Sometimes I hate being right

Last April, when the NFL schedule was released, I predicted a 13-3 season for the Boys. OK, so I didn't specifically nail two of the losses--sue me. Thanks to the fact that most of our low traffic consists of Cowboys fans, that flew by largely uncontested. Not so on Armchair GM, where I was accused of making a meaningless prediction in April and smoking up with Michael Irvin. But I argued that the schedule was ridiculously easy and that they had every chance of losing their first playoff game anyway. So I was vindicated in the end.

And vindication has never felt so empty.

Does this feel at all familiar to anyone else from Dallas? Let's see: high-profile team dominates the regular season, setting a franchise record, only to humbly bow out early in the playoffs. Where have I heard that before?

So where do we go from here? I don't mind telling you that I already predicted that, too. Statistically, the defense was improved, but they gave up big plays at all the wrong times. Hopefully, Dave Campo can get that secondary to finally clamp down and play like the Pro Bowlers that three(!) of them are. I'm glad Jerry talked Jason Garrett into hanging around, but he has got to do something about the running game. It was just like the defense: if you look at the stats, they were pretty good. But when it really needed to, this team could not run the ball. A high flying passing game will lead SportsCenter and attract bimbo girlfriends, but this team needs to be able to pound the ball when the game is on the line. Special teams continued to lose field position, too. With Campo already on board and Capers mulling an offer, maybe we could add one more former head coach to the staff: Jimmy Johnson. He always stressed the importance of special teams. Quick, someone go sink Three Rings and pass a rumor that Jerry sold the team.

Just like the Mavs, the Cowboys are going to have a long off season to think about the what-ifs. But it is no secret what they have to do: everyone knows that defense and a running game win championships. Get it done, Boys.