2014 NFL PREVIEW - Oakland Raiders

OAKLAND RAIDERS                                    

2013 Record: 4-12-0

Key Additions: RB Maurice Jones-Drew; WR James Jones; OL Austin Howard; OL Donald Penn; DL Justin Tuck; LB LaMarr Woodley; CB Carlos Rogers; DL Antonio Smith.

Key Losses: QB Terrelle Pryor; WR Jacoby Ford; DL Lamarr Houston; RB Rashad Jennings; CB Phillip Adams; OL Jared Veldheer.

HEAD COACH: Dennis Allen

Offense: Matt Schaub comes over from the Houston Texans to take over the starting quarterback position after throwing for 2,310 yards last season with 10 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in ten games. Backing up will be Matt McGloin (1,547 yards with eight TD and eight INT) and rookie Derek Carr (Fresno State).
The running game will have Darren McFadden (379 yards with five TD) and newcomer Maurice Jones-Drew, who gained 803 yards with five touchdowns last season playing in Jacksonville. Marcell Reece is the fullback and a good one at that as he ran for 218 yards (4.7 ypc average) and scored two touchdowns.
The wide receivers include James Jones, who comes over from the Green Bay Packers after catching 59 passes for 817 yards and three touchdowns last year. Rod Streator is also back after leading the team with 60 receptions for 888 yards and four touchdowns. Denarius Moore (46, 695, five TD) is also on hand along with Andre Holmes (25, 431, one TD) and tight end Mychal Rivera, who had 38 receptions for 407 yards and four scores.
The line has center Steve Wisniewski along with tackles Donald Penn and Austin Howard. The guards are Khalif Barnes and Tony Bergstrom. Others in the fold include Menelik Watson, Jack Cornell, rookie pick Gabe Jackson (Mississippi State) and Kevin Boothe.

STATS - Oakland finished 23rd overall on offense in 2013, gaining 334 yards per game, including 209 passing (24th) and 125 rushing per game, which ranked 12th in the league. The Raiders averaged 22 points a game, which placed them 22nd overall. Raiders quarterbacks were sacked 44 times a year ago while the team turned the ball over 31 times with 20 picks and eleven fumbles.

Defense: Oakland rebuilt their defensive line this off-season by bringing in Justin Tuck (11 QB sacks) and LaMarr Woodley (five sacks) to play defensive end. The tackles are Antonio Smith (five sacks) and Pat Sims.
Linebackers Kevin Burnett and Sio Moore (4.5 sacks) or possibly rookie Khalil Mack (Buffalo U.) will man the outside while Nick Roach (5.5 sacks) is the middle linebacker.
The secondary has an old but familiar face back again in Charles Woodson at free safety, playing along with strong safety Tyvon Branch. The corners are D.J. Hayden and Carlos Rogers. Tarell Brown and Chance Casey are also available at cornerback.

STATS -  The Raiders were decent against the run last season, giving up 108 yards per game (13th in NFL) but the pass defense was weak, allowing 256 yards per game while ranking 28th overall. Oakland was 22nd overall in total defense, giving up 364 yards per game while also ranking near the bottom of the league (29th) in scoring defense, allowing 28 points per game. The Raiders had 38 QB sacks with just nine interceptions a year ago.

OUTLOOK: It will either be boom or bust this season in Oakland as the Raiders invested in a slew of cagey veterans on defense and some talented and proven veterans on offense.
Head Coach Dennis Allen could be shown the door if the team lays another egg like last season when they finished well behind the rest of the AFC West with a 4-12 record.
After dropping eight of their final nine games, the Raiders will be looking to those veterans along with a mix of young players to produce a winning season. It won't be easy for the Silver and Black playing in a strong division that saw Denver, Kansas City and San Diego all make the playoffs last year.
If Schaub can regain some of his old magic from his days in Houston and Maurice Jones-Drew has anything left in the tank, the offense should be much improved from a year ago. James Jones and Denarius Moore give the Raiders two solid receivers for Schaub to throw the ball to. Having a healthy Darren McFadden (six more missed games in 2013) would do wonders for the offense as well.
On defense, if Tuck and Woodley can muster the number of sacks from their best years and the secondary get more pickoffs, the Raiders pass defense should be better. A shout out goes to kicker Sebastian Janikowski, who is one of the best (if not the best) kicker in the NFL with his booming kicks and ability to consistently make long field goals.
The big question is whether or not the Raiders can be a playoff team, but they should show improvement over last season's disastrous finish. The call here is for a 7-9 record and with some breaks, who knows, perhaps this team could get back to some form of glory. Just don't expect it to happen this season. 

