Cowboys' Problems Run Deeper Than Injuries?

The Dallas Cowboys have dropped two of their last three games, with their sole win during that stretch coming in a struggle against the winless and hapless Cincinnati Bengals. They lost their starting quarterback, Tony Romo, for the next month, along with promising rookie running back Felix Jones for at least two weeks, and punter Matt McBriar for six to eight weeks. Somehow, they've also misplaced the swagger they possessed entering the 2008 season. On Monday, however, linebacker Greg Ellis hinted at problems that potentially run much deeper than temporarily losing a key contributor or two (or three).

"I can't give you the true reality of yesterday because it would start a big controversy," Ellis told reporters when pressed on what the state of the team really is right now. "We're just trying to hang in there together and win games."

"That is as much reality I can give you guys. We're trying to hang in there and win football games. That's it."

"I'm just disappointed in this organization right now," Ellis continued. "From the whole deal of it. Things just aren't going real good."

"Before the game, I said everybody's got to take part in this football team - the strength coaches, the coaches, the owners, the head coaches. This football team is truly a team sport. You need everybody to win. Everybody has to do their best for us to win. Right now, I feel like we -- players, Greg Ellis included, all of us -- we're just not putting our best foot forward right now."

"To me, we're not maximizing what we have," Ellis said. "I don't say that to start controversy. I pray that guys who hear me say this, the coaches on the staff, everybody, realize that I just feel like we can do better as a whole Dallas Cowboys organization."

It seems to me as if Ellis is referring, at least in part, to a lack of effort by the team in general. But that's hardly controversial, as he suggested. Perhaps he's pointing a finger more toward the coaching staff for not properly motivating and utilizing the talent available. Maybe there's a general feeling among the players that the play-calling is suspect. I don't know.

Either way, Ellis seems to think there are other underlying factors that are holding this team back. And he's not the only one that has sensed a problem.

"It seems like the last couple of weeks like you haven't seen the intensity and the passion on the sidelines at times," receiver Patrick Crayton said. "We have to get that back."

Yes, the Cowboys need to get that back. But it's going to be a challenge to get back to that point anytime soon considering the sudden injury concerns the team faces. But, perhaps this whole situation can be turned into a positive for the long run if the team takes this opportunity to get back to the basics and stop believing they can turn the switch on at any time. That in itself might be their biggest flaw of all right now. They just don't play with a sense of urgency until the game is on the line.

Maybe if the players and coaches alike feel like they must give their all on every play, they will regain the intensity that is currently missing. And with that will come the confident swagger they had over the first few weeks of the season.

Photo: Jamie Squire / Getty Images