2014 NFL Power Rankings Countdown: #20 Dallas Cowboys

The saga of the Dallas Cowboys franchise is one filled with memes and ridicule. Jerry Jones finally approached the NFL Draft with a focus on talent over media hype and it could be the very first step back towards their former glory. However, I am willing to bet that after another average season heads will roll and ole Mr. Jones will start drafting like Al Davis circa 2005 again. Such is life for fans of a team with a below average owner/general manager.

20. Dallas Cowboys (2013 Record: 8-8)

2013 was just another year of the same old Cowboys, with Tony Romo leading them to a stellar 1-2 record to close out the season, which included a loss at home to close out the season(correction: Romo did not play in that final game of the season - Kyle Orton and Romo look so much alike on the field...). That loss, to the Philadelphia Eagles, would not only lose a chance at the playoffs, but also the NFC East division crown. For whatever reason, good quarterbacks like Tony Romo and Jay Cutler find ways to lose games late in the season with the playoffs on the line. Don't ask me why, because I have no answers.

Key Losses: DeMarcus Ware, Jason Hatcher, Phil Costa, Miles Austin

Key Acquisitions: Jeremy Mincey, Henry Melton, Brandon Weeden, Caleb Hanie, Terrell McClain

Sadly, the Cowboys are also without Sean Lee already and their free agency period was something to laugh at. First they essentially give up Ware and "steal" away Mincey in return. Then you see this drama unfold with Kyle Orton, which sparks the Cowboys to try to get as many crappy backup quarterbacks as possible to cover that possible loss and one gets the sense that this team has not really improved at all. Vegas agrees, the over/under for the Cowboys stands at eight wins. Whooptie doo.

Can I do a second "sadly"? Yeah, I think I can. Sadly, the Cowboys 2014 schedule is going to make their fans cry all season long. It will be a gift that keeps on giving. They will run the gauntlet against the NFC West, along with matchups against the New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts. Historically, the NFC East beats each other up pretty good, so let's say 3-3 record there. Somehow, I think the Cowboys get on a roll and get a few upsets here and there, but at the end of the day they are still a .500 football team.

Projected Record: 8-8

MHR Rankings

MHR Commentary

Kyle: The Broncos (essentially) traded DE Jeremy Mincey for DeMarcus Ware. I’d call that a win for the orange and blue!

Jon: The Cowboys will, once again, be in contention to win the NFC East. But, once again, they’ll find a way to botch it at the last second.

Topher: Want to see a super talented team underperform because of terrible coaching? Look no further than the Cowboys, who possess talent across the board on both sides of the ball but continue to underperform because they have a weak coaching staff. It also doesn’t help they could lose Dez Bryant after the year, but the good news is you know he’s going to play lights out in his contract year.

Laurie: Tony Romo and Dez Bryant should be good for some exciting touchdowns and a couple of good ol’ Texas shootouts (like the Dallas-Denver game last year), but as always, the Cowboys will choke down the stretch and Jerry Jones (aka Skeletor) will be left to defend his coach.

Jacob: The Cowboys’ defense took a huge hit when Sean Lee went down with an ACL injury in OTAs; that loss will set back an already-weak defense. The Cowboys should be in contention for top spot in the NFC East, as always, but I have a hard time seeing them surpass the Eagles as the division’s top team. 7-9 wins.

Pete: The Cowboys keep trying to get better, yet they somehow end up worse. I like a few individual pieces on that team, but as a whole, they are mediocre at best. I don’t see them making the playoffs anytime soon.

Scotty: Will the Cowboys finish 8-8 again this year?

Romo has his moments(great and awful), Dez Bryant is a beast, Jason Witten is always solid, DeMarco Murray is good when they give him the ball, and they have an up and coming receiver in Terrence Williams. That’s about all the positives I can think of for this team.

Their defense looks worse then it was last year(and it was awful last year), Tony Romo will have a December melt down and get injured, the coaching staff will do something awful and forget to give the ball to Murray, and Jerry Jones will do something stupid.

Last place in the NFC East for the Cowboys.