Emmitt Smith once famously said about his team, “We had some diamonds, but we had a lotta cow poo poo around it, and the diamonds was mixed in with the poo poo…it just all look like poo poo.” (The Grammar is Mr. Smith’s alone.)

If that was true of the late ’90s Cowboys, it was doubly true of the 2010 version of America’s (Former) Team. At the end of the most disappointing year in the 51-year history of the Dallas Cowboys, it can be challenging to find ten players whose contributions merit mention on a list of “top performers.”

Somehow, this 6–10 disaster of a team managed to put five of its players in the Pro Bowl, all of them as starters. Each of those guys makes this list. That leaves us with the task of digging in the cow poo-poo for five more diamonds.

From Number One to Number Ten, I give you the 2010 Top Ten Dallas Cowboys:

Number One: Jason Witten, Tight End

On a team with a rich history of tight ends with names like Billy Joe DuPree and Jay Novacek, Jason Witten is establishing himself as the best to ever play the position in Big D. The eight year veteran has just been named to his seventh Pro Bowl.

This year, Witten became just the third tight end in NFL history to record multiple 90-catch, 1,000-yard seasons. The other two? Todd Christensen and Tony Gonzalez. 2010 was the third time Jason has gone over 1,000 yards in receiving.

He also caught nine touchdown passes this year, the most in his career.

Number Two: DeMarcus Ware, Outside Linebacker

On a defense that sank like the Titanic 99 years before, DeMarcus Ware once again proved his mettle. The six year veteran was named to his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl. He should be named first-team All-Pro for the fourth year in a row, as well.

For the second time in three years, Ware led the NFL in sacks, recording 15.5. He had three sacks in the season finale to go along with a fumble recovery for a touchdown.

On the season, Ware recorded 56 tackles and ten assists. He was easily the best defensive player on the team.

Number Three: Jon Kitna, Quarterback

When Tony Romo went down in week six, the 39 year old Kitna was pressed into action. While he was short of spectacular, he was steady. He provided solid play and much-needed leadership to a team that had recorded just one win before he took the helm.

Kitna completed 209 of 318 passes for 2,365 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also secured four victories for the Cowboys before going down to injury, including wins over the Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants, both on the road.

Jon Kitna was the rudder Jason Garrett needed to right the rudderless ship inherited from Wade Phillips.

Number Four: Dez Bryant, Wide Receiver

Dez Bryant only played in just over 11 games before going down with a leg injury. In that time, however, he established himself as the alpha receiver, scooting Miles Austin, the 2009 surprise hero, aside.

Dez brought fire and passion to the field, the kind not seen around these parts since Michael Irvin hung up his helmet. He also produced, catching 45 passes for 561 yards and six touchdowns.

Dez Bryant was the acrobat under Jerry Jones’ billion-dollar big top.

Number Five: Mat McBryar, Punter

For just the second time in his stellar seven-year career, Mat McBriar has been named to the Pro Bowl. The Australian has been the picture of consistency since arriving in Dallas in 2003 as an undrafted rookie free agent. He might have as easily been to four or five Pro Bowls by now.

In 2010, McBriar posted a 47.9 yard-per-punt average. He led the NFL in net punting average with 42.1 yards. This meant opponents, more often than not, had to march the length of the field to score.

Unfortunately, that marching the length of the field thing was hardly a bother against the porous Dallas defense.

Number Six: Bryan McCann, Returner/Defensive Back

Bryan McCann began the year on the practice squad. When injuries opened the door for him to get on the active squad, he made the most of it.

While McCann’s overall production for the year was not eye-popping, he did provide the most thrilling moments of the season. In back-to-back games, he returned an interception 101 yards for a touchdown and a punt 97 yards, also for a touchdown. McCann’s heroics contributed to the only two-game winning streak the Cowboys had all year…and got the Jason Garrett era off to a smashing start.

Number Seven: Jay Ratliff, Nose Guard

At 6’4″, 293 pounds, Jay Ratliff is a runt.

Well, as nose guards go, he is a runt. He is also a whirling dervish, hard to block, hard to contain. Fortunately for his opponents, he is accompanied on the defensive line by a handful of stiffs, so opposing offensive coordinators can double- and even triple-team Ratliff.

In a year when the Cowboys’ defense was gashed again and again on the ground and burned like toast week after week through the air, Ratliff’s compatriots thought enough of his play to put him in the Pro Bowl.

Jay Ratliff only recorded 23 tackles, eight assists, and 3.5 sacks in 2010. He also forced one fumble and recovered two.

This will be his third straight Pro Bowl appearance.