2014 SCHEDULE:
Week 1- at NY Jets
Week 2- vs. Houston
Week 3- at New England
Week 4- vs. Miami (London, England)
Week 5- BYE WEEK
Week 6- vs. San Diego
Week 7- vs. Arizona
Week 8- at Cleveland
Week 9- at Seattle
Week 10- vs. Denver
Week 11- at San Diego
Week 12- vs. Kansas City
Week 13- at St. Louis
Week 14- vs. San Francisco
Week 15- at Kansas City
Week 16- vs. Buffalo
Week 17- at Denver

2014 NFL PREVIEW - Kansas City Chiefs

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS                                                                            

2013 Record: 11-5-0

Key Additions: DL Vance Walker; LB Joe Mays; OL J'Marcus Webb; DL Cory Grissom; CB Chris Owens; OL Jeffrey Linkenbach.

Key Losses: DL Tyson Jackson; OL Branden Albert; OL Jon Asamoah; S Quintin Demps; DL Jerrell Powe; WR-KR Dexter McCluster.

HEAD COACH: Andy Reid

Offense: The Chiefs will have Alex Smith at quarterback again after the ten-year veteran passed for 3,313 yards with 23 touchdowns and seven interceptions last year. Chase Daniel is the backup.
Jamaal Charles (1,287 yards for a 5.0 ypc average and 12 touchdowns) leads the running game with Knile Davis (242 yards and four TD) serving as an adequate reserve. Rookie De'Anthony Thomas (Oregon) is also on hand this season. Charles also led the team with 70 receptions for 693 yards and seven touchdowns ... his 19 total touchdowns led the league.
The receivers have Dwayne Bowe (57 receptions for 673 yards and five touchdowns) and Donnie Avery (40, 596, two TD) as the starters with A.J. Jenkins and Junior Hemingway as backups. The tight ends are Anthony Fasano (23, 200, three TD) and second year man Travis Kelce.
The line consists of center Rodney Hudson, guards Jeff Allen and Jeffrey Linkenbach. The tackles are Eric Fisher and Donald Stephenson.

STATS - The Chiefs ranked in the bottom third of the NFL offensively last season, gaining 337 yards per game, including 128 rushing yards (tenth in NFL) and 209 passing per game, which ranked them 24th overall. On the bright side, Kansas City was sixth in the NFL in scoring, averaging 27 points per game. The team gave up 41 QB sacks and was great handling the football with just 18 turnovers, which included eight interceptions and ten fumbles.

Defense: Outside linebackers Tamba Hali and Justin Houston lead this fierce defense as they each registered 11 quarterback sacks a year ago. The inside linebackers in the 3-4 D are Derrick Johnson and Nico Johnson while Joe Mays is another good backer added to the mix, along with Frank Zombo.
The men up front are nose tackle Dontari Poe (4.5 QB sacks) and ends Allen Bailey and Mike DeVito. Cory Grissom and Vance Walker are free agents who will be in the fold as well.
The secondary will be without starter Brandon Flowers, who bolted to the San Diego Chargers as a free agent this off season, as well as safety Quintin Demps, who led the team with four interceptions in 2013. But the Chiefs do have Sean Smith and either free agent Chris Owens or rookie Phillip Gaines (Rice) at the corners this season.
The safeties are Eric Berry (three interceptions, two brought back for TD) and Husain Abdullah. Backing up in the defensive backfield will be Daniel Sorenson, Malcolm Bronson, Sanders Commings and Jerron McMillian.

STATS - The Chiefs were both good and bad last year as they finished 24th overall on defense, allowing 368 yards per game. The run defense finished 22nd, giving up 120 yards while opponents passed for 248 yards, placing the Chiefs 25th in the NFL. On the bright side, Kansas City was fifth in the NFL in scoring defense, giving up just 19 points per game. They also finished sixth in the league with 47 QB sacks while picking off 21 passes.

