By Brad Adams
Picture
    "We need to strike and we need to strike soon". These are the words that came out of Jerry Jones' mouth today on NFL Network. Jerry was referring to the several players, on the Dallas Cowboys, that are in their prime.
    I've never been a big fan of Jerry Jones, but I couldn't agree more with him here. I'm glad he is finally realizing that there is not much success left in this team. This football team has at most, five quality years left.
    But Jerry isn't just talking, he's walking as well. Jones, this off-season, finally addressed some needs that he had long ignored. He cut underachievers like Terrance Newman, and brought in quality free agents like, Brandon Carr, Brodney Pool, Dan Conner, and Lawrence Vickers. It's great to see that defense finally get some attention.
    But Jerry didn't stop there. He traded up and got a huge upgrade in the secondary, by drafting Morris Claiborne at number six overall. I would have never thought Jerry would have traded up and selected Claiborne. I honestly thought when I saw the Cowboys trade up, that they were selecting Justin Blackmon from Oklahoma State. The fact that Jerry didn't do that surprised me. I was stunned to see that instead of going for a flashy name, that he drafted the player that we most needed.
    I'm not sure what's gotten into Jerry, but Cowboy fans have to love it right now. Maybe the decline in the Cowboys' record is getting to him. Since Romo took the helm, Every season has been a winning one, except for last year finishing 8-8, and the year before finishing 6-10. I think Jerry is finally seeing that the foundation of this team is aging.
    I believe Jerry saying what he said is a good thing. It didn't sound like the whole "I'm not worried" spiel he gave us this past year. There is finally a sense of urgency in Dallas. The lackadaisical feeling seems to be fading away. The only question that remains, is will it translate on the field? We will see.

Follow Brad Adams on Twitter: @thebradadams

 
By Brad Adams   

    This schedule from a glance looks extremely tough. But if you look at it game by game and break it down, it doesn't seem as daunting.
    The Cowboys open up against the Giants in the Meadowlands. This game I believe will set the tone for the remainder of the season. It's going to be a tough one. The next three games are against Seattle, Tampa, and Chicago. Jay Cutler will be back for the Bears, but I think the Cowboys could easily be 3-1 after 4 games in.
    Here is where it gets a little rough. After the very early bye week, the Boys' will be at Baltimore. That's not going to be an easy game to win. They still have one of the best defenses in the game. Romo and company better be ready to play on October 14th. After that it's at the Panthers, where Cam Newton is doing something special down there in Carolina. I don't believe the Cowboys will lose that game, but it's still not a game to overlook. Then it's on to the Giants at home, followed by at the Falcons and Eagles. If the Eagles look like they did at the end of the year last year, the Cowboys very well could lose that game. I don't see the Cowboys being any worse than 6-3 at this point in the schedule.
    Heading into Thanksgiving, the schedule seems to hit a bit of a soft spot. This is where they must take advantage. They host the Browns, Redskins, and Eagles. Three home games in a row. The Cowboys have to go 3-0 in that span. No way they should lose to Colt McCoy and the Browns, or even RG3 (or Luck) and the 'Skins. Just shouldn't happen. But with the Cowboys, you never know. The Eagles game takes place in December, which is not been a good month for the Cowboys. I still think they win that game.
    The rest of December is sort of mixed bag. They go to Cincinnati to face the Bengals. Andy Dalton had this team looking sharp last year. So like the Panthers game, it's not one to be overlooked. The Cowboys then face the Steelers and Saints at home. Steelers will be tough to beat as always. With the Saints, who's to know how they will handle their adversity. By this time in the season we will know. If the Saint's are the kind of team I think they are, they will rally around each other and be a team to be reckoned with. They seem to handle adversity well.
    The season wraps up with a trip to the Capitol, to face the Redskins. No way they lose to the Redskins this year. RG3 (or Luck) alone won't be enough to make this Redskin team all that good. Games against Washington are always close, but I see the 'Boys sweeping them this year again.
    I know predicting how teams will finish in April is rather foolish, due to a lot of events in the off-season still left to occur. But, just for fun I'll give a prediction, that I'm sure I'll revise later. As of now, I see the Cowboys finishing now worse than 10-6.
 
Week One: Wednesday, Sept. 5th -  Cowboys @ Giants

Week Two: Sunday, Sept. 16th -  Cowboys @ Seahawks

Week Three:  Sunday, Sept. 23rd – Bucs @ Cowboys

Week Four: Monday, Oct. 1st. – Bears @ Cowboys

Week Five: Bye Week

Week Six: Sunday Oct. 14th -  Cowboys @ Ravens

Week Seven: Sunday, Oct. 21st – Cowboys @ Panthers

Week Eight: Sunday,  Oct. 28th – Giants @ Cowboys

Week Nine: Sunday night, Nov. 4th – Cowboys @ Falcons

Week Ten: Sunday, Nov. 11th – Cowboys @ Eagles

Week Eleven: Sunday, Nov. 18th -  Browns @ Cowboys

Week Twelve: Thursday, Nov. 22nd – Redskins @ Cowboys

Week Thirteen: Sunday night, Dec. 2nd – Eagles @ Cowboys

Week Fourteen: Sunday, Dec. 9th – Cowboys @ Bengals

Week Fifteen: Sunday, Dec. 16th – Steelers @ Cowboys

Week Sixteen: Sunday, Dec. 23rd – Saints @ Cowboys

Week Seventeen:  Sunday,  Dec. 30th – Cowboys @ Redskins