Dallas Cowboys 2012 NFL Preview

DeMarcus Ware would have been sacking Matt Ryan for a safety in the wildcard round, Romo would have been throwing an improbable final second touchdown right before the half at Green Bay, and Kyle Williams would have fumbled the ball in overtime, proving that Tony Romo had suddenly caught the clutch gene. Okay, maybe none of that would have happened. The alternatives, though, to a Giants run if Dallas just holds on for that win in Jerry World, are just as frightening.

Of course, the other side of the ball could be a concern because of injuries and the imposing interior offensive line. Miles Austin has been out most of the preseason, Romo’s security binkie Jason Witten has had all of his internal organs removed but is seeking a waiver to play tonight’s game with a colostomy bag, and Dez Bryant is a fistfight with his security guard away from missing time.

So the Cowboys couldn’t get over a Giant hump last year. Going back to 1990, there have been fourteen other times when one division opponent got swept by another, and if they could have just won one of the games, would have made the postseason instead of their rival. The good news? Past performance is no indication of future performance. Those games now mean nothing. The team that got swept went on to go 16-12 against their rival the next season. The most recent case? You might remember this team called the Giants that choked big time against the Eagles two years ago.

I think the Cowboys have about a 49.1% chance of winning each game, so my official prediction (checks ESPN the Magazine) is . . . 0 – 16. Seems reasonable. Of course, a few adjustments to that–I wouldn’t argue if you said it was 52.3% instead–and they could be 16-0. I think that’s their range this year, and I’m sticking to it.

[photo via US Presswire]