OUTLOOK: After a blazing 9-0 start, the Chiefs limped home with a 2-5 finish last season and then blew a huge lead in the Wild Card playoff game and eventually lost it to Indianapolis.
Head Coach Andy Reid knows the team can get back to the post-season again this year, but to go further, they need more consistency on defense.
This season, with Alex Smith leading the offense and Jamaal Charles carrying the ball, look for more of the same as the Chiefs feature Charles while Smith looks to his plethora of wideouts to keep the defense honest.
Defensively, the Chiefs have to avoid giving up the big plays and continue to get the turnovers that made them one of the league leaders in that category. 
If things come together once again, Kansas City could be a factor in the tough AFC West division. However, the schedule is much more difficult this season, so they must be ready right from the start with games against Denver, New England, San Francisco and San Diego included in the first six this season.
Figure on a 8-8 finish this year for the Chiefs, but as always, if they get some breaks here and there over the course of the season, the record could be better. One thing for sure, they will not be sneaking up on any opponents this season.
 
2014 SCHEDULE:
Week 1- vs. Tennessee
Week 2- at Denver
Week 3- at Miami
Week 4- at New England
Week 5- at San Francisco
Week 6- BYE WEEK
Week 7- at San Diego
Week 8- vs. St. Louis
Week 9- vs. NY Jets
Week 10- at Buffalo
Week 11- vs. Seattle
Week 12- at Oakland
Week 13- vs. Denver
Week 14- at Arizona
Week 15- vs. Oakland
Week 16- at Pittsburgh
Week 17- vs. San Diego

2014 NFL PREVIEW - Denver Broncos

DENVER BRONCOS                                               

2013 Record: 13-3-0

Key Additions: LB DeMarcus Ware; CB Aqib Talib; S T.J. Ward; WR Emmanuel Sanders; DL Marvin Austin.

Key Losses: WR Eric Decker; RB Knowshon Moreno; CB Champ Bailey; DL Robert Ayers; WR-KR Trindon Holliday; DE-LB Shaun Phillips; LB Wesley Woodyard; OL Zane Beadles.

HEAD COACH: John Fox

Offense: Peyton Manning.
That name could be all that needs to be said here. But of course, Manning cannot do it by himself, even after shattering the NFL record books last season with 5,477 passing yards and 55 touchdowns with only 10 interceptions.
Wow!
The running game will see Monte Ball taking over as the primary back in 2014 as Knowshon Moreno, last year's team leader in rushing, left for Miami. Ball ran for 559 yards (4.7 ypc average) and four touchdowns. Ronnie Hillman (218 yards) is also on hand this season.
The wide receivers are among the best in the game and give Manning many targets to choose from, including starters Wes Welker (73 receptions for 778 yards and 10 TD), Demaryius Thomas (92, 1,430, 14 TD and a 15.5 ypc average) and Emmanuel Sanders, who caught 67 passes for 740 yards and six touchdowns with Pittsburgh last season. Andre Caldwell (16, 200, three TD) and rookie Cody Latimer (Indiana) are also available.The tight end is Julius Thomas, who made 65 receptions for 788 yards and 12 touchdowns. Jacob Tamme (20 receptions) and Virgil Green are the backup tight ends.
The line is excellent and is led by center Manny Ramirez, guards Orlando Franklin and Louis Vazquez and tackles Ryan Clady and Chris Clark.

STATS - The Broncos shattered the NFL record books on offense last season, scoring 606 points (38 points per game average) and ranked first in passing as well with 340 yards per game. The running game ranked 15th (117 yards per game) and of course the team was first in overall offense, averaging 457 yards per game. Manning was sacked just 20 times last year.

Defense: Up front in the team's 4-3 set are tackles Terrance Knighton and Sylvester Williams. The ends are DeMarcus Ware (six QB sacks with Dallas last year) and either Malik Jackson (six sacks) or Derek Wolfe.
The linebacking unit has Von Miller (five sacks) and Danny Trevathan (three interceptions) on the outside with either Nate Irving or Jamar Chaney in the middle. Also available is Lerentee McCray, Steven Johnson and L.J. Fort and rookie Lamin Barrow (LSU).
The secondary features corner men Chris Harris (three INT) and Aqib Talib, who made four interceptions with New England last year. Rookie Bradley Roby (Ohio State) was taken in the first round and could challenge Harris for a starting spot during training camp. The safeties are T.J. Ward and Rahim Moore, who had two picks last season. Others looking to contribute are Kayvon Webster, Tony Carter, Quinton Carter, Omar Bolden and Duke Ihenacho.

