys to overcome.

There's no question that the quarterback position is the most visible position in football and perhaps in all of sports. But with the glamour comes the heaps and heaps of criticism if things do not fall in the right place. The quarterback position is so visible that, oftentimes, other parts of the team that may be just as responsible for a team's woes could be completely let off the hook.

The mindset seems to be that the quarterback is the perennial sports poster boy - let him take the heat. He's in the spotlight - he can take the glory along with the blame.

The Cowboys obviously have quarterback problems, but there is a part of the team that has seemed to slip under the cloak of criticism that Bledsoe and Romo have found themselves suffocated under all season long.

Yes...there is another part of the team who should hold themselves just as accountable for the Cowboys' situation as Bledsoe and Romo.

Can the offensive line please stand up?

For two game-changing sacks in Monday night's game, Giants defenders came through completely unblocked.

In one play that resulted in a safety, LaVar Arrington could have casually strolled through the Cowboys' line, probably having time to pick up a latte and donut too. In the Philadelphia game, Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson constantly bullied and blitzed Bledsoe. The Cowboys' porous offensive line barely gave their quarterback enough time to throw the ball out of bounds, much less try to make a play.

It boils down to this: Is it just me or does it seem like the o-line wants Bledsoe to eat turf for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? I hope that assumption is wrong.

Even so, I am not saying that the QBs should be let off the hook.

Bledsoe has no internal clock and has made countless ill-timed mistakes. On the other end is Romo who will have to go through the growing pains of becoming a starting quarterback.

Even with that said, I do not believe that is the only source to the Cowboys' woes this season.

Dallas has won the games they "should have won" against Houston , Tennessee , and Washington. But against tougher defenses such as Jacksonville , New York , and Philadelphia , the offensive line has done little to give their quarterback a fair chance at getting the ball downfield to receivers. It is no surprise to learn that the Cowboys are winless in those games.

The pocket is oftentimes in disarray as soon as the ball is snapped. Against quality defenses like New York and Philadelphia , the offensive line has been completely embarrassed and manhandled.

Many plays have been unsuccessful because Bledsoe has not had the time to let his receivers run their routes. Many plays have been unsuccessful because the pocket immediately crumbles. Many plays have been unsuccessful because they simply have not had the time to develop.

You get the idea.

Make no mistake...the Cowboys' offense is good. Very little teams in the NFL can say they have the offensive firepower of Julius Jones, Terry Glenn, Jason Witten, and Terrell Owens. But what good does having players like this do if the quarterback has no time to get them the ball or if he has no time to let his receivers fully run their routes?

So yes, the final decision means benching Bledsoe and giving Tony Romo the ball. What other choice do the Cowboys have? Their offensive line has given them no choice.

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