Number Eight: Doug Free, Left Tackle

Coming into the season, the left tackle position was a source of concern with the departure of Flozell Adams. As it turned out, Doug Free was more than capable of anchoring the position. On a line that often failed to open running lanes or provide protection, Doug Free allowed no sacks in the first 5.5 games of the season.

Once Romo went down, the less elusive Kitna stepped in and Free did give up a few sacks. Still, he played a fairly solid left tackle against some big challenges, including pass rushers named Julius Pepper and Mario Williams.

Number Nine: Andre Gurode, Center

Andre Gurode is sometimes on his own program, snapping the ball whenever the mood besets him, firing it over the head of quarterback, or failing to get it to his hands when the QB is under center.

All of that notwithstanding, Gurode has the respect of the league. He has been named a starter in the 2011 Pro Bowl. This will be his fifth consecutive appearance in the game that showcases the best in the NFL.

Nothing about Gurode’s performance in 2010 really stands out much, but this is not a difficult cut, this 2010 Top Performers List.

Number Ten: Stephen McGee

Further evidence of just what kind of year this has been, my tenth top performer is the third-string quarterback, who played in but two games, and started only one.

Stephen McGee was not brilliant. He only completed 22 of 44 passes for two touchdowns. However, he did not throw any interceptions.

More importantly, he played well in crunch time.

Against the Arizona Cardinals, he led his team on a late fourth quarter scoring drive that should have sealed victory for his team. He threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to put the Cowboys ahead 26–24 with under two minutes remaining. Unfortunately David Buehler missed the extra point and the Dallas defense failed to stop the Cardinals, giving up the winning field goal as time expired.

In the final game of the season, McGee lead another late fourth-quarter drive, capping it with a touchdown pass to Jason Witten. This time, he got the win, 14–13, thanks to a DeMarcus Ware sack of Kevin Kolb on the Eagles’ last drive.

Offensive MVP: Jason Witten

No offensive player did more to help his team succeed in this failure of a season than tight end Jason Witten. In addition to the stats I spouted earlier, Witten was the favorite target of all three of his quarterbacks when the chips were down.

Third and long? Jason Witten.

Red Zone? Jason Witten.

Defensive MVP: DeMarcus Ware

The final game of the season said it all. Ware recorded three sacks, including the one that essentially ended any hope the Eagles had of winning the game. He also scooped up a fumble and returned it for a touchdown.

Mr. Ware is the modern-day version of Bob Lilly. Simply put, he IS Mr. Cowboy.

2010 was a miserable year for the Dallas Cowboys and their fans. It may well have been the most disappointing year in team history.

Never fear silver and blue bloods: a new year has dawned and 2011 will be much kinder to your Cowboys.

That is, if there is football in 2011. Big “if” there.

So, provided there is NFL football in 2011, here are the top ten reasons the Cowboys will fare better and find themselves once more in contention for postseason play and more…

Number One: No more Wade Phillips.

It is not yet clear who will coach the Cowboys in 2011, but it is clear that it will not be the under-achieving, over-excusing, pompom-waving, affable Phillips.

Not long after his dismissal, Wade Phillips went on a Virginia Beach radio station and compared his Cowboys record to that of Tom Landry, saying that he had left with the same winning percentage as the Cowboys’ legendary coach of 29 years.  That laughable statement is roughly the equivalent of me saying I am as wealthy as Jerry Jones because we both have accounts at Chase Bank.

The truth of the matter is Wade took a team built by Parcells, poised to take that next step, and rode it into the ground. Based on the talent base and the ultimate results, Phillips may actually be the worst coach in team history, with apologies to his defensive backs coach and former Cowboys head coach Dave Campo.

Number Two: Jerry Jones will be compelled to make coaching and personnel decisions that are best for the team, rather than merely selecting the best candidates who are most likely to be “yes” men.

Jerry Jones, in a drunken admission recorded on a cell phone and posted on YouTube, confessed he only hired Parcells to shut the media up and change public perception so he could get his precious stadium built. Of course, once Parcells had had enough of Jones’ ridiculous meddling and left town, Jerry immediately hired himself the most capable puppet available: Wade Phillips.

Wade Phillips proceeded to give Jerry his most humiliating moments. They suffered a huge blowout loss to the Eagles in the final game of 2009, ending the team’s playoff hopes. They lost the last game ever in Texas Stadium to the Ravens. They lost the first game ever in the new stadium to the hated New York Giants. They were utterly destroyed by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2010 playoffs, after winning their first playoff game in 15 years. And they were throttled and embarrassed by the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football, falling to a ridiculous 1–7 record at the time.

