IRVING, Texas – Coming off two straight 8-8 seasons and three full years removed from the playoffs, the Cowboys have plenty of question marks surrounding them as they prepare for the 2013 campaign.
As we count down the days until training camp, the writers of DallasCowboys.com will take a different question each day that is hovering over this team.
With 10 days until the Cowboys take the field in Oxnard, Calif., today's question centers on trying to stop two of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, both of whom are in the NFC East.
10) Do Cowboys Have Legit Answers For NFC East QBs
Two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL both play in the NFC East. Some might argue that all four of them, including Michael Vick and Tony Romo, should be considered among the league's elite.
But the other two have both been recently ranked by the players as Top 50 players in the NFL. And both wear the No. 10.
So with 10 days remaining before the Cowboys' first practice, it's only natural to wonder if they will have better success against New York's Eli Manning and Washington's Robert Griffin III. The Cowboys were 1-3 against those two last year, getting swept by RGIII's Redskins and earning a split with Manning.
However, the Cowboys have yet to beat the Giants at Cowboys Stadium. Since winning the inaugural game there in 2009, Manning is a perfect 4-0 in Arlington, including a dramatic 29-24 win last October. [embedded_ad]
For the second straight year, the Giants and Cowboys will meet in Week 1. This time, Manning will be the visiting quarterback in the opener on NBC. The two teams will play in the Meadowlands on Nov. 24, just four days before Thanksgiving.
As for Griffin, the native Texan, he returned to his home state last Thanksgiving and put on a show in a 38-31 win over the Cowboys. In the season finale, he limped his way to a victory that propelled Washington to the NFC East title and a playoff spot.
Now the question for RGIII is his health as he rehabs a torn ACL injury. He has said he will be ready for the season opener. Rest assured he should be good to go for the first matchup with the Cowboys – an Oct. 13 game at Cowboys Stadium. The Cowboys and Redskins meet up in Washington D.C. in Week 16.
During a year in which the Cowboys will face three of the best quarterbacks in the entire NFL in Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees, how they fare against a pair of 10s might determine their overall success.
Sticking with our numerical journey to training camp, let's take a closer look at the number 10:
- The No. 10 is one of the few in Cowboys history that hasn't had a significant player wear the number. Only 10 players have worn No. 10, including Teddy Williams in 2010. Reggie Collier started a game at quarterback in 1986.
- Super Bowl X was the first of three games pitting the Cowboys and Steelers on the big stage. Those two franchises are the only two that have met three times in the Super Bowl, with the Steelers owning a 2-1 edge, including a 21-17 win over the Cowboys in the championship for the 1975 season.
- Offensive lineman Larry Allen, who will be officially inducted into the Ring of Honor next month, went to 10 Pro Bowls with the Cowboys, the most of any offensive player.
- Mel Renfro went to 10 Pro Bowls and is tied with Bob Lilly for the longest consecutive streak of Pro Bowls with 10 as well.
- The Cowboys have never drafted 10th overall in franchise history.
- Don Perkins ranks fourth in Cowboys history with 10 games of 100 yards rushing or more.
- Felix Jones leaves the Cowboys as the 10th leading rusher in club history with 2,728 yards.