STATS - The Broncos were 19th overall last year, giving up 356 yards per game. The run defense wasn't bad, allowing 102 yards (7th overall) but the pass defense was weak, giving up 254 yards, which ranked 27th in the NFL, while they sacked opposing quarterbacks 41 times. Denver allowed 25 points per game, which was 22nd overall.

OUTLOOK: It's hard to pick against the Broncos getting back to the Super Bowl once again after the season they had last year. Peyton Manning leads the offense, which should be stellar once again while the defense appears to have made some upgrades in the secondary, which should help improve the pass defense.
Head Coach John Fox knows his team can not only get back to the Super Bowl, but they can also win it this time if they get there. To do that, the Broncos have to be better on defense and not make the same mistakes they did against Seattle in last year's Super Bowl.
When all is said and done and January rolls around, expect the Broncos to win the AFC West again and probably have the home field advantage in the AFC playoffs. A 12-4 record is most likely to happen for the Broncos this season. Once the post-season starts, it's up to them to not just get to the Super Bowl again, but to go out and win it this time around.
 
2014 SCHEDULE:
Week 1- vs. Indianapolis
Week 2- vs. Kansas City
Week 3- at Seattle
Week 4- BYE WEEK
Week 5- vs. Arizona
Week 6- at NY Jets
Week 7- vs. San Francisco
Week 8- vs. San Diego
Week 9- at New England
Week 10- at Oakland
Week 11- at St. Louis
Week 12- vs. Miami
Week 13- at Kansas City
Week 14- vs. Buffalo
Week 15- at San Diego
Week 16- at Cincinnati
Week 17- vs. Oakland

2014 NFL PREVIEW - San Francisco 49ers

SAN FRANCISCO 49ers                                           

2013 Record: 12-4-0

Key Additions: OL Jonathan Martin; S Antoine Bethea; CB Chris Cook; WR Stevie Johnson; QB Blaine Gabbert; WR Brandon Lloyd.

Key Losses: RB Anthony Dixon; WR Mario Manningham; CB Carlos Rogers; S Donte Whitner; CB Tarell Brown.

HEAD COACH: Jim Harbaugh

Offense: Quarterback Colin Kaepernick leads the way on offense and can hurt defenses with his arm or his legs. Kaepernick passed for 3,197 yards with 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions as well as rushing for 524 yards (5.7 ypc average) and scored four touchdowns. Blaine Gabbert and Josh Johnson will backup.
Veteran Frank Gore went for over 1,000 rushing yards once again last year (1,128, 4.1 ypc and nine TD) and will be the primary back again, especially with top backup Kendall Hunter appearing to be lost this season with a knee injury early on in training camp. LeMichael James and rookie Carlos Hyde (Ohio State) will be ready when needed.
The receivers are led by Michael Crabtree, who missed a big portion of last season with injuries and caught 19 passes for 284 yards and a touchdown. Anquan Boldin (85 receptions, 1,179 yards, seven TD) is the other starter and a primary target for Kaepernick. The tight end is Vernon Davis, who snared 52 catches for 850 yards (16.3 ypc) and 13 touchdowns.
Others in the mix for the 49ers this year include Stevie Johnson (52, 597, three TD with Buffalo), Jon Baldwin, rookie Bruce Ellington (South Carolina) and Quinton Patton. Vance McDonald is the backup tight end.
The O-line has Dan Kilgore at center with Mike Iupati and Alex Boone at guard. The tackles are Anthony Davis and Joe Staley.

STATS - The 'Niners need to pick it up this season after finishing 24th overall on offense (324 yards per game), especially in the passing game, where they averaged a paltry 186 yards per game. The running game is solid, finishing third in the NFL with an average of 138 yards per game. San Francisco finished 11th in scoring, averaging 25 points a game.

