I was thinking...and that's usually not a good thing.

The Dallas roster is solid is chock full of talented players and this is supposed to be the 'Season of Wade' where the head coach uses last year's failure to galvanize the team's spirit and get all of these superstars to sacrifice their egos while this team makes a run for their 6th NFL Title.

We can sit back, talk about the players, the talent disparity between Dallas and the rest of the NFC and how we have the Smash and Dash running game with a new, faster, better Jones in the backfield and another year with Jason Garrett running this multiple set offense. We can talk about how year 2 of this more aggressive 3-4 defense should create more pressure and, by extension, turnovers with this beefed up cornerback corps of ours. We can even talk about the kicking game that boasts a punter and kicker who've made the pro bowl in recent years. Yep, studs in all three phases of the game. This is truly a team on a collision course with a championship ring.

But hang on a minute...maybe we shouldn't crown these kings just yet.

Maybe we should adopt a more pessimistic viewpoint and think about what might happen to derail this team on the way to their supposed destiny;

First, and this is always first, injuries. Any significant injuries to players like Flozell, T.O., Romo or Ware could easily change the course of the season. Having a solid Left Tackle means everything to a team that passes as much as we do. We saw how the loss of T.O. late last season limited the offense and allowed teams to focus more on stopping the Cowboy running game. Losing Romo might make this team non-competitive. Not having Ware create pressure would change the whole tenor of the defense. Ouch...gotta stay healthy!

Next, locker room issues. If this team were to start slowly or have one of it's many 'questionable character' players do something stupid on or off the field, it could create a ripple effect in the locker room and divide this team. Whoa! Team leadership anyone?

What if there ARE some holes in this roster and we are too love struck to see them? There's no true, proven #2 WR on this team (don't give me that guff about Stanback or Austin or whoever) that can stretch defenses and open up lanes for Smash and Dash along with Witten and T.O. The whole Strong Safety thing is still out there, Newman interviews notwithstanding, and Roy Williams' ability to read the play and react in coverage is still something that must be resolved. Don't forget Hamlin's contract issue is still in need of closure too. Run defense could be a problem, since we still don't have that 340-pound space eater that most great 3-4 defenses have (a la Wilfork, Hampton, Williams, etc.). Gurode could be sending shotgun snaps into the cheerleading section...what then?

I think about what I'm going to say about the 2008 Cowboys' season in February of 2009, after the Super Bowl. Will I be saying, "first team to six Lombardi's...truly the NFL's greatest franchise" or will I be saying, "I'm sure new head coach Jason Garrett will fix what's broken and get us to the promised land"? 

So, I'm not a pessimist by nature, but so many years without a playoff win may have jaded me a little. How about you? What do you think might derail us this year?