Even in defeat, Cowboys have hope

Be angry.  Get upset.  Throw things at your television.  Torture your Tony Romo voodoo doll and swear never to watch the Cowboys again!

Leading the New York Jets 24-10 with 14 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys looked poised to escape Metlife Stadium with a shocking road victory to start the 2011 season.  But Romo, the recognizable face of the Cowboys, simply blew it. He fumbled the ball at the 3-yard line.  He threw an inexcusable interception.  He wrapped the game in decorative cellophane and gifted it to the Jets.  The Cowboys fell 27-24.

Why God?  Why would you dangle such triumph in front of me, only to strip it away in week 1?

Now, take a deep breath, control your heart rate and relax.  The Cowboys have played a meager 6.25 percent of their schedule, and 15 games remain.  The season is young. Though a blasphemous view in light of such a heart-wrenching loss, I remain optimistic.  In fact, I think that the Cowboys looked (gulp)…great!

Hear me out.

Since the start of the 2009 season, the Jets are 25-14, including two trips to the AFC Conference Championship.  In 2010, the Jets allowed the third-fewest yards per game (291.5), the sixth-fewest points per game (19.0) and limited teams to fewer than 24 points in an impressive 13 of 16 games.

Yet despite playing on the road in a hostile environment, the Cowboys'offense looked dangerous.  With wide receiver Dez Bryant healthy and the offensive line providing adequate protection, Romo torched the best cornerback tandem in the NFL in Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie.  The offensive line, which consisted of three new starters, provided Romo time in the pocket to look downfield.  They weren't spectacular against the Jets'pass rush but absolutely good enough to win.

And the Cowboys'defense, which ranked 31st in scoring last season, played exceptionally well.  With their top three cornerbacks hobbled by injury, the team limited the Jets'offense to 17 points.  The defense also created two turnovers, sacked Jets'quarterback Mark Sanchez four times and held last season's most prolific rushing attack to a mere 45 yards.  Second-year linebacker Sean Lee dominated the line of scrimmage, recording 12 tackles and returning an interception 37 yards to the Jets'1-yard line.  Though at less than full strength, new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and the defense performed admirably.

Yet those were the lingering question marks entering the 2011 season, right?  Fans and experts were horrified by the inexperience of the offensive line and the lack of talent on defense.  Those units were expected to struggle, but they did not.  That's reason for hope.

It was Romo who let the fans down.  Though he played phenomenally well through three quarters to put the Cowboys ahead, his critical mistakes down the stretch lost the game.  Though his performance is uneven at times, Romo is a known commodity.  For stretches in games, he is brilliant, but his tendency to make critical mistakes at key times is his flaw.  This we know.

Romo will bounce back.  He will be a consistent force for this team throughout the season.  And if Romo really is the biggest concern for this team in 2011, then the Cowboys might be pretty good after all.