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Preseason Lowdown : Dallas Cowboys

What’s the story?

Tony Romo got paid. Jason Garrett got demoted (but not necessarily in a bad way). Rob Ryan got the ax. And everybody got pretty uncomfortable (as evidenced by the fact that the ‘boys hold training camp in Oxnard, California and are clearly roughing it out there…amongst the palm trees).

Leader and commander:

~~Jerry Jones~~ Jason Garrett.

New kid on the block:

Monte Kiffin might be new on this block, but he is hardly new to the NFL. Kiffin is a legendary defensive coach. (Remember him from the Tampa 2 post?) He is the Cowboys new defensive coordinator and will certainly bring something special to the table in his return to the NFL. If the Cowboys have anything good going on this year, it’s this.

Last year was…

More of the same: 8-8. The Romo-haters blame him for the mediocre season, but really, it was a team effort. They tended to fall apart at all of the worst moments.

Survey says:

The future could be brighter, Cowboys fans. The NFC East has reinstated itself as one of the best divisions in the league. Each team poses their own unique threat: the Giants are proven winners, the Redskins have RGIII, and the Eagles might run so many plays per game under Chip Kelly’s new system that other teams forfeit from sheer exhaustion. The Cowboys? Monte Kiffin is an interesting addition at defensive coordinator, and Romo is always good (embrace it, people). But that spark that will carry them into the playoffs and beyond? That has yet to be seen from America’s team, and is the reason why they are currently ranked at number 20.

Preseason Lowdown Roundup : AFC South and West

Missed one of the preseason lowdown posts this week? No problem! Here’s a roundup of everything we covered:

Preseason Lowdown : Houston Texans

Preseason Lowdown : Indianapolis Colts

Preseason Lowdown : Jacksonville Jaguars

Preseason Lowdown : Tennessee Titans

Preseason Lowdown : Denver Broncos

Preseason Lowdown : Kansas City Chiefs

Preseason Lowdown : Oakland Raiders

Preseason Lowdown : San Diego Chargers

Looking for the AFC East and North? Here’s last week’s roundup. Want to earn your History Buff badge? Check out these divisional breakdown posts from last year (which also make for an interesting read if you’re wondering how preseason predictions pan out – spoiler alert: not so well).

See you all next week for the NFC East and North (!!!).

Preseason Lowdown : San Diego Chargers

What’s the story?

The ch-ch-ch-Chargers are ch-ch-ch-changin’. A rough 7-9 season caused the final firing of head coach Norv Turner and GM A.J. Smith after years of rumors to that effect. The new season brings new leadership and hope to battle for first place in the AFC West with the Broncos, not last place with the Chiefs and Raiders.

Leader and commander:

Former Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy. Hiring a rival team’s offensive coordinator after he just helped to achieve a 13-3 record with Peyton Manning and friends? Not a bad move, Chargers.

New kid on the block:

The oft-disparaged rookie linebacker Manti Te’o, who is likely the most eager man in the NFL to get out there and hit someone. Despite everything he has been through this off-season, he’s still a good man and a great player. Wishing him only the best in SD.

Last year was…

…a healthy sprint to the finish (winning 3 of the 4 final games) preceded by a long limp (losing to almost everyone they played who wasn’t in their division). When you consider that this is a team that played four games against the Chiefs and the Raiders, who they swept, the 7-9 record doesn’t look as much mediocre as it does pretty bad.

Survey says:

How does 23rd sound? That’s how the preseason power rankings see it. This one could go either way. The team could respond to new head coach Mike McCoy and get back to the days of being a yearly contender in the AFC, or they could continue to struggle and find themselves in rank with the other less-than-successful AFC teams. Either way, out-winning the Broncos to win the AFC West is going to be a tall order.

Preseason Lowdown : Oakland Raiders

What’s the story?

There are two sides to every story, but the upside in the Raiders story is a lead that doesn’t need any help getting buried. But let’s celebrate it anyway! With former Packer Charles Woodson (pardon my sobbing) returning to Oakland to hold down the secondary, rookie cornerback D.J. Hayden starting to learn the ropes, and a young but potentially talented defensive line in the works, the Raiders look like they might be returning to historic form on defense. On offense…that’s another story altogether.

