victor (monroe,la)

Do you think Dallas will win the nfc east this year?and the superbowl?

Buzzmaster

  (11:09 AM)

Hang on one second folks.

Ed Werder

  (11:10 AM)

Greetings and salutations. Let's get started. I predicted the Cowboys to be an 11-win team. That's how much talent they have. The Cowboys should be 5-2 after playing injury-ravaged Seattle, a team that does not travel well. Then come two tough road games, both of which could be losses _ at Philly and GB. The Cowboys will contend for the division title. If they get a first-round bye and a home game, I like their chances of ending their 13-year streak of postseason futility. But I'm not predicting a Super Bowl when they're not even halfway through the season

Scott (Dallas, TX)

Will the Cowboys be willing to trade up in the draft (if needed) to get a stud receiver in someone like Dez Bryant? Roy Williams to me looks like he just does not try hard. Glad to see Austin playing so well.

Ed Werder

  (11:12 AM)

Jerry Jones does not believe in drafting wide receivers with high picks for two reasons. The first is the financial cost. The second is that he's not willing to wait two or three years for a No. 1 draft pick to make a significant contribution as the Cowboys believe is typical in terms of the time a receiver requires to develop.

Eric (Shakopee)

Is Miles Austin the real deal or will he come back down to Earth in the coming weeks?

Ed Werder

  (11:15 AM)

I think it's obvious Miles is getting progressively worse and is a descending player. In his first start he has a franchise record 250 yards. The next week, he's down to 171. What's it going to be this week? 120? Just kidding. If we can't judge Roy Williams a failure after 16 Cowboys games, we can't judge Austin after just two career starts. He's a promising player who will find it more challenging in the weeks ahead when he plays better secondaries and defensive coordinators who have game planned against him. But he's made a huge difference in the Cowboys' season already. He's big, fast, has decent hands and the work ethic of a self-made player. All good qualities that could produce success.

Joseph (Ft Worth)

Ed, how long until Jerry Jones is known as Al Davis South?

Ed Werder

  (11:19 AM)

Al Davis was one of Jerry Jones' early influences in pro football, partly because he was one of the few owner willing to embrace Jerry and his college coach, Jimmy Johnson. Jerry is involved in every aspect of the Cowboys' operations on a daily basis and uses his general manager's title to cross over into coaching issues. But Jerry's been far more financial responsible in the structure of the team and seems a much more positive presence. The Cowboys have unique coaching structure with Wade Phillips essentially the defensive head coach and Jason Garrett the offensive head coach that creates some interesting dynamics, but the Cowboys are not the dysfunctional mess that we've seen with the Raiders the past decade.

Kelly (Tampa, Fl)

Shouldn't Tashard Choice be used earlier in the game, Saving barber for the 4th Quarter?

Ed Werder

  (11:21 AM)

I understand your point of view. Marion Barber was most effective when Julius Jones started and Barber was the finisher against a tired defense. But the Cowboys are paying Barber to be a starter, they invested a first-round pick and a lot of money in Felix Jones and they are going to get most of the carries. Tashard Choice is an effective player, but he doesn't have the unique skills of Jones _ breakaway ability _ or Barber _ a physical style, best blitz pickup guy and goal-line back.

Luke (Denver)

Don't you think its weird to have an entire chat devoted to one team, especially when 99.9% of the country could not possibly care less about that team?

Ed Werder

  (11:22 AM)

I will take questions about other teams. I've covered the Broncos, Saints, Vikings and others extensively. Bring it

Taylor (TX)

Ed, you da best!! If the Cowboys come to Arlington with the frame of mind their invincible after a blow out of Atlanta and lose, how safe is Wade's job still?

Ed Werder

  (11:24 AM)

Wade Phillips will not be fired before the regular season is over even if the Cowboys are overconfident, ill-prepared and lose at home to the Seahawks _ which I don't expect. It would be a crushing defeat coming after two significant victories and with two tough NFC road games looming. But Wade wouldn't be fired even with that result.

