The Dallas Cowboys have a long proud past of being a contender and a prospective Super Bowl competitor. They have stars, they have a huge amazing stadium, and they have the glitz and all the glam.

But, yet, when all is said and done, they have been average at best since 2000, with 2 excellent seasons, but then going 1-4 in the playoffs since 2003. Where does the problem lie? It seems there is always something stopping Dallas from taking the next logical step.

They haven’t been in a Super Bowl since 1995, at the time, to put it in perspective, MADtv was a hot television show, and we were listening to Oasis on the radio (well, some of us were).

We are going to tackle four issues the Dallas Cowboys have got to deal with this season.

1-Is QB Tony Romo worth it? Tony Romo is taking the blame for the Dallas Cowboys' loss in their season opener, committing 2 decisive turnovers when they needed him the most. Romo has been up and down his whole career. Looking at his numbers, one would a fool to say he’s not a good QB. Career numbers of 120 TD, 16992 yards, and a 64% regular season win percentage. Then there are those moments, that leave you uttering, “…and there’s Tony, doing what Tony does.” He’s had a bad rap for choking; unfortunately he will never shake it until he does something when it really counts. I am starting to believe Tony will never get to that next level; he seems to fold like a lawn chair when the going gets tough.

2-Who can they rely on in the clutch? The Cowboys have big WRs in Miles Austin and Dez Bryant. Both are guys that can open the field up with ease, but are they the guy to lean on when they need it? I believe the old standby is TE Jason Witten. Guy has great mitts; he has averaged 91 catches and 1032 yards a season over the last 4 years. He has sound speed, a high-quality blocker and scarcely gets injured. On top of that, he has only fumbled the ball 4 times in 8 years. Signing him for 5 years was a smart move; they know who they need on the field in Dallas.

3-Will RB Felix Jones live to his potential? When Felix Jones was drafted in 2008 out of Arkansas, some Dallas fans were hesitant about him. At 6 ft and 200 lbs, he can burst with hammering speed. Lastly with Marion Barber gone, the show should go to him in the backfield as the main back. I know the days of 1 guy carrying the load of 20-25 carries/game are fading. But try him out, for his career, when shouldering 15 or more carries in a game, he averages rushing for 90 yards. Get him the ball more.

4-Can Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan fix a shabby secondary that needs much work? A team that has a solid defensive front led by LB DeMarcus Ware and mountainous NT Jay Ratliff, but needs much work at the secondary positions. Gerald Sensabaugh and Mike Jenkins are reasonable at best and the team as a whole had given up 259 passing yards/game in 2010 and 33 passing TDs, something needs to change there, hurriedly.

The ‘Boys need some tweaking here and there. They have to remain accountable for themselves, and learn to improve; otherwise it will be yet another season with Tony and his teammates watching the games in January.

Written by Tony Karpinski for VegasTopDogs.com