Gosselin: Hamstring injuries indicate a flaw in Cowboys' training regimen

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Question: This team reminds me of the team at the end of the 90's, middle of the road and a season away from 6-10 5-11

Rick Gosselin: It's been 18 years now since the Cowboys won a Super Bowl. Those of us around to see those championships in the early 1990s remember what a good football team looks like. We remember the talent you need to win games that matter. George Selvie and Nick Hayden would not have been in the 9-player defensive line rotation on those championship teams. This team lacks the talent to compete for championships, especially along the line of scrimmage where the best teams stockpile quality big men..

Question: cowboy fan since '65, supported jerry on most of his moves, but seems incredible to me to keep same DC after such a terrible season on defense, never adapted or made changes before or during games!

Rick Gosselin: I think if Jason Garrett had his druthers, he'd have liked to see a major staff change or two. But there's only one voice in the organization that matters -- and we all know who that is.

Question: Was Monte Kiffin a bad hire or just is now a bad coach?

Rick Gosselin: Contrary to what Jerry said a year ago at this time, the pieces in place from the Cowboys 3-4 of Rob Ryan were not comfortable fits in the 4-3 of Monte Kiffin. I wrote a column the day Kiffin was hired, talking to Tony Dungy who said it would take 2-3 years to get the right pieces in place. This team is still a long way off. I think they could use three defensive linemen, another linebacker, a safety and another corner. Kiffin had also been away from the NFL for four years. The game had changed from the time he left in 2008 until the time he returned in 2013. He spent last season getting up to speed with the changes in style and personnel. Much work still needs to be done to resurrect this defense from record-setting depths.

Question: With all of the injuries the Cowboys seem to have every year, is it a function of age, or do they have an issue with strength/condtioning? How can that best be addressed?

Rick Gosselin: All teams suffer injuries. Seven teams lost more games by starters than the Cowboys last season and three of them went to the playoffs. Build a better 53-man roster and you'll be able to withstand injuries better, like the Packers, Patriots and Colts. What's puzzling to me is the hamstring injuries -- all the hamstring injuries. That has to be a flaw in the training regimen. Trainers from around the league raise an eyebrow at all the hamstring injuries suffered by the Cowboys. That needs to be addressed.

Question: Do you anticipate the Super storylines to be 95% Manning? If so, are we missing something or is this game's headline "Manning wins" or "Manning loses."

Rick Gosselin: It will be wall-to-wall Manning. I don't think Seattle will mind that one bit. You're going to read more than your fair share of stories about this being a legacy game for Manning -- win a second Super Bowl and he moves into a higher class of quarterback.


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