Defense: This is the strength of the team no doubt after finishing fifth overall in the league, giving up 317 yards per game. The run defense is solid with Glenn Dorsey at nose tackle and Ray McDonald and Justin Smith (6.5 quarterback sacks) at the ends in the 3-4 set.
The linebacking has Ahmad Brooks (8.5 QB sacks) and Aldon Smith (8.5 sacks) on the outside with NaVorro Bowman (five sacks and two interceptions, including one brought back for a score) and Patrick Willis inside. Providing backup in the front seven will be Ian Williams, Tank Carradine, Quinton Dial, Dan Skuta, Chris Borland, Corey Lemonier and Michael Wilhoite.
The secondary features Chris Culliver and Tramaine Brock (five INT, one for TD) at the corners with Eric Reid (four picks) and Antoine Bethea at the safety spots. Rookie Jimmie Ward (Northern Illinois) was taken in the first round and along with Chris Cook (free agent signee from Minnesota Vikings) will be counted on as well.

STATS - The 49ers can stuff the run, witness their fourth ranked defense that allowed just 96 rushing yards per game. The pass defense also shined last year, giving up 221 yards per game, which was seventh overall. San Francisco finished fifth in the league in total defense and third in points allowed, giving up just 17 points per game. The 'Niners had 38 QB sacks and intercepted 18 passes while getting 30 turnovers for a plus-12 in the turnover category.

OUTLOOK: The San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks will square off twice in the final five weeks of the season and those games will likely decide the NFC West division title as well as home field advantage for the NFC Playoffs.
A lot can happen during the course of a season, but the 'Niners appear ready and loaded once again with Kaepernick and company on offense and a stellar defense that ranks right up there with the best of them.
Head Coach Jim Harbaugh saw his team take a step backward last season after reaching the Super Bowl two years ago and wants to get back there and win it this time around.
The NFC West is one of the toughest divisions in the league and to win it, the 49ers will have to control their own destiny as they seek to get the home field this post-season.
Barring any major injuries to key players, there is no reason to think this team can't go all the way and perhaps win the Super Bowl. First things first though as a 12-4 record appears likely this year. From there, it's up to the team to perform and come through once the playoffs begin if they want to achieve their goal of winning it all.

TEAM SCHEDULE:
Week 1- at Dallas
Week 2- vs. Chicago
Week 3- at Arizona
Week 4- vs. Philadelphia
Week 5- vs. Kansas City
Week 6- at St. Louis
Week 7- at Denver
Week 8- BYE WEEK
Week 9- vs. St. Louis
Week 10- at New Orleans
Week 11- at NY Giants
Week 12- vs. Washington
Week 13- vs. Seattle
Week 14- at Oakland
Week 15- at Seattle
Week 16- vs. San Diego
Week 17- vs. Arizona

2014 NFL PREVIEW - Washington Redskins

WASHINGTON REDSKINS                                      

2013 Record: 3-13-0

Key Additions: WR DeSean Jackson; S Ryan Clark; DL Jason Hatcher; CB Tracy Porter; WR Andre Roberts; LB Daryl Sharpton; OL Shaun Lauvao.

Key Losses: DL Adam Carriker; OL Will Montgomery; LB London Fletcher; WR Josh Bellamy; DL-LB Darryl Tapp; CB Josh Wilson.

HEAD COACH: Jay Gruden

Offense: Depending on the health of quarterback Robert Griffin III, this position could be extremely strong or else up in the air this season. RG3 passed for 3,203 yards last year with 16 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, a far cry from his rookie season performance in 2012. Of course, he was coming off the devastating knee injury suffered in the playoffs. Griffin did rush for 489 yards (5.7 ypc average) and will look to do more of the same as long as his knee holds up. Backing him up will be the ever capable Kirk Cousins (854 pass yards with 4 TD and 7 INT) and Colt McCoy is on hand just in case.
Alfred Morris rushed for 1,275 yards (4.6 ypc) and scored seven touchdowns, respectable numbers, but his production from his rookie season of 2012 was also down.  Roy Helu (274, 4.4 and four TD) is also in the backfield for the Redskins this season along with Evan Royster and fullback Darrel Young.
The wide receiving corps gets a big boost as DeSean Jackson comes over from the Philadelphia Eagles after putting up some big numbers with 82 receptions for 1,332 yards (16.2 ypc) and nine touchdowns. He will be paired with Pierre Garcon, who led the NFL with 113 receptions, good for 1,346 yards (11.9 ypc) and five touchdowns. The tight end is Jordan Reed (45, 499, three TD) with Logan Paulsen (28, 267, three TD) also available.
Other receivers in the mix for the passing game include Andre Roberts (43, 471, two TD with Arizona last season), Santana Moss (42, 452, two TD) and rookie Ryan Grant (Tulane).
The line will have Kory Lichtensteiger at center along with guards Shawn Lauvao and Chris Chester. The tackles are Tyler Polumbus and Trent Williams. Rookies Spencer Long (Nebraska) and Morgan Moses (Virginia) will get a look along with veterans Tom Compton, Josh LeRibeus and Mike McGlynn for backup roles.

