When Wade Philips took over the Dallas Cowboys there were major questions? Could the Cowboys return to the top of the NFC East? Was Philips the man to handle the mercurial T.O.? Could Tony Romo brush off the mistakes of the past year and return to the form that made Dallas a playoff contender? Even more to the point, could Philips bring the Cowboys back to the playoffs and win, something he’s never done?

Most of those questions were answered positively. The Cowboys began the season with a 45-35 victory over the New York Giants. A 5-0 start led up to a heralded contest with the New England Patriots, pitting what was seen as the best team in the NFC against an AFC power. The Cowboys came up short, falling to the Patriots. Still, there weren’t many teams in the conference that could match up. A seven game winning streak that included wins over the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, and Green Bay Packers did nothing to dispel the notion that the Cowboys were the team to beat. After a meaningless loss to Washington to end the season, Dallas set their sights on the Super Bowl. They should have been looking at the Big Apple. The New York Giants came into Texas Stadium and left with a 21-17 victory that stunned Cowboys fans and left Wade Philips winless in the postseason. Once again Tony Romo made a key error, throwing an interception in the final minutes that sealed the Cowboys fate. As the new year approaches, the Dallas Cowboys are still looking to find a winning formula in the NFL playoffs.