Can you say statement game? No, the game isn’t in Nashville, but all the same, the Cowboys must establish a League M.O. when squaring off against the Titans in Cowboys Stadium. Most seem to want to know the individual identity of the team. Why? Not necessary. The question is, “Where does this team stack up with the rest of the League?” It doesn’t matter if this team is a run first, pass first or balanced attack. It doesn’t matter if they are defense dominate or slanted towards offensive power. What the Cowboys need to determine is how they match up against the other 31 teams in the NFL. Do they have what it takes to vie for a post-season playoff spot, and if so, is their make-up such to compete for a championship?

With three games played and a bye week to assess things, NO ONE KNOWS!! After two weeks, the Cowboys were clearly over-rated bottom feeders. A Week 3 convincing win over the Texans had the Cowboys creeping back up the competitive boards. Then the bye week hits. As soon as the Cowboys departed Reliant Stadium the head-scratching began, and everyone was professing, “We THINK we’re pretty good.” THINK, they do not know. They certainly aren’t the pre-season, pre-ordained hosts and participants of the Super Bowl. Many thought their ticket was already punched and history was about to be made. Following the home collapse against the Bears, all NFL followers were yanking on the emergency brake. Folks, in case you haven’t noticed, the NFL is all knee-jerk from one week to the next.

Guess how long it took the Cowboys organization to inform you of their confidence level in the depth of their offensive line? Exactly three offensive series and the tell-tale signs weren’t good. It was the first blatant and critical General Manager lie. Jerry Jones is on record as saying he was “fond” of the depth at offensive line. Exit Left Guard (this is becoming a growing concern) mainstay Kyle Kosier and Right Tackle (an even bigger concern factor) incumbent Marc Columbo, and all of a sudden there is trouble in River City. But what about that quality depth we heard about all through the off-season and pre-season? Three-step drops were the resounding proclamation that the Cowboys had issues, big issues.

Most coaches and football personnel folks will tell you everything starts and stops with the interior lines. Like it or not, and no it doesn’t make for sexy Draft picks like Dez Bryant, this is “gospel” as it relates to the game of football. If the interior line cannot control the movement of the football, a team is in for a long haul. Consequently, if an interior line can’t penetrate or keep out the enemy that also spells long, Sunday afternoons. So suffice it to say, this Dallas Cowboys football team will go as far as its offensive line can take it. End of story. Interior line play certainly includes the defensive side of the ball as well, but this is not a Cowboys’ concern. In the Cowboys’ “What exactly do we have?” scenario, it’s all about the Center, the two guys to his left and the two guys to his right. Nothing else matters! All the other pieces are in place to compete with anyone on any given Sunday. Yes, a catastrophic injury to Tony Romo, DeMarcus Ware, Mike Jenkins, Terence Newman, Jason Witten or Miles Austin would be critical, but with the exception of Romo, the team could compete with a flat tire.

When you start taking pieces of the offensive line away, and your depth is three-step drop suspect, you might as well start pulling up the stakes, taking down the tent, and hauling the circus out of town. As Dandy Don Meredith used to so eloquently sing, “Turn Out the Lights, the Party’s Over.” And that includes Jerry’s grandiose desire to have his Cowboys hosting and playing in this year’s Super Bowl.

Things usually are never as bad as they seem, and there is always room for improvement. Ladies and gentlemen, that is your 2010-11 Dallas Cowboys. Look around the League. Outside maybe the Pittsburgh Steelers, can you point to any slam-dunk Super Bowl participants? Really? Four weeks in? Come on; are the Kansas City Chiefs for real? For the long haul? It still remains anyone’s Lombardi Trophy, and that’s the beauty of today’s NFL. No one is claiming hardware in late September and early October. It just doesn’t work that way. Whenever this type of speculation starts, the answer should always be the same. Check back with me in December.

So, with this backdrop painted, let’s take a closer look at the Cowboys’ Achilles Heel.

Jason Garrett takes a ton of heat in these parts, but all things considered, Jason is half magician and half circus ringmaster. The compilation of his offensive line makes his job a source of triple frustration. Why? Because Andre Gurode’s left is completely different than his right. Without question, the athletic side of the Cowboys’ offensive line is the left. The power and sheer strength reside on Gurode’s right. If the task were as easy as snapping a finger, it would be ideal to flip-flop the Guards. This would give the offensive line a whole new make-up and personality. You blend athleticism with strength and power. This balance would allow Garrett to take more advantage of his deep and creative playbook.

As things sit right now, the Cowboys have a very difficult time running right unless there is Tight End help. Say what you will, but Big Leonard and gimpy Marc Columbo are not the most gifted athletes on the planet, and they have proven time after time, getting to the second level (inside and outside LBs) is an absolute chore for both. This does not bode well for Barber, and each time Felix touches the ball it’s a 50-50 proposition if he can make the second level miss. Truth be told, the Cowboys’ most effective runner with this type of line make-up and balance is #23, and he rides pine due to his special teams’ duties. This is distinct outrage, but that’s a story for another column and day. Clearly, Columbo and Davis are better suited for the pass. If only Big Leonard had that Larry Allen get out and maul you ability, things might be vastly different for the Cowboys.

Conversely, the Cowboys can run all they want to the left side as that’s where the athletes and speed reside. Kosier and Doug Free have what it takes to both pull and get to the second level in a hurry. The only problem is defensive coordinators around the League are also well-aware of this, and they play the Cowboys heavy on that side of the field. You can’t pull Gurode, Davis or Columbo in order to equalize the over stacked defensive personnel. If an 8^th man is brought into the box, he’s going to shade Gurode’s left shoulder pad. Bank it. While Free and Kosier are adequate in the pass blocking game, they tend to get pushed around by quicker, big defensive linemen. Thus, the Cowboys become somewhat predictable based on down, distance and formations. Yes, the handcuffs are squarely on Jason Garrett, and when you have challenges like this in your offensive line, Jason Garrett, or any offensive coordinator, is going to look foolish at various and certain times of every game. Think not? Chart the Cowboys’ running game for yardage consistency. Folks, often times they’re losing as much as they’re gaining. They can’t seem to string together a dominant attack like that demonstrated by the 90’s Super Bowl teams. Those offensive lines completely controlled the tempo and design of the game. Yes, Norv Turner had a much easier job than that of Jason Garrett’s.

As can clearly be seen, injuries are huge piece of the puzzle, but even when the Cowboys are healthy up front, they still have limitations. Their inability to maul an opponent up front will be their Achilles Heel all year long. You have to be able to turn to a stout and dominate running game in close contests and clock management situations. You have to be able to rely on the big ugliness in the trenches. When it’s third and one, or even the super critical 4^th and must, on the road, in the Northeast, in December, you have to be able to turn to these guys with confidence that the pile will move in order to retain possession and chew clock. They are no two ways about it.

Say what you want about the reasons why the Cowboys were post-season non-participants for 16+ seasons heading into the last year, but you don’t have to go very far to get your primary reason. Go back and look at the Draft classes of all those 16 years and show me where the dominant and impactful offensive lineman was or linemen were drafted. Where are those Jason Witten, Bradie James, Orlando Scandrick, Tashard Choice, and Marion Barber III third and fourth round gems? Heck, where is the 1st and 2nd round can’t misses? Andre Gurode is the closest match to the description, and that’s just not acceptable with the expectation of playing championship caliber football. If you’re not going to invest in your offensive line, you’re going to be a JAT instead of a JAG. Just another team.