STATS - Washington did rank ninth in total offense last year, averaging 370 yards per game (135 rushing - fifth in NFL and 235 passing - 16th in NFL) while scoring 334 points. Redskins quarterbacks were sacked 43 times and turnovers were a problem as the 'Skins turned it over 34 times, including 15 fumbles.

Defense: The 3-4 look will have either Barry Cofield or Chris Baker at nose tackle with Jason Hatcher and Stephen Bowen playing the end spots. The linebackers will see Akeem Jordan along with either Darryl Sharpton or Perry Riley inside while Brian Orakpo (10 quarterback sacks) and Ryan Kerrigan  (8.5 sacks) man the outside linebacker spots.
The safeties are Ryan Clark and Brandon Meriweather along with corner men DeAngelo Hall (four INT, including two for touchdowns) and David Amerson, who picked off two passes, bringing one back for a score. Backups include Tracy Porter, E.J. Biggers, Tanard Jackson,  Bashaud Breeland (rookie-Clemson) and Phillip Thomas.

STATS - The numbers were deceiving last year as the Redskins got scorched to the tune of 30 points per game last season, allowing the most points in the league along with Chicago and Minnesota, a whopping 478 points. The team finished 18th overall, giving up 354 yards, which included 111 on the ground and 243 passing yards per game. Washington totaled 36 QB sacks with 16 interceptions.

OUTLOOK: After making the playoffs in 2012 and then falling off big time last year, the Redskins will be looking for big rebound seasons from RG3 and the defense, which was very solid two years ago.
Griffin is the key and as long as he avoids injury and mistakes, this team could very well get back into the post-season. There are multiple targets to throw to and with Morris and Helu carrying the football, the running game should be in good shape.
The defense has to step up and not allow so many big plays, which led to easy scores for the opposition last season. Better pressure on enemy quarterbacks will be important and getting more turnovers as well, which was vital to the D in the 2012 playoff season.
Head Coach Jay Gruden gets his chance to lead the team back to glory after the huge disappointment of last year. But don't get too excited, especially if the team stumbles out of the gate because the schedule gets more difficult after the first two games.
The Redskins also need to win some division games after going zero-for-six in the NFC East last season. A 6-10 finish would be an improvement over the 2013 debacle as the team hopes for bigger and better things in the rugged NFC this season.

2014 SCHEDULE:
Week 1- at Houston
Week 2- vs. Jacksonville
Week 3- at Philadelphia
Week 4- vs. NY Giants
Week 5- vs. Seattle
Week 6- at Arizona
Week 7- vs. Tennessee
Week 8- at Dallas
Week 9- at Minnesota
Week 10- BYE WEEK
Week 11- vs. Tampa Bay
Week 12- at San Francisco
Week 13- at Indianapolis
Week 14- vs. St. Louis
Week 15- at NY Giants
Week 16- vs. Philadelphia
Week 17- vs. Dallas

2014 NFL PREVIEW - Dallas Cowboys

DALLAS COWBOYS                                                   

2013 Record: 8-8-0

Key Additions: DL Henry Melton; DL Terrell McClain; DL Jeremy Mincey; QB Brandon Weeden.

Key Losses: DL-LB DeMarcus Ware; WR Miles Austin; QB Kyle Orton; DL Jarius Wynn; DL Jason Hatcher; DL Everette Brown; OL Phil Costa.

