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Prizefight! Which team is better: 1995 or 2010 Cowboys?
02:54 PM CDT on Wednesday, September 8, 2010
By TODD ARCHER / The Dallas Morning News
| tarcher@dallasnews.com
Right off, the comparison is not fair.
2010 Cowboys vs. 1995 Cowboys.
One team has one playoff victory for its core group. The other had two Super Bowl rings and would win a third that season.
"That's the killer, bro," '95 left guard Nate Newton said. "We were established and proven. These guys are not established and not proven. At all."
While the current Cowboys do not have a player with a Super Bowl ring, they face the same expectations the '95 Cowboys faced. In fact, there might be more outside pressure on this year's team because Super Bowl XLV is at Cowboys Stadium.The '95 Cowboys faced more internal pressure because of how the '94 season ended in the NFC Championship Game -- a loss at San Francisco that made Jimmy Johnson's shadow grow even larger.
Yet the composition of the rosters is not too dissimilar:
Quarterback – Troy Aikman and Tony Romo.
Running back – Emmitt Smith and Marion Barber, Felix Jones , Tashard Choice
Wide receiver – Michael Irvin and Miles Austin , Roy Williams, Dez Bryant
Tight end – Jay Novacek and Jason Witten
Pass rusher – Charles Haley and DeMarcus Ware
Secondary – Darren Woodson, Deion Sanders , Larry Brown and Terence Newman , Mike Jenkins , Orlando Scandrick
Big, strong, aging offensive lines. Deep, talented defensive lines.
"There are spots you'd like to hope that over time we eventually do the things so that you look back and say, 'They were great players,' " Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said. "Our players are obviously really good football players right now, but one thing that validates you as a great player is that you have to win a championship. No question it does for Tony. And really if we were fortunate to win a championship and get it done, there are three or four players that that's probably what they're missing going forward to be considered a Hall of Fame- type of player."
Onto the comparison:
QUARTERBACKS: Troy Aikman vs. Tony Romo
Aikman (right) made the Pro Bowl for the fifth straight year after throwing for 3,304 yards with 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The picks were the fewest Aikman had for his career when starting 16 games in a season. His .016 interception percentage led the NFL. Romo set a franchise record with 4,483 passing yards in 2009 in 550 attempts and had only nine interceptions.
Edge: 1995
RUNNING BACKS: Emmitt Smith, Daryl Johnston vs. Marion Barber, Felix Jones, Tashard Choice
Smith led the NFL with a career-high 1,773 yards on 377 carries and a then-record 25 touchdowns. His 2,148 total yards also led the NFL. It was the fourth time in five years Smith led the NFL in rushing but it was also the last time he did so. Barber, Jones and Choice have no chance of matching Smith's numbers because of how the game has changed, but together they could equal his performance. In 2009, they ran for 1,966 yards, led by Barber's 932.
Edge: 1995
RECEIVERS: Michael Irvin, Kevin Williams vs. Miles Austin, Roy Williams
Irvin had career highs in catches (111), yards (1,604) and touchdowns (10) in his fifth and final Pro Bowl season. His yardage total represented 43 percent of the Cowboys' passing game for the season. Austin became the first home-grown wide receiver since Irvin in 1998 to post a 1,000-yard season for the Cowboys with 1,320 in 2009. He is about to enter his first full season as the Cowboys' No. 1 wide receiver.
Edge: 1995
OFFENSIVE LINE: Mark Tuinei, Nate Newton, Ray Donaldson, Larry Allen , Erik Williams vs. Marc Colombo , Leonard Davis, Andre Gurode , Kyle Kosier , Doug Free
Tuinei, Newton, Donaldson and Allen were named to the Pro Bowl. Williams was a dependable and powerful right tackle. Age was a factor for this group, too. The average age was 31.4 years. The 2010 line has an average age of 30.6. Two starters, Colombo and Kosier, are coming off knee injuries. Free is the question mark with only seven starts at right tackle to his credit.
Edge: 1995
TIGHT END: Jay Novacek vs. Jason Witten
Even when the defense and everyone in the stadium knew he would do it, Aikman looked for Novacek on third down. Witten and Romo are the same way. Novacek had 62 catches for 705 yards and five touchdowns in what turned out to be his final season. Witten has had at least 81 catches for 952 yards in each of the last three seasons. Novacek concedes Witten is a much better blocker than he ever was.
Edge: 2010
DEFENSIVE LINE: Tony Tolbert, Russell Maryland, Leon Lett , Charles Haley, Chad Hennings vs. Marcus Spears , Jay Ratliff , Igor Olshansky, Stephen Bowen , Jason Hatcher
Even though the schemes are different (4-3 to 3-4) they share the bond of depth. Haley was considered the difference-maker, but Tolbert and Hennings had 5.5 sacks each with Lett and Maryland combining for five. Ends in a 3-4 are mostly space eaters, and Spears and Olshansky do that well. Ratliff has played in the last two Pro Bowls, while Bowen and Hatcher are third-down pass rushers.