David (Miami)

How is the health of the 3 running backs for dallas at the moment and what can we expect from them?

Ed Werder

  (11:26 AM)

I expect the Cowboys to be successful offensively against a Seahawks team without Lofa Tatupu and with CB Marcus Trufant possibly playing for the first time this season. Marion Barber is not 100 percent, Felix Jones must be close or he wouldn't be returning kickoffs and there's nothing wrong with Tashard Choice as is typically the case.

jim (DC)

am i getting ahead of myself, or is mike jenkins looking like the real deal? in the atlanta game, it looked like the falcons were having a much easier time going after terrence newman.

Ed Werder

  (11:29 AM)

Great observation. The Falcons seemed to be targeting Terence Newman, who started poorly but recovered and played well late in the game. Mike Jenkins responded to the criticism he received for avoiding Brandon Jacobs last year rather than attempting to tackle with by demonstrating his physical style of play. I don't remember the Cowboys secondary punishing receivers across the board like they did against the Falcons, and it was Jenkins who delivered the first blow. His interception also came when he knocked the receiver he was covering to the ground and moved over when the ball was thrown to help a teammate and made the interception. His development is huge

kevin glassman (conklin ny)

with evans out with knee can the saints still win there confrence

Ed Werder

  (11:31 AM)

The Saints have the best offensive scheme in the league and the best quarterback in the NFC. Drew Brees is accurate, confident and a tremendous leader who makes consistently good decisions with the football. He clearly trusts all his receivers. Heath Evans was a good player but doesn't represent a significant loss in Sean Payton's system. After seeing Tony Romo and Miles Austin exploit the Falcons secondary, I'm expecting Brees and Marcus Colston to be unstoppable against them Monday night.

ben (longview)

Ed, will Jerry Jones give up on Roy Williams?

Ed Werder

  (11:35 AM)

Jerry Jones is very stubborn, especially when he's risked his GM reputation and invested significant amounts of his money into a decision. See Barry Switzer and Terrell Owens for proof. I think we have to concluded, based on a full season of evidence, that it's possible Roy Williams is just an average wide receiver. Just because the Cowboys traded a No. 1 and a No. 3 and are paying him $9 million a year doesn't mean he's a premier receiver. That just determines how he will be judged. Jimmy Johnson always used to say that it's dangerous to evaluate a player based on his statistics, especially when he plays for a one-dimensional team as Roy W did in Detroit. They were a losing team that got behind early in games and had to throw. That inflated RW's stats but didn't help his team win.

Sheena (MIAMI)

Ed, love your work, :). Why does Romo get so much flak from the national media? I seem to remember when Peyton Manning first came in the league, everyone said he couldn't win in the clutch. Eventually, he led his team to the promised land. I think Romo has done very well in the few short years he has been a starting QB and has a chance to be elite. Thoughts?

Ed Werder

  (11:41 AM)

Every Cowboys quarterback is going to be measured against the impossible standards of Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman. That's not fair; that's reality. Romo has not been allowed to advance through the unsteady process of learning how to lead a team and win in the NFL without intense scrutiny because of the Cowboys' prominence. The NFL players and coaches made him a star when they voted him to the Pro Bowl after just 10 starts, partly because of injuries to other NFC quarterbacks that season. And then Jerry Jones made him one of three NFL players with $30 million guaranteed early the next season. All of that has conspired against Romo. Critics were saying that John Elway would never win a Super Bowl when he was into his mid-30s. I think Romo would have undoubtedly benefited from a longer association with an authoritative head coach like Bill Parcells was. He would have been a different person and a better player in my opinion. He's 29 and seems to be figuring it out.

Tim (VA)

I didn't know you were a Dallas homer

Ed Werder

  (11:42 AM)

The people in Dallas think I'm a Cowboys-hater. Including the locker room at Valley Ranch. The people elsewhere think I'm a Cowboys-homer. I like to think I'm fair and objective, although I have opinions and provide them in forums such as this. Thanks to everybody for their interest and participation. Let's do it again next week.