Financially, Jones is in it up to his false teeth with that new stadium. He cannot afford to put his ego ahead of the team’s success. As badly as he wants to construct things so that this time he will get the credit for success, rather than the coach (he still smarts over the Jimmy Johnson days), he will have to make moves that make sense, or suffer dire consequences. Whether he ultimately decides to stick with Jason Garrett or to pursue one of the proven Super Bowl-winning coaches available, you can bet he will make the hire with the primary concern being whether the coach can take the Dallas Cowboys back to Super Bowl glory.

Number Three: The Cowboys will get a top ten 2011 draft pick.

While it is always dicey to have Jerry pulling the strings on draft day, it is much more difficult to screw up a top ten draft pick than one in the latter part of the first round. With so many holes to fill—offensive line, defensive line, safety, linebacker, cornerback—there figures to be real value and a potential opening day starter available when the Cowboys make their first pick.

Number Four: The 2011 schedule will favor the Cowboys.

The NFL has worked its schedule so that out-of-division play features match ups between teams who finished in the same place in divisional standings. First place teams face first place teams, second place teams face second place teams, and so on. The Cowboys had a murderous schedule this year because they won their division in 2009.

Number Five: Dez Bryant will continue to emerge.

Dez Bryant was the best first-round pick the Cowboys have made since DeMarcus Ware. In an injury-shortened rookie season, Dez caught 45 passes for 561 yards and six touchdowns. He was the king of the circus catch, and easily the most aggressive offensive skill player on the team.

In addition to his prowess as a big-play receiver, Dez was a special teams standout. He had 15 punt returns for 215 yards and two touchdowns. He also returned 12 kickoffs for 293 yards.

Number Six: The Cowboys will be forced to get younger at inside linebacker.

Keith Brooking has been a pro bowl player. He has been a team leader. He has also been the heart and soul of the Cowboys’ defense since his arrival two years ago. Unfortunately, that defense is one of the worst in the league now, and Brooking has clearly lost a step. It happens to the best of them, and he is among the best of them.

The harsh reality is that neither Bradie James nor Brooking have had much of an impact this year, other than being torched on passing routes and gouged by the running game. Both men are leaders. They just have not performed in 2010.

Sean Lee may be part of the answer. He had better be. But there will have to be someone else emerge, as well.

Number Seven: The Cowboys will address the safety position.

Alan Ball works hard. But, as Clark Griswold’s father-in-law famously said, “So do washing machines.”

The Dallas Cowboys must have help at the safety position. Good safety play is absolutely essential to the success of any defense. Too often, the Cowboys’ safeties are seen coming into the picture just in time to wave at a receiver as he races to the end zone. Inept safety play impacts the effectiveness of cornerbacks, because they have to play softer, less aggressive, when they know there is no adequate help over the top.

Number Eight: There will be more Tashard Choice and less Marion Barber.

Marion Barber was once a great change-of-pace back, coming in to relieve Julius Jones late in the game, when the defense is tired. He used his relentless, battering ram style to break down said defenses and secure victories. Then, he became the featured back and has never been very effective since.

Barber is showing signs of slowing down. It may be that his bruising running style has taken its toll on body and mind.

Marion Barber also continues to make bonehead decisions that hurt his team, like ripping off his helmet after a touchdown or over-celebrating a three-yard run.

Meanwhile, Choice has shown himself to be perhaps the most complete back on the team. He can get the tough yards. He can make the important play in the passing game. He can break off a good run here and there.

Number Nine: Jon Kitna has impacted this team.

Tony Romo is not a fiery leader, known for holding his teammates accountable. His most famous quote to date is something like, “Football is fun.”

Kitna is a different kind of cat. He is fiery. He is ultra-competitive. He will get in your face just as quickly as he will jump in your arms. He also stands up and takes responsibility for failure, even if it doesn’t necessarily belong to him.

Romo and Kitna seem to have a good rapport. You have to believe that Romo has been watching his more-experienced replacement operate. Expect Tony to be focused and single-minded come 2011.

Oh, and healthy. A healthy Romo is absolutely essential to this team’s success.

Number Ten: Training Camp will actually take place.

The Cowboys treated the 2010 training camp like a rock band tour, moving it three different times, from San Antonio to California to Dallas. Only a handful of days were actually spent in full pads, featuring full contact.

Coach Wade “Marshmallow Puff” Phillips felt he had the kind of team he could just suit up and run out there and win enough games to keep his job. Competition for starting positions was nonexistent. There was a sense of entitlement that permeated the organization, from the owner/general manager and the head coach on down.

Whomever Jerry chooses to lead this team is bound to change that. (Heck, late-season practices under Jason Garrett have been more intense than training camp was under Phillips.)

It is a new year and hope springs eternal. Off with the old. On with the new.

Raise your glass to the new-look, more successful Dallas Cowboys.

