Dallas Cowboys Tickets - Defense Should Have Fans Excited In '10

With a slew of playmakers and stars on offense

, the Cowboys have been touted as one of the best teams in the league heading into the start of the regular season. Though it's certainly an offense-dominated league nowadays, the Cowboys also have a very strong defense that should be able to keep the pressure on opposing offenses all season long. The Cowboys may have the offense to get them to the cusp of an NFL championship, but it's their overshadowed defense that might be able to get them over the hump.

For the Cowboys, the defense actually starts with the incredibly underrated defensive tackle Jay Ratliff. Though slightly undersized for his position, Ratliff has gained a reputation as one of the most effective interior defensive players in the league and helped lead the Cowboys to the fourth best rushing defense in the NFL last year. His effectiveness also has helped out the linebacking corps, which is led by 34-year-old Keith Brooking and Bradie James. Brooking isn't the same level of player that he used to be in Atlanta but he's still a guy who knows how to find ball carriers and had 100 tackles for the ninth consecutive season last year. James also has been a stalwart in the middle of the field next to Brooking due to his abilities to play both the run and the pass.

But the strengths of the Cowboys defense certainly don't stop there. Defensive end DaMarcus Ware remains one of the premier pass-rushers in the league after recording double-digit sacks for fourth straight year last season. Though he won't likely ever touch 20 sacks again as he did in 2008, Ware commands double-teams almost as much as anyone else in the league, freeing up other defenders to operate. With so few teams having an elite caliber guy to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks, the Cowboys certainly have a leg up on the competition. If 2009 was any indication, cornerback Mike Jenkins also is on the rise and has shown his ability to play both man-to-man and in zone packages.

Even with a somewhat shaky secondary outside of Jenkins, the Cowboys are also the prototype of the new NFL. In a pass-heavy league, the Cowboys can throw the ball all over the field and also can get after the opposing quarterback - two essentials to winning in the league. While the NFL used to be noted for pounding the rock, new mandates protecting quarterbacks and wide receivers have led to a renaissance of passing offenses that have largely determined how the last few seasons have played out.

From this perspective, it's easy to see why the Cowboys are in a great position to succeed. In addition to their strong defense, which ranked seventh last year in sacks, their offense has as much offensive talent as any other team in the league, including the defending champion New Orleans Saints. Signal caller Tony Romo appears to be in position for a banner year, with more weapons than any other point in his career, and the 'Boys should have four legitimate receiving targets in Miles Austin, Jason Witten, Roy E. Williams and Dez Bryant. With plenty of teams likely to fall behind the Cowboys this season, they'll be forced to throw the ball to catch up, which will allow more opportunities for Ware - arguably the Cowboys' best overall player - to focus solely on attacking the quarterback.

After finishing 11-5 last year and finally winning a playoff game, the Cowboys look to have the correct formula to not only win plenty of games but also sell lots of Dallas Cowboys tickets. As long as their aging offensive line can protect Romo and their defense plays how it's capable of playing, the Cowboys could very well be in position to not only get to the big game but win it. They'll still likely have to get through other talented teams like the Saints, Vikings and Packers, though they appear to have all of the pieces needed to take them from a sleeper Super Bowl pick to one that actually gets a chance to hold the trophy at the end of the season.

by: Pat Smith

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