HEAD COACH: Jason Garrett

Offense: Quarterback Tony Romo put up good numbers last season (3,828 yards, 31 touchdowns and ten interceptions) and is coming off two back surgeries this off-season, but the team is optimistic he will be the same steady QB he has been in the past. Brandon Weeden was brought over from the Cleveland Browns and will be the primary backup.
DeMarco Murray is the top running back again after going for 1,121 yards (5.2 ypc average) and scoring nine touchdowns. He also had 53 receptions, including one touchdown grab. Joseph Randle and Lance Dunbar will back him up.
The wide receivers feature All Pro Dez Bryant (93 receptions, 1,233 yards and 13 TD) and tight end Jason Witten (73, 851, eight TD) as the main targets for Romo. Terrance Williams (44, 736, five TD) is the other starting wideout. Filling in when needed will be Dwayne Harris, Jamar Newsome and rookie Devin Street (Pittsburgh).
The offensive line has center Travis Frederick, guards Ronald Leary and rookie (Notre Dame) Zack Martin. The tackles are Doug Free and Tyron Smith. 

STATS - Dallas finished 16th  on offense last year, averaging 341 yards per game. The rushing game gained 94 yards (24th) while the passing game was 14th with 247 yards. The Cowboys averaged 27 points a game, which was fifth overall. Romo was sacked 35 times while the Cowboys turned the ball over 20 times.

Defense: After finishing dead last in the NFL on defense a year ago, the Cowboys will look to revitalize the 4-3 set with a better effort in 2014. Up front at tackles are Nick Hayden and Henry Melton. The ends are Jeremy Mincey and Tyrone Crawford.
George Selvie (seven QB sacks), Terrell McClain, Ben Bass and possibly Ben Gardner, a rookie from Stanford, are also available.
The linebackers have Bruce Carter and either Justin Durant or Kyle Wilber on the outside and either DeVonte Holloman or Orie Lemon in the middle. Also in the mix are rookies Demarcus Lawrence (Boise State) and Will Smith (Texas Tech). Gone from this group this season is DeMarcus Ware (free agency) and Sean Lee, who is out for the season with a knee injury.
The secondary will have Brandon Carr (three interceptions) at one corner spot with either Morris Claiborne or Orlando Scandrick (two picks) at the other spot. The safeties are Barry Church and J.J. Wilcox. Others looking to help out here will be B.W. Webb, Matt Johnson, rookie Ahmad Dixon (Baylor) and Jeff Heath.

STATS - Giving up 415 yards per game a year ago, the Cowboys ranked last in the NFL. They gave up 128 yards on the ground (27th) and also allowed a whopping 287 yards through the air, which ranked 30th overall. In addition, they managed just 35 quarterback sacks, but they did garner 28 takeaways, which ranked them in the top ten. The Cowboys allowed an average of 27 points per game and finished 26th in scoring defense, giving up 432 points.

OUTLOOK: After finishing with a .500 record for the last three years, the Cowboys are looking to improve on that mediocrity and get back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2009 season.
Head Coach Jason Garrett will no doubt face the scrutiny of being on the "hot seat" this year if the team struggles and fails to reach the post-season yet again.
An improved defense is a must for Dallas in 2014 if they want to even sniff the playoffs, but without Sean Lee, the other linebackers must step up and contribute. The secondary was awful last season, getting smoked on a regular basis and needs to step up and get more interceptions. An improved pass rush would help as well for the Cowboys.
As long as Romo is healthy once again and the rest of the offense contributes, the 'Pokes will be fine in this area. It will be an interesting season in Dallas and they need to get off the .500 record in the right direction as they look to get back to the post-season. They went 5-1 in the NFC East a year ago, so they need to repeat that effort and win some more games outside the division.
It's not out of the question this team could win the division, but they also could finish on the bottom as well. The key will be the defense improving and Romo and company doing their thing.
The Cowboys know they have to be better than the past three seasons to get to the playoffs, but another 8-8 finish appears to be on the horizon once again.

TEAM SCHEDULE:
Week 1- vs. San Francisco
Week 2- at Tennessee
Week 3- at St. Louis
Week 4- vs. New Orleans
Week 5- vs. Houston
Week 6- at Seattle
Week 7- vs. NY Giants
Week 8- vs. Washington
Week 9- vs. Arizona
Week 10- at Jacksonville (London, England)
Week 11- BYE WEEK
Week 12- at NY Giants
Week 13- vs. Philadelphia
Week 14- at Chicago
Week 15- at Philadelphia
Week 16- vs. Indianapolis
Week 17- at Washington

2014 NFL PREVIEW - Indianapolis Colts

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS                                            

2013 Record: 11-5-0

Key Additions: WR Hakeem Nicks; LB D'Qwell Jackson; DL Arthur Jones.