Edge: 1995
LINEBACKERS: Dixon Edwards, Robert Jones, Darrin Smith vs. DeMarcus Ware, Bradie James , Keith Brooking, Anthony Spencer
A 3-4 team is driven by linebackers, and this is where the 2010 Cowboys have the biggest advantage. Ware is the preeminent pass rusher in the NFL. He and Spencer might make the best outside linebacker duo in the NFL. James and Brooking give the Cowboys one of the best inside duos. In 1995, the linebackers were largely replaceable parts with the focus of the unit up front and in the secondary.
Edge: 2010
CORNERBACKS: Deion Sanders, Larry Brown vs. Terence Newman, Mike Jenkins, Orlando Scandrick
Sanders was in his first year with the Cowboys but played in only nine games. He had only two interceptions, but that was never a big part of his game because teams did not throw his way. Brown went on to be the Super Bowl MVP with his interceptions of Neil O'Donnell. He also tied for the team lead with six. In Newman and Jenkins, who were Pro Bowl additions last year, and Scandrick, the Cowboys have their best cornerback trio in some time.
Edge: 1995
SAFETIES: Darren Woodson, Brock Marion vs. Gerald Sensabaugh , Alan Ball
Woodson made the Pro Bowl after leading the Cowboys in tackles while also picking off two passes and forcing a fumble. It was Woodson's versatility that set him apart as he moved into the slot in passing situations to cover wide receivers or tight ends. Brock Marion had six interceptions in his first year as a full-time starter. Ball will be a first-year starter at free safety and has great range. Sensabaugh is reliable in all facets of his game and remains calm when things are tight.
Edge: 1995
KICKERS: Chris Boniol vs. David Buehler
Boniol is back with the Cowboys as a kicking consultant, and he can point to his season as a sign he knows what he's talking about. He made 27 of 28 field goal attempts and his only miss was a 20-yarder against Minnesota in Week 3. The Cowboys can only hope Buehler can be as automatic in his first season as the field goal kicker. His work on kickoffs, however, make him a weapon most teams don't have.
Edge: 1995
PUNTER: John Jett vs. Mat McBriar
McBriar had one of the best seasons for a punter in team and league history in 2009. He had a career-best 39.9-yard net average and put 38 of his 72 punts inside the opponents' 20. He is a field-position changer and helps his coverage team by keeping the ball to the outside, limiting the returner's options. Jett was solid even if he wasn't used that often (53 punts) and teams averaged only 9.8 yards per return.
Edge: 2010
02:54 PM CDT on Wednesday, September 8, 2010
By TODD ARCHER / The Dallas Morning News
| tarcher@dallasnews.com
Right off, the comparison is not fair.
2010 Cowboys vs. 1995 Cowboys.
One team has one playoff victory for its core group. The other had two Super Bowl rings and would win a third that season.
"That's the killer, bro," '95 left guard Nate Newton said. "We were established and proven. These guys are not established and not proven. At all."
While the current Cowboys do not have a player with a Super Bowl ring, they face the same expectations the '95 Cowboys faced. In fact, there might be more outside pressure on this year's team because Super Bowl XLV is at Cowboys Stadium.The '95 Cowboys faced more internal pressure because of how the '94 season ended in the NFC Championship Game -- a loss at San Francisco that made Jimmy Johnson's shadow grow even larger.
Yet the composition of the rosters is not too dissimilar:
Quarterback – Troy Aikman and Tony Romo.
Running back – Emmitt Smith and Marion Barber, Felix Jones , Tashard Choice
Wide receiver – Michael Irvin and Miles Austin , Roy Williams, Dez Bryant
Tight end – Jay Novacek and Jason Witten
Pass rusher – Charles Haley and DeMarcus Ware
Secondary – Darren Woodson, Deion Sanders , Larry Brown and Terence Newman , Mike Jenkins , Orlando Scandrick
Big, strong, aging offensive lines. Deep, talented defensive lines.
"There are spots you'd like to hope that over time we eventually do the things so that you look back and say, 'They were great players,' " Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said. "Our players are obviously really good football players right now, but one thing that validates you as a great player is that you have to win a championship. No question it does for Tony. And really if we were fortunate to win a championship and get it done, there are three or four players that that's probably what they're missing going forward to be considered a Hall of Fame- type of player."
Onto the comparison:
QUARTERBACKS: Troy Aikman vs. Tony Romo
Aikman (right) made the Pro Bowl for the fifth straight year after throwing for 3,304 yards with 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The picks were the fewest Aikman had for his career when starting 16 games in a season. His .016 interception percentage led the NFL. Romo set a franchise record with 4,483 passing yards in 2009 in 550 attempts and had only nine interceptions.
