Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl Selections 2006

It's finally official. After debating for 15 weeks during the season, the NFL have released the Pro Bowl selections for 2006. And as always there were pleasant surprises (San Francisco's Frank Gore), disappointments (New England's Tom Brady), and the unavoidable, "What were they thinking?" (Atlanta's DeAngelo Hall) The Dallas Cowboys were no different in all aspects.

Selected from Dallas to the Pro Bowl is quarterback Tony Romo, outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware, strong safety Roy Williams, and punter Matt McBriar.

The peasant surprise for the Cowboys in '06 is without the play of quarterback Tony Romo. Since coming in for Drew Bledsoe, he is the highest rated passer in the NFC with a 98.4 rating. He rating is also second in the NFL, trailing only behind Peyton Manning. He's completed 66.6 percent of his passes and thrown for 16 touchdowns. But more important than numbers in the way he's completely turned around the play of his entire team. He is 6-2 as a starter since coming in and now Dallas is one win away from the NFC East division title and quite possibly a 1st round bye in the playoffs. Not bad considering Dallas was 3-3 and third in the division 8 weeks ago. Now Dallas appears to be a serious Super Bowl contender along with Chicago and New Orleans in the NFC. I expect Romo will be receiving a huge "thank you" note from Jerry Jones this Christmas.

Another pleasant surprise is undoubtedly the play of linebacker DeMarcus Ware. He leads his team with 7.5 sacks and has proved to be the destructive force for the Dallas defense. With constant comparisons to another great linebacker (San Diego's Shawne Merriman), Ware has been the one thing Coach Parcells wanted him to be. That's a Linebacker not a sack master. Ware has done everything a linebacker is expected to do. He's knocked receivers off their routes, rushed the quarterback, made open field tackles, been a force against the run, and most of all make big plays. Plays, like stopping the Giant's Brandon Jacobs on 4^th and one and intercepting a pass in mid air and taking it for a touchdown against Falcon's Michael Vick, is evident to how superb DeMarcus Ware has really been this year.