Key Losses: RB Donald Brown; WR Darrius Heyward-Bey; S Antoine Bethea; OL Samson Satale; DL Ricardo Mathews.

HEAD COACH: Chuck Pagano

Offense: The Colts will be looking to quarterback Andrew Luck, who threw for 3,822 yards with 23 touchdowns and just nine interceptions last season, to continue his climb up the ranks of top NFL quarterbacks this season. Veteran Matt Hasselbeck is the backup.
Trent Richardson was disappointing after coming over from Cleveland in a trade last year, but did manage to gain 458 rushing yards while scoring three touchdowns. Along with Ahmad Bradshaw (4.5 ypc average and two TD in limited action) and either Davin Meggett, Zurlon Tipton or Dan Herron, he will form the backfield in 2014 for the Colts. Vick Ballard (injured for all but one game last year) was being counted on as well but suffered an Achilles injury early in training camp and likely is out again this season.
The receivers have T.Y. Hilton (82 receptions for 1,083 yards with five TD) as the top wideout who is an emerging star. Hilton became Luck's primary target because Reggie Wayne (38, 503, seven TD) played just seven games before suffering a season-ending injury. Those two are the starters in 2014 with newcomer Hakeem Nicks (56 catches for 896 yards with the New York Giants in 2013) and rookie Donte Moncrief (Ole Miss) also available. The tight ends are Coby Fleener (52 receptions for 608 yards with four TD) and Dwayne Allen, who missed all of last season after making 45 grabs in his rookie season two years ago.
The line is comprised of center Khaled Holmes, guards Donald Thomas and Hugh Thornton and tackles Anthony Castonzo and Gosder Cherilus.

STATS - The Colts were middle of the pack on offense last year, gaining 342 yards per game (15th in NFL) while rushing for 109 yards and 233 passing. Indy was also middle of the pack in scoring (14th overall) averaging 24 points per game. They also protected the ball, turning it over just 14 times all season.

Defense: The Colts employ the 3-4 look and will have Arthur Jones at nose tackle with Cory Redding (4.5 quarterbacks sacks) and Ricky Jean Francois on the end positions. The linebackers include inside men D'Qwell Jackson and Jerrell Freeman (5.5 sacks) while Erik Walden and All-Pro Robert Mathis, who had a league leading 19.5 QB sacks, will be on the outside.
The secondary has corners Vontae Davis and Greg Toler with LaRon Landry and Delano Howell at the safety spot. Also in the fold for Indy is Darius Butler (four interceptions), Sheldon Price, Josh Gordy, Corey Lynch and Sergio Brown.

STATS - The Colts were 20th in the NFL on defense last year, giving up 357 yards per game (125 rushing and 232 passing) while allowing 21 points each week, which ranked them 9th overall. The team intercepted 15 passes and had 42 quarterback sacks while getting 27 turnovers.

OUTLOOK: The AFC South is theirs for the taking once again in 2014 as all three division opponents have major questions coming into this season. The Colts took a step forward last year by advancing into the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs and Head Coach Chuck Pagano would like to see them go even further this season.
As long as Luck continues to show his ability each week, the team will be just fine. The running game has to improve big time because Donald Brown, last season's team leading rusher, left via free agency for the San Diego Chargers.
The defense is decent enough to keep the Colts in most games, however they need to improve against the pass after giving up too many big plays. Along with Jackson, who comes over from Cleveland to play linebacker, Robert Mathis leads a solid pass rush, but he will be out for the first four games this year while he serves a suspension.
Indianapolis should win the AFC South again with a 10-6 record and will look to go further in the AFC playoffs this year. Whether or not they can do that will depend on an improved running game and the defense not getting torched by big plays. 

TEAM SCHEDULE:
Week 1- at Denver
Week 2- vs. Philadelphia
Week 3- at Jacksonville
Week 4- vs. Tennessee
Week 5- vs. Baltimore
Week 6- at Houston
Week 7- vs. Cincinnati
Week 8- at Pittsburgh
Week 9- at NY Giants
Week 10- BYE WEEK
Week 11- vs. New England
Week 12- vs. Jacksonville
Week 13- vs. Washington
Week 14- at Cleveland
Week 15- vs. Houston
Week 16- at Dallas
Week 17- at Tennessee