Edge: 1995
RUNNING BACKS: Emmitt Smith, Daryl Johnston vs. Marion Barber, Felix Jones, Tashard Choice
Smith led the NFL with a career-high 1,773 yards on 377 carries and a then-record 25 touchdowns. His 2,148 total yards also led the NFL. It was the fourth time in five years Smith led the NFL in rushing but it was also the last time he did so. Barber, Jones and Choice have no chance of matching Smith's numbers because of how the game has changed, but together they could equal his performance. In 2009, they ran for 1,966 yards, led by Barber's 932.
Edge: 1995
RECEIVERS: Michael Irvin, Kevin Williams vs. Miles Austin, Roy Williams
Irvin had career highs in catches (111), yards (1,604) and touchdowns (10) in his fifth and final Pro Bowl season. His yardage total represented 43 percent of the Cowboys' passing game for the season. Austin became the first home-grown wide receiver since Irvin in 1998 to post a 1,000-yard season for the Cowboys with 1,320 in 2009. He is about to enter his first full season as the Cowboys' No. 1 wide receiver.
Edge: 1995
OFFENSIVE LINE: Mark Tuinei, Nate Newton, Ray Donaldson, Larry Allen , Erik Williams vs. Marc Colombo , Leonard Davis, Andre Gurode , Kyle Kosier , Doug Free
Tuinei, Newton, Donaldson and Allen were named to the Pro Bowl. Williams was a dependable and powerful right tackle. Age was a factor for this group, too. The average age was 31.4 years. The 2010 line has an average age of 30.6. Two starters, Colombo and Kosier, are coming off knee injuries. Free is the question mark with only seven starts at right tackle to his credit.
Edge: 1995
TIGHT END: Jay Novacek vs. Jason Witten
Even when the defense and everyone in the stadium knew he would do it, Aikman looked for Novacek on third down. Witten and Romo are the same way. Novacek had 62 catches for 705 yards and five touchdowns in what turned out to be his final season. Witten has had at least 81 catches for 952 yards in each of the last three seasons. Novacek concedes Witten is a much better blocker than he ever was.
Edge: 2010
DEFENSIVE LINE: Tony Tolbert, Russell Maryland, Leon Lett , Charles Haley, Chad Hennings vs. Marcus Spears , Jay Ratliff , Igor Olshansky, Stephen Bowen , Jason Hatcher
Even though the schemes are different (4-3 to 3-4) they share the bond of depth. Haley was considered the difference-maker, but Tolbert and Hennings had 5.5 sacks each with Lett and Maryland combining for five. Ends in a 3-4 are mostly space eaters, and Spears and Olshansky do that well. Ratliff has played in the last two Pro Bowls, while Bowen and Hatcher are third-down pass rushers.
Edge: 1995
LINEBACKERS: Dixon Edwards, Robert Jones, Darrin Smith vs. DeMarcus Ware, Bradie James , Keith Brooking, Anthony Spencer
A 3-4 team is driven by linebackers, and this is where the 2010 Cowboys have the biggest advantage. Ware is the preeminent pass rusher in the NFL. He and Spencer might make the best outside linebacker duo in the NFL. James and Brooking give the Cowboys one of the best inside duos. In 1995, the linebackers were largely replaceable parts with the focus of the unit up front and in the secondary.
Edge: 2010
CORNERBACKS: Deion Sanders, Larry Brown vs. Terence Newman, Mike Jenkins, Orlando Scandrick
Sanders was in his first year with the Cowboys but played in only nine games. He had only two interceptions, but that was never a big part of his game because teams did not throw his way. Brown went on to be the Super Bowl MVP with his interceptions of Neil O'Donnell. He also tied for the team lead with six. In Newman and Jenkins, who were Pro Bowl additions last year, and Scandrick, the Cowboys have their best cornerback trio in some time.
Edge: 1995
SAFETIES: Darren Woodson, Brock Marion vs. Gerald Sensabaugh , Alan Ball
Woodson made the Pro Bowl after leading the Cowboys in tackles while also picking off two passes and forcing a fumble. It was Woodson's versatility that set him apart as he moved into the slot in passing situations to cover wide receivers or tight ends. Brock Marion had six interceptions in his first year as a full-time starter. Ball will be a first-year starter at free safety and has great range. Sensabaugh is reliable in all facets of his game and remains calm when things are tight.
Edge: 1995
KICKERS: Chris Boniol vs. David Buehler
Boniol is back with the Cowboys as a kicking consultant, and he can point to his season as a sign he knows what he's talking about. He made 27 of 28 field goal attempts and his only miss was a 20-yarder against Minnesota in Week 3. The Cowboys can only hope Buehler can be as automatic in his first season as the field goal kicker. His work on kickoffs, however, make him a weapon most teams don't have.
Edge: 1995
PUNTER: John Jett vs. Mat McBriar
McBriar had one of the best seasons for a punter in team and league history in 2009. He had a career-best 39.9-yard net average and put 38 of his 72 punts inside the opponents' 20. He is a field-position changer and helps his coverage team by keeping the ball to the outside, limiting the returner's options. Jett was solid even if he wasn't used that often (53 punts) and teams averaged only 9.8 yards per return.
Edge: 2010