Leader and commander:

Dennis Allen, who is in his second year as the Raiders head coach. Allen is a defensively-minded coach with lots of experience with the secondary, and you can see how that unit is already growing under his leadership.

New kid on the block:

I’m personally invested in Matt Flynn, the newcomer at quarterback, because he used to be a backup QB for the Packers. I want to see him succeed. Let’s hope that happens. If it doesn’t, former Ohio State Buckeye Terrelle Pryor may get a few starts at QB. Either way, it doesn’t look especially promising for the Oakland offense (sorry, Matt).

Last year was…

…not different from the last 5 seasons in which they also finished 3rd in the AFC West, but better than 4 prior to that, in which they finished fourth. You’ve gotta take your optimism where you can get it.

Survey says:

With the Chiefs looking better than average, the Raiders might be battling with the Chargers for last place in the division this year. However, according to the preseason power rankings they have a solid hold on the lead in that race, coming in at 29th overall.

Preseason Lowdown : Kansas City Chiefs

What’s the story?

Hang in there, Chiefs fans; your time is coming soon. With a new head coach, new starting quarterback, and a boatload of talent on the roster, things are starting to look up for the geographically-challenged Chiefs (AFC West? Really, NFL?).

Leader and commander:

Andy Reid! Andy Reid! The long-time Eagles head coach will be taking the helm of Kansas City’s ship, and I think that only good things are in store for him and the team. He’s a proven winner.

New kid on the block:

Alex Smith, jettisoned former Niners QB who got the ax in San Fran after Colin Kaepernick became, well, Colin Kaepernick. It’s a fresh start for Smith, who deserves a new chance and wholehearted support more than just about anybody.

Last year was…

…just terrible, in so many ways. Beyond the 2-14 record in a division that is pretty awful to begin with, the Chiefs suffered a huge tragedy and had a fairly disheartening show of no support from fans. It’s hard to imagine a worse season than the season Kansas City had in 2012, all things considered.

Survey says:

Happy days are here again. The Chiefs, in my opinion, might have been the most talented team to ever go 2-14, and almost all of that talent in still on the roster. It might be a bit of an adjustment year (they are currently ranked to reflect that at 22nd), but it’s hard to imagine that a team with such a high caliber of players and coaches will go anywhere but up.

Preseason Lowdown : Denver Broncos

What’s the story?

Would we have guessed that the Broncos would advance to 13-3 in Peyton’s first season in Denver? Maybe. Would we have guessed that the Broncos would be ousted in the final moments of a playoff game they seemed to have had in the bag by the eventual Super Bowl Champion Ravens? Maybe not. The Broncos are hoping to repeat the former and avoid the latter in this year’s Lombardi chase.

Leader and commander:

~~Peyton Manning~~ John Fox.

New kid on the block:

Wes Welker, former Patriot. One can only imagine that the Patriots are wishing they could pull a Cher and Turn Back Time; one would highly doubt they would have been so quick to deal Welker had they known the apocalypse was coming for their starting receiving corp. Welker, on the other hand, now has the coolest resume of any current receiver, having caught passes from two future Hall of Famers (Brady and Manning) who are in the discussion of best-ever. Not bad company to keep.

Last year was…

…unexpected. A 13-3 season with a red hot Peyton Manning seemed like a formula for a deep playoff run, but one Mile High Miracle was all it took to end the dream before it started.

Survey says:

Peyton will lead the Broncos to first place in the AFC West. That is the closest thing to a sure bet you’ll get in the NFL this year (you’ll soon find out why as we cover the Chiefs, Raiders, and Chargers over the next few days) and is enough to earn the Broncos the #3 spot in the preseason power rankings. But can Peyton overcome his post-season demons (he’s 9-11 with 1 Super Bowl win) to lead the Broncos all the way to a championship? That’s the real question.