10 NFL teams poised to be better in 2016
By John Buhler
NFC. East. Dallas Cowboys. 7. player. 123.
The Dallas Cowboys were the worst team in the NFC in 2015 thanks to star quarterback Tony Romo breaking his collarbone twice. Dallas went from an NFC Championship contender in 2014 to the No. 4 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Nobody questions who important Romo is to this incomplete football team.
What Dallas does have going for it is three-fold: 1.) Romo is the best quarterback in the NFC East. Eli Manning is still really good, but not as effective as Romo has been during the regular season. 2.) The NFC East is always a winnable division. Usually a 9-7 or 10-6 record is good enough to host an NFC Wild Card Game. 3.) Dallas will again have the best offensive line football. Oakland and Atlanta are strong up front too, but not as deep as Dallas is entering 2016.
If Romo is healthy, Dallas should be the favorite to win the NFC East over the Washington Redskins. The New York Giants will keep things interesting and it will take a great Jim Schwartz defense with the Philadelphia Eagles to offset Doug Pederson’s worst quarterback situation in the NFL.
Romo’s health is everything with the Cowboys. If he gets, Dallas may again win four to six games in 2016, probably costing somebody their job. Having rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott available Week 1 to run, pass block, and catch checkdowns will help Romo lead presumably one of the best offenses in the NFC.
It’s all riding on Romo this fall for the Cowboys, but he’s good enough to make them a viable NFC Playoff team when healthy. Let’s hope he’ll rebound from a disappointing 2015 NFL season.
Next: 6. Indianapolis Colts.