Jim Turner

Turnersportsdesk.com

August 17, 2010

Football is a game of skill, talent, organization, luck and pure chance. That is why despite the odds a team can rise from the bottom of the standings to hold the Lombardi Trophy at the end of a brutal season. Stars will be made and some stars will fade. Teams that start off the year as unquestioned favorites to win it all will be hosting super bowl parties instead of playing in the big game.

So given the myriad of obstacles that every team faces why are favorites like the Jets and Cowboys most likely to fail? The crushing weight of expectations is usually the culprit. High expectations mean less room for mistakes and more attention when you do make a mistake or fail to meet an objective. The media plays a prominent role because it is their job to hold teams accountable each week win or lose. Fan expectations play a huge factor in the pressure on teams because the players cannot escape the fans even if they manage to escape the media blitz.

The Dallas Cowboys are a very talented and deep football team but they have a couple of things working against them. They play in a football crazy state where everything is over analyzed. They are hosting the super bowl this year and they have already been anointed as super bowl favorites. The last few years the Cowboys were that hyped what happened? They imploded either at the end of the regular season or during the playoffs. One of the worst things for the Cowboys is to experience early season success because they’ve shown a tendency to fade. If the Cowboys start coming on late and they can remain healthy then this could be their year. Perhaps they will buck the trend this year and win it all but given their question marks along the offensive line and secondary I think the Cowboys are setup up for a very tough and disappointing season.

The New York Jets are a cocky bunch and every bit as talented. The defense they put on the field every game is championship quality but the offense has some giant question marks starting at the most important position [QB]. The Jets are diminished without all world cornerback, Darrelle Revis but they did pick up a nice rookie Kyle Wilson and All-pro Antonio Cromartie. The Jets are hoping that they can be the next in the line of the 1985 Bears and 2000 Ravens teams that relied on a brutal defense combined with a passable offense in order to be the last team standing at the end. The problem is their Coach, Rex Ryan is writing checks his team won’t be able to cash. The Jets are built to win now and the problem with teams like that is they often fall apart at the first sign of trouble. At some point the Jets coach and some of their players need to shut up and play. Now I don’t think they can do it and that is why the revamped Patriots, Colts, Ravens and other vastly improved conference foes will silence them on the field.

The last nail in the coffin for both of these favorites is where they play. Football is king in Texas and the Cowboys will not be able to escape the pressure especially if they are not playing well near playoff time.  The Jets are in the media center of the universe and they happen to have a media ham for a coach. The problem is the Jets are gonna talk themselves into a hole they will not be able to escape. Can both teams escape this doom and gloom? Absolutely, but luck and chance has to be on their side.