Cheers!

Next Year's Champs?

Before the wild card round, I wrote an article predicting Super Bowl XLIV would feature the San Diego Chargers and the Dallas Cowboys. After the wild card round, with San Diego home cooling their heels and the Cowboys summarily dismissing the Philadelphia Eagles 34-14, my prognostication skills were looking quite strong.

Then came the divisional round of the NFL playoffs.

It wasn’t really surprising that the Minnesota Vikings beat the Cowboys. They do, after all, have a very strong team featuring two of the best offensive players in the entire league and a defense that led the league in sacks. The game figured to be a great match up—perhaps the best of the entire playoffs. As the number three seed, The Cowboys’ road to the Super Bowl was sure to be fraught with difficulty…and nowhere would that be more apparent than in the Mall of America Dome, where the home team had been a perfect 8-0 during the regular season.

I said as much, even as I made my bold prediction.

I wasn’t surprised when I turned out to be wrong about the Cowboys beating the Vikings. I was surprised—mortified, even—when the game ceased to even be competitive somewhere in the third quarter. A 34-3 pasting I did not see coming. Did anyone whose face wasn’t painted purple last Sunday make that call?

Okay. So, my home team Cowboys didn’t hold up their end of the bargain. It would not be a Cowboys – Chargers Super Bowl. I could still be half right. Right?

Wrong. The Chargers lost in a stunning upset to a Jets’ team that features one of the league’s best defenses and one of its most predictable, vanilla, close-to-the-vest offenses, not to mention a rookie quarterback. The 17-14 setback marked the second time in three years under Turner the Chargers had plowed through the regular season (they were 14-2 in 2007 and 13-3 this year) only to lose at the first opportunity in the playoffs.

Cowboys fans and Chargers fans are left with very similar circumstances. Norv Turner is 32-16 with three division titles  in his three seasons at the helm in San Diego. His team has won three playoff games, but has been unable to climb to the top of Mount Victory and claim a Super Bowl spot. The Cowboys, meanwhile, are 33-15 during those same three years under coach Wade Phillips. They have won two division titles…and exactly one playoff game.

Norv Turner was rewarded a three-year contract extension before Chargers’ fans could even get down a bottle of Pepto Bismol to settle their stomachs. After making a questionable decision to onside kick, leaving his team with their backs against the wall and the clock tick-tocking away, Chargers’ management wasted no time rubber-stamping him.

Lee “Hacksaw” Hamilton, San Diego radio personality and columnist for the San Diego News Network, wrote in a column for the SDNN,

It may be as appalling a loss as there is in franchise history. Yes, Steve Young threw six touchdown passes in the 49ers Super Bowl rout in 1995.

But this may surpass that and possibly equal a horrific loss during the Dan Fouts-Air Coryell era, when Vernon Perry picked off four passes in a 1979 home playoff loss to the Houston Oilers by the same 17-14 margin.

Across the Blogosphere, San Diego fans have been incredulous over Turner’s extension. He had a year left on his contract, but ownership sent a “we are satisfied” message by inking him to a new deal.

Meanwhile, back on the ranch, Jerry Jones has taken his sweet time doing the inevitable; namely, picking up the option on Phillips’ contract. Cowboys Nation is holding its collective breath, hoping it is just that and not some new, long-term deal that will keep the the Pillsbury Cowboy here into perpetuity.

Opinions vary sharply on the wisdom of keeping Phillips, but there seems to be a hefty majority in the Dallas media that takes the view that he probably gives the team the best chance to make a run next year. It is the old, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” adage. (Of course, even if it is broken, Wade calls himself “Mr. Fix-It.)

The wisdom of keeping Turner and Phillips will not be known until we have the benefit of hindsight. Are they like the hot high school cheerleader that gave you just enough hope to keep you carrying her lunch tray? Are they Super Bowl teases? Or, are they the real thing?

Whatever they are, Turner and Phillips must each be drunk with delight over the confidence their respective owners have shown in them.

The teams’ fans, on the other hand, are just drunk. Less than a week ago, the Cowboys and Chargers were hot picks to make a run to Super Bowl XLIV. By Sunday evening, Dallas fans were stunned, having helplessly witnessed  a Little Big Horn type massacre in Minnesota. San Diego fans were stung by another unexpected upset playoff loss. In Sunny Southern California and in Big D,  Super Bowl Fever has given way to a slumped-shouldered stupor. Glazed-over eyes. Blank stares. Slack jaws. Wrenching guts.

Maybe next year.

Random addendum: How strong would a coaching staff be that featured, say, a Jimmy Johnson as head coach and Norv and Wade as the team’s coordinators? Just day-dreaming.